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Pathway

Ireland General Employment Permit

Ireland Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Ireland's General Employment Permit is a broad work route for people with an eligible Irish job offer. It generally requires an occupation that is not on the Ineligible List, the applicable pay, a compliant employer and contract, and usually a Labour Market Needs Test.

Type
Skilled-work residence
Job fit
Workers with a qualifying role or strong professional profile
Core requirements
Eligible job offer, applicable pay, employer rules and usually a labor-market test
What to know
The job usually has to meet salary and skill rules
Salary requirement
Usually €36,605; lower published thresholds apply to specified roles and recent Irish graduates
Job offer required?
Yes; a Labour Market Needs Test usually applies

Summary

The General Employment Permit (GEP) covers a broader range of Irish jobs than the Critical Skills permit. It is for workers from outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom who have an eligible job offer from a genuine Irish employer. Most occupations are potentially eligible unless they appear on the Ineligible List, but the salary, employer and recruitment rules still apply.

The standard minimum annual remuneration from 1 March 2026 is €36,605. Current lower levels are €32,691 for horticulture workers, meat processor operatives, healthcare assistants and home support workers, and €34,009 for a person with a relevant degree from an Irish third-level institution awarded in the previous 12 months. These are not general discounts; the applicant must fit the exact category.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The main requirements include:

The Labour Market Needs Test normally requires the employer to advertise through DSP Employment Services/EURES and an additional online platform before the application. DETE lists exemptions, including a job on the Critical Skills Occupations List, an eligible offer at €68,911 or more, certain enterprise-agency recommendations and a narrow exceptional-care case.

The permit can cover a Critical Skills occupation too, but a worker who can meet CSEP's two-year offer and other requirements should compare the faster Critical Skills route to Stamp 4.

What This Route Allows

Once granted, the permit authorizes work for the named employer in the named occupation and locations. After any required long-stay employment visa, the worker enters Ireland and registers Stamp 1. The permit and residence permission are separate documents.

A GEP can normally be renewed for up to a further three years. Current ISD rules allow an eligible worker to seek a Stamp 4 upgrade after completing 57 months from commencement of employment in Ireland on the basis of General Employment Permits. DETE also states that a person may apply for employment-based Long Term Residency after five years, subject to ISD's separate rules.

Family members apply separately under the current family-reunification policy. GEP holders are Category C sponsors and face a waiting period, income and accommodation rules that differ from CSEP sponsorship.

What This Route Is Not

GEP is not a general job-search permission or open work authorization. An interview, interest from an employer or a plan to look for work is not a permit application. A job on the Ineligible List normally cannot qualify even when the salary is high.

The permit does not itself guarantee entry, residence renewal, Stamp 4, long-term residence or citizenship. Losing or changing the job can affect both the permit and immigration permission, and the current employer-change rules should be checked before moving roles.

Next Steps

  1. Check the exact occupation and duties against the current Ineligible and Critical Skills lists.
  2. Confirm the correct 2026 salary threshold, remuneration components, weekly hours and minimum 12-month contract.
  3. Have the employer document the Labour Market Needs Test or the precise exemption.
  4. Check the 50:50 workforce rule and any available waiver.
  5. Submit the permit application through Employment Permits Online at least 12 weeks before the planned start date.
  6. After grant, obtain an employment visa if required and register Stamp 1 after arrival.
  7. Retain every permit, IRP card, payslip and Revenue Employment Detail Summary for renewal and the 57-month Stamp 4 assessment.
Compare your options

Similar skilled work pathways in other destinations.

Sources