Ireland GEP
Ireland
Residency
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See if you're a match →Ireland's General Employment Permit is for people with an Irish job offer that is not covered by a more specialized permit route. It generally requires an eligible occupation, compliant pay and labor rules, and employer documentation.
- Type
- Skilled-work residence
- Job fit
- Workers with a qualifying role or strong professional profile
- Core requirements
- Job offer, qualifications, and pay or points rules
- What to know
- The job usually has to meet salary and skill rules
Summary
Ireland's General Employment Permit is the main work-permit route for non-EU/non-UK workers whose Irish job offer does not fit the Critical Skills route. It covers a broader range of jobs, but it is usually less flexible and slower to lead to Stamp 4 residence than the Critical Skills Employment Permit.
British citizens normally do not need this route because Common Travel Area rules let British and Irish citizens live and work in each other's country.
Eligibility
You may be a fit if:
- You have a job offer from a genuine Irish employer.
- The job is not on Ireland's Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits.
- The role pays at least the current General Employment Permit salary threshold for that job type.
- The employer meets Ireland's employer rules, including the 50:50 workforce rule unless an exception applies.
- A Labour Market Needs Test has been completed unless the job is exempt.
- You have the qualifications, skills, or experience needed for the role.
- You meet Ireland's immigration, identity, health, and character requirements.
Under current DETE guidance, the standard General Employment Permit salary threshold is €36,605. Some roles, such as certain healthcare roles and recent Irish graduates, can have different thresholds.
The Labour Market Needs Test means the employer usually has to advertise the job in Ireland and the EEA before hiring from outside the EEA. For most applicants, this is something the Irish employer manages.
What This Route Allows
This route lets you live in Ireland and work in the approved job for the approved employer. It can be renewed, and after enough qualifying residence some permit holders may be able to move to Stamp 4, which is a more flexible residence permission.
What This Route Is Not
This is not a general job-search visa, and it is not the best route when the job qualifies for the Critical Skills Employment Permit. It is also not an open work permission at the start; the permit is tied to the approved role and employer.
Family members may not receive the same immediate work rights that family members of Critical Skills permit holders can receive.
Next Steps
- Check whether the role might qualify for the Critical Skills route first.
- Confirm the job is not on the Ineligible List of Occupations.
- Confirm the salary threshold for the role.
- Ask the Irish employer about the Labour Market Needs Test and the 50:50 workforce rule.
- Gather the employment contract, qualification evidence, CV, passport, and any role-specific proof.
- Apply through Ireland's Employment Permits Online System.
- If the permit is granted, complete any entry-visa step required for your nationality and register your Irish residence permission after arrival.