Republic of Ireland vs Republic of Madagascar
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Republic of Ireland
Ireland operates an employment permits system administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), with immigration permissions separately issued by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). The Critical Skills Employment Permit is the headline route for high-skill migration.
- Official portal
- Department of Justice (Ireland)
- Languages
- Irish, English
- Currency
- Euro
Republic of Madagascar
Madagascar publishes official tourist eVisa guidance through the eVisa Madagascar platform and National Police, long-stay investor, worker, family, work-permit and company-creation checklists through EDBM, and consular short-stay, transformable, study and special-visa category guidance through Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission pages. The current Visa Atlas packet covers tourist eVisa, visa on arrival, consular short stay, tourist extension, transformable visa, long-stay investor, worker, family and study routes, work permit, special official visas and company creation for foreign investors. Embassy payment and appointment mechanics can be locally specific, so applicants should use the competent Madagascar mission for consular filing details.
- Official portal
- eVisa Madagascar / Border Police of Madagascar
- Languages
- Malagasy, French
- Currency
- Malagasy ariary
How Republic of Ireland and Republic of Madagascar differ
| Dimension | Republic of Ireland | Republic of Madagascar |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 12 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 4 | 6 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 6 | 4 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Arrival → Stamp 4 (2 years on CSEP, 5 on GEP) → citizenship (5 years reckonable, typically year 6–7 from arrival). | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Critical Skills Employment Permit | Work Permit |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | €40,904/year | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | DETE publishes current processing dates weekly; Critical Skills Employment Permits are consistently prioritised over General permits, typically 3–6 weeks for trusted-partner employers. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | A Critical Skills Employment Permit to Ireland costs around €1,300 in government fees for a single applicant — the CSEP fee is typically employer-borne, so the worker's out-of-pocket cost is closer to €300. | — |
| Official languages | Irish, English | Malagasy, French |
| Currency | Euro | Malagasy ariary |
| Primary regulator | Law Society | EVISA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 1 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Ireland
Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Salary minimum
- €40,904/year
- Government fees
- A Critical Skills Employment Permit to Ireland costs around €1,300 in government fees for a single applicant — the CSEP fee is typically employer-borne, so the worker's out-of-pocket cost is closer to €300.
- Processing time
- DETE publishes current processing dates weekly; Critical Skills Employment Permits are consistently prioritised over General permits, typically 3–6 weeks for trusted-partner employers.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Madagascar
Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Recent policy activity
Last 6 months. Each entry links to its primary government source.
- 28 May 2026Republic of Ireland
Ireland announces employment-permit occupation list changes
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced occupation-list changes to support housing, health and transport needs, including additions to the Critical Skills Occupation List and removals from the Ineligible Occupations List.
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Ireland (7)
Critical Skills Employment Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years initially; leads to Stamp 4 permission and long-term residence after 2 years.
General Employment Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years initially; renewable; longer-term residence possible after 5 years.
Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial 2-year permission; renewable; leads to Stamp 4 after 5 years.
Stamp 4 permission
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Typically issued for 1–5 years at a time; renewable.
Irish Student visa (Stamp 2)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 1 year at a time; renewable during studies.
Join Family (Irish national or EEA national)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Variable — usually 1–3 years at a time; leads to Stamp 4.
Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP — closed)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Closed to new applicants.
Republic of Madagascar (12)
Tourist eVisa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Single entry; maximum tourist eVisa duration of 60 days.
Tourist Visa on Arrival
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tourist route; the official eVisa tourist route states a single-entry maximum of 60 days.
Consular Short-Stay Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 30, 60 or 90 days; the page states the visa is non-transformable into long stay.
Tourist Visa Extension
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Extension up to a total of 90 days according to the reviewed eVisa FAQ.
Transformable Visa
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · One-month transformable visa, used as a bridge to long-stay status.
Long-Stay Investor Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · EDBM fee bands cover stay periods from more than 3 months to 1 year through 5-10 years, definitive and duplicate categories.
Long-Stay Worker Visa
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · EDBM fee bands cover stay periods from more than 3 months to 1 year through 5-10 years, definitive and duplicate categories.
Work Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · A work authorisation route tied to the employment file; check the permit validity issued in the decision.
Long-Stay Family Reunification Visa
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · EDBM fee bands cover stay periods from more than 3 months to 1 year through 5-10 years, definitive and duplicate categories.
Long-Stay Study Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Entry visa is described as an immigrant 30-day visa transformable into long stay of more than 90 days.
Diplomatic and Courtesy Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Mission- or status-linked special visa; validity depends on the approved official purpose.
Company Creation for Foreign Investors
No sponsor · Non-settlement · EDBM states documents are delivered 2 days after payment if the file is complete.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Ireland or Republic of Madagascar?+
Republic of Ireland’s Critical Skills Employment Permit requires a salary of at least €40,904/year; Republic of Madagascar’s Work Permit is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Which immigration system has changed more recently, Republic of Ireland or Republic of Madagascar?+
In the last 6 months: 1 logged policy change for Republic of Ireland, 0 for Republic of Madagascar. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Does Republic of Ireland or Republic of Madagascar have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Madagascar has more: 6 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 4 for Republic of Ireland. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.