---
title: Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland
country: ireland
service: "critical-skills-employment-permit"
category: employment
difficulty: moderate
estimated_time: "The Department processes applications in date order of receipt rather than to a fixed turnaround; it publishes a live current-processing-date page showing the receipt date it is working through, so plan against that page and the 12-week-before-start-date deadline"
cost_range: "€1,000 processing fee, 90% of which is refunded if the application is refused"
last_verified: 2026-05-28
canonical: https://publicservices.guide/ireland/critical-skills-employment-permit/
status: current
confidence: low
tags:
  - employment
  - "work-permit"
  - immigration
  - "skilled-worker"
  - employer
  - "non-eea"
  - "department-of-enterprise"
sources:
  - https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/permit-types/critical-skills-employment-permit/
  - https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/highly-skilled-eligible-occupations-list/
  - https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/
  - https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/fees/
  - https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/current-application-processing-dates/
  - https://employmentpermits.enterprise.gov.ie/
---

# Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland

**Country:** 🇮🇪 Ireland  
**Last verified:** 2026-05-28  
**Estimated time:** The Department processes applications in date order of receipt rather than to a fixed turnaround; it publishes a live current-processing-date page showing the receipt date it is working through, so plan against that page and the 12-week-before-start-date deadline  
**Cost:** €1,000 processing fee, 90% of which is refunded if the application is refused

## Required documents

- **Two-year job offer for an eligible occupation**
  - Required: A job offer of at least two years from an Irish employer, in an occupation that appears on the Critical Skills Occupations List
  - Cost: Already held
  - _Note:_ If the occupation is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List, this permit type is not available and a different permit such as the General Employment Permit may apply instead.
- **Proposed-employment details**
  - Required: A full description of the proposed employment, the starting date, the annual remuneration excluding bonuses, and information on the qualifications, skills or experience required for the role
  - Where entered: Recorded directly in the Employment Permits Online application form
  - _Note:_ The form asks for annual remuneration excluding bonuses, because only basic salary and eligible health-insurance payments count towards the threshold.
- **Evidence of qualification or experience**
  - Required: Evidence of the qualification or experience for the occupation, consistent with the remuneration threshold relied on — a relevant degree for the lower threshold, or evidence of the required experience level for the higher threshold
  - Cost: Already held
  - _Note:_ The qualification and the threshold are linked: a relevant degree supports the restricted-list threshold, while non-degree applicants on the higher threshold must show the necessary level of experience.
- **Employment Permits Online account**
  - Required: A registered account on the Employment Permits Online system, created by whichever party (employee or employer) lodges the application
  - Where to get: Register at the Employment Permits Online portal
  - _Note:_ The Department also publishes a Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist (PDF) that applicants are advised to work through before submitting.

## Costs

- **Processing fee — Critical Skills Employment Permit (up to 24 months):** 1000 EUR — If the application is unsuccessful, 90% of the fee is refunded. The refund issues to the applicant even where a third party such as the employer paid the fee. No renewal fee is listed for this permit type.

## Steps

### 1. Confirm the occupation is on the Critical Skills Occupations List

- Check that the job's occupation appears on the *Critical Skills Occupations List* — the list of roles deemed critically important to the economy, organised under the Standard Occupational Classification system (SOC 2010)
- If the occupation is on the list, the *Critical Skills Employment Permit* is the relevant permit and no Labour Market Needs Test is required
- If the occupation is not on the list, this permit is not available — a different permit such as the General Employment Permit may apply instead

> **Tip:** The listed occupations span ICT professionals, engineers, health professionals such as doctors, nurses and midwives, academics, architects, pharmacists, psychologists, business analysts and animation specialists.

### 2. Secure a two-year job offer that meets the salary threshold

- Confirm the job offer from the Irish employer is for at least two years in the eligible occupation
- Check the annual remuneration — basic salary plus eligible health insurance — meets the threshold for the occupation; bonuses and other variable pay do not count
- Make sure the employer's registered details and the worker's details match what will be entered on the application

> **If this fails:** Counting bonuses towards the salary can push the figure below the threshold. Use only basic salary and eligible health-insurance payments, and enter annual remuneration excluding bonuses.

### 3. Register on Employment Permits Online and complete the application

- Either the prospective employee or the employer creates an account on the Employment Permits Online system
- Complete the form: a full description of the proposed employment, the starting date, the annual remuneration excluding bonuses, and the qualifications, skills or experience required
- Work through the Department's Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist before submitting to confirm everything is in place

### 4. Submit at least 12 weeks before the start date and pay the fee

- Submit the completed application together with the €1,000 processing fee
- Business applicants pay by Electronic Funds Transfer; individuals may also use a euro-denominated cheque, bank draft, demand draft or postal order
- Applications are processed in date order once the fully completed form and fee are received — check the live current-processing-date page for the receipt date being worked through

> **If this fails:** An application must arrive at least 12 weeks before the employment start date. Apply too late and the start date must move, because a start date sooner than 12 weeks from submission cannot be reconciled with the application.

### 5. Travel, register your immigration permission and receive Stamp 1

- Once the permit is granted, travel to Ireland — obtaining an entry visa first if your nationality requires one
- Register your immigration permission and receive *Stamp 1*, the permission to work granted to employment-permit holders
- Take up the employment described in the permit

> **Tip:** Register your immigration permission to obtain the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) that records your Stamp 1 — first-time registration is a separate step handled by the immigration authority.

### 6. After the permit period, apply for Stamp 4

- On expiry of the permit, apply directly to the immigration authority for a Stamp 4 permission
- Stamp 4 lets you live and work in Ireland without a further employment permit and is not tied to a single employer
- Time spent legally resident counts towards the reckonable residence needed to later apply for naturalisation

> **Tip:** The Stamp 4 step is handled by the State's immigration authority, not by the Department that issues the employment permit.

## FAQ

### Does the employer have to advertise the job first?

No. The *Labour Market Needs Test* — the requirement on most other employment permits to first advertise the role to the European labour market — is not required for a Critical Skills Employment Permit, because the listed occupations are recognised as being in short supply.

### Can the employee apply, or must the employer apply?

Either can apply. The prospective employee or the employer can lodge the Critical Skills Employment Permit application through the Employment Permits Online system. Whoever applies creates the online account and completes the form.

### What salary does the job have to pay?

The minimum annual remuneration depends on the occupation and the applicant's qualifications. It is €40,904 for restricted strategically-important occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List where the applicant holds a relevant degree, €36,848 where the qualification was obtained within the 12 months before the application, and €68,911 for all other eligible occupations where a degree is not required but the necessary experience is. Only basic salary (at least the National Minimum Wage) and eligible health-insurance payments count — bonuses are excluded. These figures are linked to the National Minimum Wage and revised periodically, so confirm the current thresholds on the Department's eligibility page.

### How long does processing take?

The Department does not publish a fixed turnaround in weeks. It processes applications in date order of receipt of the fully completed form and fee, and publishes a live current-processing-date page showing the receipt date it is currently working through. Check that page for the date being processed, and submit at least 12 weeks before your intended start date.

### What happens if the application is refused?

90% of the €1,000 fee is refunded. The refund issues to the applicant even where a third party — such as the employer — paid the fee.

### What can I do after the permit ends?

On expiry of the permit the holder can apply directly to the immigration authorities for a *Stamp 4* permission, which allows them to reside and work in Ireland without a further employment permit. Time spent legally resident on these permissions later counts towards the reckonable residence needed to apply for naturalisation as an Irish citizen.

## Sources

- [Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) — enterprise.gov.ie](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/permit-types/critical-skills-employment-permit/) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — The Critical Skills Employment Permit is for occupations deemed critically important to growing Ireland's economy, as set out on the Critical Skills Occupations List. A Labour Market Needs Test is not required because the listed skills are in short supply. The prospective employee must have secured a two-year job offer in the eligible occupation, and either the employee or the employer can apply. The minimum annual remuneration threshold is €40,904 for restricted strategically-important occupations on the list where the applicant holds a relevant degree or higher qualification, €36,848 where the qualification was obtained within the 12 months before the application, and €68,911 for all other eligible occupations where a degree is not required but the necessary level of experience is. The application must be received at least 12 weeks before the proposed employment start date. The processing fee is €1,000, of which 90% is refunded if the application is unsuccessful. On expiry of the permit the holder can apply directly to the immigration authorities for a Stamp 4 immigration permission, which allows them to reside and work in the State without a further employment permit.
- [Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) — enterprise.gov.ie](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/highly-skilled-eligible-occupations-list/) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — The Critical Skills Occupations List covers employments for which there is a shortage of qualifications, experience or skills required for the proper functioning of the economy. The list is organised using the Standard Occupational Classification system (SOC 2010) and includes ICT professionals, engineers, health professionals such as medical practitioners, nurses and midwives, academics, architects, pharmacists, psychologists, business analysts and animation specialists. The current list took effect on 02 September 2024, when SI 444 of 2024 came into effect.
- [Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) — enterprise.gov.ie](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — To achieve the minimum remuneration threshold of €36,848, €40,904 or €68,911 for a Critical Skills Employment Permit, the components deemed to be remuneration are basic salary to achieve at least the National Minimum Wage and health-insurance payments made to a health insurer registered with the Health Insurance Authority. Bonuses, commission and other variable pay are excluded. The most commonly referenced threshold is €40,904 based on a 39-hour week, which is an hourly rate of pay of €20.17. These thresholds are linked to the National Minimum Wage and are revised on a published roadmap, so the figures move over time.
- [Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) — enterprise.gov.ie](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/fees/) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — The fees page lists the Critical Skills Employment Permit fee as €1,000 for up to 24 months, with no renewal fee shown for this permit type. Business applicants must pay by Electronic Funds Transfer; individual applicants may pay by Electronic Funds Transfer or by euro-denominated cheque, bank draft, demand draft or postal order.
- [Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) — enterprise.gov.ie](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/current-application-processing-dates/) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — Applications for employment permits are processed in date order of receipt of the fully completed application form and fee, where applicable. The Department does not publish a fixed turnaround in weeks; it publishes a live current-processing-date page showing the receipt date of the applications it is currently working through, which applicants should check for the date currently being processed.
- [Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) — Employment Permits Online](https://employmentpermits.enterprise.gov.ie/) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — Employment Permits Online is the Department's portal for applying for permits, tracking application status, updating personal details and getting assistance. Registration in the online system is mandatory; the applicant must create an account to lodge and track the application.

---

Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state.
Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/ireland/critical-skills-employment-permit/