Resumen de los permisos de trabajo en Irlanda

Employment permits in Ireland are processed by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment (DETE).  The employment permit system was developed to allow non-EEA nationals to work in Ireland in jobs where there is a labour shortage in the market and where an employer cannot find an Irish, UK or EEA national to file the role. The European Economic Area (EEA) includes all countries within the European Union (EU), together with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Please note that for visa-required nationals, obtaining an employment permit is only the first step to coming to work in Ireland. After obtaining an employment permit, non-visa required nationals can come to Ireland to begin work but they will need to register for their Irish residence permission (IRP) card on arrival in Ireland. For visa-required nationals, a separate Visa Application must then be made to the Department of Justice for a permission to enter Ireland and if approved, visa-required nationals will also need to register for their IRP card on arrival in Ireland. 

The primary legislation governing employment permits are the Employment Permits Act 2003 (as amended), the Employment Permits Act 2006 (as amended), the Employment Permit Regulations 2017 (as amended) the Employment Permit Regulations 2018, the Employment Permit Regulations 2019, and the Employment Permits Act 2024. 

There are eight different types of employment permits available in Ireland, the most common of which are the Critical Skills Employment Permit, the General Employment Permit, and the Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit.

Under the Employment Permits Acts, it is a criminal offence to work without an employment permit when a person is a non-EEA national in Ireland without any other type of lawful immigration permission allowing them to work in Ireland.  Penalties of up to €250,000 can be enforced on parties who breach Employment Permit Regulations.

Non-EEA nationals who are currently in Ireland on a Working Holiday Authorisation or a Van Der Elst Transfer Permission cannot apply for an employment permit from within the State and must therefore leave the State should they wish to apply for a permit.  Similarly persons who are resident in the Republic of Ireland without a valid immigration permission cannot apply for an employment permit without either leaving the State and applying from outside, or submitting an application to the Department of Justice seeking a change or regularisation of their immigration permission in order to apply.

Persons resident in the State on a valid Stamp 1,1G, 1H, 1A, 2, 2A or 3 may apply for an employment permit.

In order for an employment permit to be granted to an Applicant, it is necessary to prove to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment that the Applicant possesses the skills, knowledge and qualifications in order to fulfil the position and that the employer was unable to secure an Irish or EEA national to fill the role.

The Government policy is that employment opportunities which arise in the Republic of Ireland should, in the first instance, be offered to Irish, UK or EEA nationals.

En determinadas circunstancias, los empleadores deben realizar lo que se denomina Prueba de necesidades del mercado laboral antes de solicitar un permiso de trabajo.

El enlace a esta prueba está disponible en el siguiente enlace: https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/labour-market-needs-test/. 

The Labour Market Needs Test involves the employer advertising the position with https://jobsireland.ie/ and another job search engine of your choice, such as https://ie.indeed.com/. Evidence of the advertisements must be submitted with the application.

In addition, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment has published on its website a large list of employments called the ‘Ineligible  List of Occupations for Employment Permits’ and if a role is on this list, then the position is not eligible for an employment permit even where the employer is unable to secure an Irish, UK or EEA national to fulfil the position.

The full ineligible list of occupations is available on the following link: https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/ineligible-categories-of-employment/ 

The employer and the employee must both participate in the application process. 

Una persona no puede solicitar un permiso de trabajo sin una oferta de trabajo y un contrato de trabajo firmado que debe presentarse en apoyo de la solicitud.

An employment permit will not be granted if it will result in more than 50% of the employer’s work force being non-EU/EEA nationals. Exceptions to this rule are where the business is a start-up company within two years of establishment and is supported by the IDA Ireland or Enterprise Ireland.

El empleador debe estar registrado con los Comisionados de Ingresos y tener un Número de Registro de Empleador (ERN) válido. También deben estar registrados en la Oficina de Registro de Empresas.

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment charge filing fees in the range of €500 to €1500, depending on the permit being applied for. In some instances, this filing fee can be waived, such as for Charities.

An employee’s passport must be valid for at least six months in order to apply for an employment permit.

Visa required nationals must also apply for an entry visa to the State after the employment permit is granted and this application is submitted separately to the Department of Justice, who are responsible for processing visa applications.

Los nacionales que no requieren visa no requieren una visa de entrada, pero deben mostrar el permiso de trabajo original al oficial de inmigración en el puerto de entrada a su llegada.

All employment permit holders must register with the Department of Justice within 90 days of entry to the State in order for their passport to be endorsed with a Stamp 1 permission to remain and for their details to be processed for the purpose of issuing them with an Irish Residence Permit (IRP card) which is sent by post a number of weeks after the registration appointment. This registration appointment is made via the Department of Justice’s Customer Service Portal, and all first-time registration appointments take place at Burgh Quay in Dublin. 

Permiso de empleo de habilidades críticas

El Permiso de empleo de habilidades críticas (CSEP) es el permiso de trabajo más solicitado en Irlanda. Este permiso se creó para atraer trabajadores altamente calificados a Irlanda con el objetivo de alentarlos a establecer una residencia permanente en Irlanda después de dos años de empleo.

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is particularly focused on roles that are considered by the DETE to be in short supply and are required for the proper functioning of the Irish economy.

Los permisos de empleo para habilidades críticas son válidos por dos años y no se otorgarán cuando la oferta de trabajo tenga una duración inferior a dos años.

Criterios de elegibilidad:

• Occupations with a minimum annual remuneration of €40,904 (as of 01 March 2026) for a restricted number of strategically important occupations contained in the Critical Skills Occupations List a relevant degree qualification or higher is required.
• In the case of a nurse or midwife, a third level degree or diploma accepted by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland as a sufficient qualification for registration to practice as a nurse or midwife in the State.
• All occupations with a minimum annual remuneration of over €64,000, other than those on the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits or which are contrary to the public interest. A non-EEA national who does not have a degree qualification or higher, must have the necessary level of experience.

En relación con la remuneración, los montos pueden incluir solo el salario base y los pagos del seguro médico realizados por la empresa. Un empleador no está obligado a pagar un seguro médico, siempre que el salario base cumpla con la cantidad requerida. Las bonificaciones no están incluidas en el salario base y las cifras se basan en una semana laboral de 39 horas. Por lo tanto, si solicita un permiso de trabajo y trabaja 40 horas a la semana, se aplican cifras ligeramente más altas si se aplica en base a los requisitos de salario mínimo.

After twenty-one months of employment in Ireland, eligible Critical Skills Employment Permit holders may apply for a Stamp 4 permission to reside in Ireland.

In addition, all direct family members, regardless of nationality, can join the employee in Ireland at the start of the employment. Family members include spouses (same or opposite sex), same-sex civil partners with a civil partnership certificate, ‘de facto’ partners who can prove two years of cohabitation, and children under eighteen.

Spouses of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders who are granted permission to enter and reside in Ireland are granted a Stamp 1G immigration permission which allows them to work in any employment without the need to obtain an independent employment permit but they cannot be self-employed.

Si necesita ayuda con su permiso de empleo de habilidades críticas, comuníquese hoy con Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork, llámenos al +353 1 406 2862 o correo electrónico info@sinnott.ie y un miembro de nuestro equipo se comunicará contigo.

Permiso general de empleo

El Permiso general de empleo ofrece requisitos salariales más flexibles que un Permiso de empleo de habilidades críticas y es la siguiente opción para los empleados que no son elegibles para solicitar un Permiso de empleo de habilidades críticas.

In general, a Labour Market Needs Test is required for a General Employment Permit. The only conditions where a Labour Market Needs Test is NOT required are if the occupation is included on the Critical Skills Occupations List, the job offer is in respect of an eligible employment with a minimum annual remuneration of €64,000 (except for ineligible occupations), where a recommendation from Enterprise Ireland o IDA Ireland has been made in relation to the job offer (this applies to client companies of Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland only), where the job offer is for a Carer of a person with exceptional medical needs and the non-EEA national has been providing care to the person before the application was made and that person has developed a high level of dependence on that non-EEA national, or where the job is offered to a non-EEA national who held a General Employment Permit or a Work Permit Employment Permit and who was made redundant and the redundancy occurred within the previous 6 months. This waiver only applies where the Department has been notified of the redundancy within 4 weeks of the date of dismissal.

No se otorgará un Permiso de empleo general para los puestos que figuran en la Lista de ocupaciones no elegibles, independientemente de la educación y el salario del empleado o del hecho de que un empleador no pueda encontrar un ciudadano de la UE o Irlanda para ocupar el puesto.

If the role appears on the Ineligible Occupations List then it is not eligible for any employment permit and no exceptions are made by the DETE in this regard.

Los requisitos de remuneración para un Permiso General de Trabajo son los siguientes: -

1. €36,605 for a standard General Employment Permit (as of 01 March 2026).
2. In the case of employment as a Horticulture worker, Meat Processor Operative, the minimum annual remuneration is €32,691.00 (as of 01 March 2026).
3. In the case of employment as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) & Home Support Worker  (SOC 6145), the minimum annual remuneration is currently retained at €30,000, pending further consultation 

El salario básico incluye únicamente el salario base y los pagos del seguro, y las cifras se basan en una semana laboral de 39 horas.

Los permisos generales de empleo se otorgan por períodos de seis meses a dos años. Las renovaciones se otorgan por períodos adicionales de seis meses a tres años.

When a person has completed 57 months of employment in the State on a General Employment Permit, they are then eligible to be apply for a Stamp 4 permission to remain, which enables them to work without an employment permit or be self-employed.

Family reunification is only possible once the principal employment holder has completed at least one year of employment in the State. Spouses of General Employment Permit holders who are granted permission to enter and reside in Ireland are granted a Stamp 1G immigration permission which allows them to work in any employment without the need to obtain an independent employment permit but they cannot be self-employed.

Permiso de empleo de transferencia dentro de la empresa

El Permiso de empleo de transferencia intraempresarial (ICT) permite a las empresas con oficinas en el extranjero transferir a la alta dirección, los empleados clave y los aprendices a Irlanda a una oficina local en Irlanda.

Los empleados transferidos de conformidad con este permiso siguen siendo empleados de la entidad extranjera con un contrato de trabajo extranjero y permanecen en la nómina extranjera durante su estancia en Irlanda.

No hay restricciones sobre el tipo de ocupaciones que son elegibles para un Permiso de transferencia dentro de la empresa, por lo que incluso los puestos que figuran en la Lista de ocupaciones no elegibles aún pueden calificar para un Permiso de transferencia dentro de la empresa.

Permits are granted initially for a period of up to two years and may be renewed for a further period of up to three years.  The maximum amount of time which a person can remain in Ireland on an Intra Company Transfer Permit is five years.  However, for trainees the maximum stay permitted is 12 months on an ICT Permit.

La empresa irlandesa debe tener presencia física en Irlanda, debe estar registrada en la Oficina de Comisionados de Ingresos y en la Oficina de Registro de Empresas.

A permit will not be granted if its grant will result in more than 50% of the employees of the Irish entity being non-EA nationals (unless it is a start-up company within two years of formation and are supported by IDA Ireland or Enterprise Ireland).  The foreign company must be engaged in substantive business operations in their own country and there must be a significant connection between the Irish entity and foreign company. Examples of the connection would be one being a subsidiary of the other or having the same parent company.

Holders of ICT permits are allowed to bring their families to Ireland immediately. Spouses of ICT Permit holders who are granted permission to enter and reside in Ireland are granted a Stamp 1G immigration permission which allows them to work in any employment without the need to obtain an independent employment permit, but they cannot be self-employed.

Senior management and key personnel must have worked for the overseas employer for a minimum of six months prior to the transfer whilst trainees are required to have worked with the foreign employer for a minimum of one month prior to the transfer.  The minimum salary requirement for an ICT Permit is €46,000 per annum for key personnel and senior management, and €34,000 for trainees.   These figures can include only base salary, top-up to base salary, health insurance and board and accommodation.   End of year bonuses and relocation expenses may not be included.

La entidad irlandesa o el empleador extranjero debe pagar un seguro médico, ya sea que esté incluido como parte del paquete de remuneración mínima o no. Las cantidades se basan en una semana de 39 horas y nuevamente se aplican cifras ligeramente más altas a las semanas de trabajo de 40 horas en las que se pagan niveles de salario mínimo.

Póngase en contacto con Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork hoy mismo para obtener más información sobre los permisos de empleo de transferencia dentro de la empresa. Llámanos +353 1 406 2862 o correo electrónico info@sinnott.ie.

Otros permisos laborales

Permiso de empleo de reactivación

This permit facilitates situations where a non-EU/EEA national who arrived in the State on a valid employment permit but fell out of the scheme through no fault of their own, to work lawfully again. Examples of falling out of the system may be where a person was badly treated or exploited by their employer or was made redundant and could not secure employment within the six-month grace period granted by the DETE following redundancy.  Candidates must first apply for a temporary immigration permission (called a “Reactivation Employment Permit Permission”) to the Immigration Service Delivery and once this is granted, then they are able to apply for a Reactivation Employment Permit to the DETE.

Contratos de servicios Permiso de trabajo

This permit covers situations where a foreign company has entered into a contract to provide services to an Irish entity. The permit facilitates the transfer of employees of the foreign employer to Ireland to provide the contracted services to the Irish business. The employees remain employed on a contract outside of the State and on the foreign payroll with the Foreign Employer.

El empleador extranjero debe estar registrado en la Oficina de registro de la empresa y los Comisarios de ingresos en Irlanda.

Permiso de empleo para prácticas

Este permiso se diseñó para permitir a los estudiantes nacionales de tiempo completo que no pertenecen al EEE y que están inscritos en una institución de tercer nivel en el extranjero realizar una experiencia laboral con un empleador en el estado.

An internship employment permit will only issue for a role on the Highly Skilled Occupations List, for a maximum of 12 months and is not renewable.

Permiso de empleo deportivo y cultural

Este permiso está diseñado para permitir a los ciudadanos que no pertenecen al EEE trabajar en el estado en roles que mejorarán, desarrollarán y promoverán las actividades deportivas y culturales.

Acuerdo de intercambio

Este permiso permite a los ciudadanos no pertenecientes al EEE trabajar en el Estado de conformidad con acuerdos prescritos o acuerdos internacionales en los que el Estado irlandés es parte.

Esquema de trabajo atípico

The Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) was introduced by the Department of Justice and Equality in 2013 to facilitate short term work in Ireland which is generally not covered by the Employment Permits legislation.

Ofrece criterios flexibles para permitir que un empleado nacional no perteneciente al EEE ingrese al estado para asignaciones laborales que duran de 15 a 90 días.

Ejemplos de esto son los siguientes:

• when a highly skilled worker is required to an industry, business or academic institution for a short period 
• to facilitate a paid internship where the internship is either beneficial or integral (necessary for graduation) to the course being studied in respect of 3rd level students studying outside the State in approved/accredited institutions (medical and unpaid internships are not permissible)
• as a locum doctor employed and paid by an agency – hospital sector or primary care sector (general practice)
• clinical adaptation and assessment programme/RCSI examination

Work of longer than 90 days is only permitted for the following roles:

• Doctor providing locum services in the Hospital Sector (6 months)
• Nurse seeking NMBI (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland) registration on the basis of overseas qualification (6 months)
• Paid internships where the position is an integral component (i.e. required for graduation) of studies in an accredited institution (12 months)

Applications will not be accepted from persons who are already in the State.

Permission to remain under the Scheme will be granted for a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 90 days under the Scheme. A cooling-off period of one month will apply from the end of the 6-month period before any new entry to the State under a subsequent AWS permission can occur

The minimum remuneration required under the scheme is the equivalent of the General Employment Permit (€36,605.00 as of 01 March 2026). 

Job roles which are listed on the Ineligible Occupations List for Employment Permits as published by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment are not eligible for permission under the Scheme and will be refused.

Visa required nationals are required to apply for an entry visa on receipt of a letter of approval from the Department of Justice.

La carta de aprobación es válida por un período de 90 días a partir de la fecha de emisión. No existe ninguna disposición para una extensión de la carta, por lo que si no se usa dentro del plazo de 90 días, se requerirá una nueva solicitud (junto con la tarifa de solicitud no reembolsable de € 250).

El Plan de Trabajadores Atípicos es un arreglo extremadamente útil que puede utilizarse para cubrir la escasez de mano de obra a corto plazo para los empleadores, aliviando así la necesidad de solicitar permisos de empleo en situaciones que califiquen.

Sin embargo, no es un medio para eludir las normas y la legislación sobre permisos de empleo, por lo que tanto los empleadores como los empleados deben tenerlo en cuenta al presentar solicitudes en el marco del plan.

Póngase en contacto con Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork hoy para obtener más información sobre el esquema de trabajo atípico. Llámanos +353 1 406 2862 o correo electrónico info@sinnott.ie.

Permiso de transferencia de trabajo de Van Der Elst

El permiso de transferencia de obra de Van Der Elst surgió tras una sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea dictada el 9th de agosto de 1994 en el caso de Raymond Vander Elst contra Office des Migrations Internationales Asunto C-43/93.

Este caso se centró en los derechos de una empresa de la UE para prestar servicios libremente en todo el Espacio Económico Europeo sin tener que solicitar más permisos de empleo en los países relevantes a los que enviaban empleados.

El caso confirmó que los ciudadanos no pertenecientes al EEE que están empleados legalmente por una empresa en un país del EEE / UE pueden prestar servicios de forma temporal a una empresa en otro país del EEE / UE sin necesidad de obtener un permiso de trabajo adicional.

A modo de ejemplo, una empresa con sede en Francia con un empleado nacional no perteneciente al EEE que haya sido residente legal en Francia con un contrato local, podría enviar a un empleado a Irlanda para trabajar de forma temporal (máximo doce meses) sin la necesidad de Presentar una solicitud de permiso de trabajo.

Para ser elegible para la transferencia de trabajo de Van Der Elst, el empleado debe:

• residente legal en el país de la UE / EEE en el que está establecido el empleador;
• empleado legalmente por el empleador en el país UE / EEE de origen;
• en la nómina del empleador en el país UE / EEE de origen.

Los nacionales que requieren visa deben solicitar una visa para ingresar al Estado bajo el esquema.

Los nacionales que no requieren visa no necesitan solicitar una visa previa a la entrada, pero deben tener en su poder la documentación adecuada para presentar a los funcionarios de inmigración en el puerto de entrada como prueba de su derecho a ingresar bajo este permiso.

Tanto los nacionales que requieren visa como los que no requieren visa deben asistir a su oficina de inmigración local para registrarse dentro de los 90 días de su entrada al estado.

Permission to remain in the State granted under the Van Der Elst Work Transfer Permission will not extend beyond the expiry date of a worker’s original permission to remain in the sending country, even if this results in a permission to remain of less than twelve months being granted in Ireland.

El empleado no puede trabajar en otro empleo mientras resida en el Estado y no tiene derecho a estar acompañado por miembros de la familia (aunque los miembros de la familia aún pueden solicitar visas de visita por un período corto cuando corresponda).

Si el empleado desea posteriormente solicitar un permiso de trabajo irlandés, debe irse y presentar la solicitud mientras se encuentra fuera del Estado.

Los autónomos o los titulares de permisos de transferencia dentro de la empresa para trabajar en el estado miembro de la UE de origen no son elegibles para un Permiso de transferencia de trabajo de Van Der Elst.

Si necesita más información sobre los permisos de transferencia de trabajo de Van Der Elst. Póngase en contacto con Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork hoy mismo, llámenos al +353 1 406 2862 o correo electrónico info@sinnott.ie.