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Republic of Ireland · work sponsored · Leads to settlement

General Employment Permit

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 10 September 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Sponsored employment permit for eligible roles that meet the General Employment Permit conditions, including the applicable salary, occupation, employer and labour-market checks.

Requires sponsorshipLeads to permanent residency2 years initially and renewable; later residence permissions depend on the qualifying permission history and separate ISD rules.In flux
Processing time
DETE publishes a live processing queue; decision timing changes as applications are received and reviewed.
Government fees
€1,000 for 2 years.
Typical duration
2 years initially and renewable; later residence permissions depend on the qualifying permission history and separate ISD rules.
Sponsorship required
Yes
Leads to permanent residency
Yes
Reviewed Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment ↗

In short

Sponsored employment permit for eligible roles that meet the General Employment Permit conditions, including the applicable salary, occupation, employer and labour-market checks. Guidance updated 10 September 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/ireland/general-employment-permit#answer

Offer-readiness checklist

Could this job offer fit an Ireland General Employment Permit?

This is a structured checklist, not a DETE decision. Salary alone cannot establish eligibility: occupation, employer, Labour Market Needs Test, evidence and immigration stages are separate checks.

Primary-source review: . The live DETE and ISD pages control.

Current checklist state: needs more evidence

Verify that basic pay independently meets the applicable National Minimum Wage or statutory pay floor before counting any qualifying health-insurance payment; this panel does not invent that floor.

Evidence still needed

  • Check the exact occupation against DETE’s live Ineligible List and compare the Critical Skills list where relevant.
  • Confirm the employer is registered and trading in Ireland, pays the worker directly, and document the 50:50 EEA workforce rule or a specific exception.
  • Determine whether LMNT is required. If it is, use JobsIreland/DSP/EURES and a second online platform for 28 continuous days and submit within the published window.
  • Verify that basic pay independently meets the applicable National Minimum Wage or statutory pay floor before counting any qualifying health-insurance payment; this panel does not invent that floor.
  • Confirm the sponsor category with ISD: ordinary GEP is Category C, while full-time non-locum doctors are Category B; do not infer it from a job title.
  • Confirm the actual ISD permission profile: ordinary GEP uses the 57-month Stamp 4 marker, while Multi-Site GEP for a Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor uses the 21-month group.
Published Ireland General Employment Permit salary reference bands
Band39-hour annual referenceHourly referenceScope
General threshold€36,605 (40-hour reference: €37,544)€18.05€36,605 at 39 hours; the DETE checklist gives €37,544 for 40 hours. Basic pay is the core component; qualifying health-insurance payments may also count.
Listed lower-band roles€32,691€16.12Horticulture worker, meat processor operative, health care assistant and home support worker categories identified by DETE; confirm the exact role-specific rule.
Recent Irish graduate€34,009€16.77Relevant degree from an Irish third-level college in the previous 12 months; confirm the graduate GEP conditions.

Employer and LMNT gates

  • Check the exact occupation against DETE’s Ineligible List; compare Critical Skills as an alternative, not as a blanket exclusion from GEP.
  • Confirm a genuine Irish employer, direct pay, the ordinary 50:50 condition or a documented exception.
  • Where LMNT applies, use JobsIreland/DSP/EURES and a second online platform for 28 continuous days; apply within the official window.

Permit, entry and residence are separate

  1. Submit the permit through EPOS.
  2. After approval, obtain an entry visa if your nationality requires one.
  3. After arrival, register with ISD within 90 days and follow the Stamp 1 conditions.

Changing employer

  • A GEP holder may use DETE’s Change of Employer process after nine months in the first employment permit in the State, moving within the employment type / four-digit SOC code on the original permit.
  • The Change of Employer process does not require a new LMNT. A move outside its scope requires a new employment-permit application and normal criteria.
  • The permit must be in force and have at least two months remaining when the change application is made.
  • DETE states that a permit holder may be granted up to three Change of Employer applications.
  • Do not start with the new employer until the updated employment permit has been issued; DETE says the new employment should commence within one month after issue.
  • Before nine months, DETE may consider a new permit in exceptional circumstances such as redundancy or an unforeseen fundamental change in the employment relationship; documentary evidence is required.

Family and longer-term planning

Select whether the sponsor is an ordinary GEP holder or a full-time non-locum doctor. Those are different family-policy categories; a medical job title alone does not select the Category B exception.

Nuclear family: ordinary GEP is Category C and generally has a one-year timing rule; full-time non-locum doctors are listed as Category B and need the Category B route checked separately.
Adult relatives: ordinary GEP Category C sponsors generally use the five-year branch; Category B full-time non-locum doctors generally use the two-year branch with three years of required earnings. Higher financial/dependency evidence and, where applicable, Stamp 0 are separate checks; work rights are not automatic.

Select the permission profile before using a residence milestone. Ordinary GEP and Multi-Site GEP for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors have different Stamp 4 upgrade markers.

  • Ordinary GEP: 57 months of qualifying employment is the current ISD marker used when assessing a Stamp 4 upgrade; this is not an automatic grant.
  • Multi-Site GEP for a Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor: current ISD guidance places this permission in the 21-month Stamp 4 upgrade group; do not apply it to every medical occupation or combine clocks casually.
  • 60 months of qualifying legal residence and employment-permit-based stamps/IRP history is the separate ISD Long Term Residency threshold; current employment and other conditions apply.

Primary sources checked

VisaAtlas explains the decision sequence; DETE decides permit applications and ISD decides immigration permission.

What is the General Employment Permit in Republic of Ireland?

General Employment Permit is a sponsor-led Ireland route. Indicative government fees are €1,000 for 2 years; indicative processing time is DETE publishes a live processing queue; decision timing changes as applications are received and reviewed; typical duration is 2 years initially and renewable; later residence permissions depend on the qualifying permission history and separate ISD rules. This route can lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 22 June 2026.

Overview

The General Employment Permit has its own occupation, salary, employer and Labour Market Needs Test criteria. Check the Ineligible Occupations List and compare the Critical Skills route where the role may fit it. The minimum salary was raised to €36,605 on 1 March 2026 (from €34,000).

Recent changes to this route

  • Ireland announces employment-permit occupation list changes28 May 2026

    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.

Guidance by nationality

Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Confirm occupation eligibility

    Check that the role is not on the Ineligible Occupations List.

  2. Employer conducts LMNT

    Where required, complete the current DETE Labour Market Needs Test using the official advertising channels and period, unless an exemption applies.

  3. Submit permit application

    Employer or employee submits via EPOS.

  4. Obtain visa if required and travel

    Non-EEA nationals from visa-required countries apply for an entry visa.

  5. Register with ISD on arrival

    Receive Stamp 1 permission.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For General Employment Permit, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Agree the lawful start date and onboarding with the employer or sponsor. Check whether the permission names an employer, role or activity before changing the arrangement.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official General Employment Permit instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Ireland

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Ireland. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official portalApplicant + sponsor
    Apply for an employment permit ↗

    Applicant or employer uses Employment Permits Online to submit and track the General Employment Permit application.

    Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment · verified

  2. ApplyApplicant
    Apply for an Irish employment visa ↗

    Visa-required applicants use AVATS to create the long-stay visa application after the permit is granted.

    Immigration Service Delivery · verified

Fees and processing time

Indicative government fees: €1,000 for 2 years.. Processing information: DETE publishes a live processing queue; decision timing changes as applications are received and reviewed. Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.

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Frequently asked questions

Can spouses work on a General Employment Permit?+

Eligible spouses or partners of General Employment Permit holders who are granted family reunification may receive Stamp 1G and work without a separate employment permit under current ISD policy. This is not automatic for every dependant or for a pending application; check the current family permission conditions before relying on work rights.

What is the minimum salary for the General Employment Permit?+

The main published General Employment Permit reference is €36,605 for a 39-hour week, with role-specific lower and graduate bands also published by DETE. Basic pay, weekly hours and the exact occupation matter; verify the applicable band and conditions on the current DETE checklist before applying.

Does my employer have to run a Labour Market Needs Test for a General Employment Permit?+

Usually, unless a documented exemption applies. The employer must follow the current DETE Labour Market Needs Test instructions for the required advertising channels, continuous period and application window. If the test is required but not evidenced, the application is not ready.

How long does a General Employment Permit take to process?+

DETE publishes a dated receipt queue for General Employment Permit applications rather than a guaranteed decision-time forecast. Check that live queue before planning a move, and keep permit, entry-visa and ISD-registration timing separate.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in Ireland

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Last checked: 22 June 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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