Who it’s for
A foreign company (the contractor) that has a services contract directly with an Irish organisation, and needs to send its own non-EEA staff to Ireland to carry it out. The contract must be one-to-one with the Irish organisation; work that has been subcontracted to a third party doesn’t qualify.
The contractor makes the application, and must be registered with Revenue as an employer (and with the Companies Registration Office, where that applies).
The employee
- Has worked for the contractor for at least 6 months before the transfer.
- Is in a role needed to deliver the contract, and not on the Ineligible List of Occupations.
- Is paid at least €49,523 a year by the contractor. The basic salary must be at least the national minimum wage; board, accommodation and health insurance can count towards the threshold.
- Leaves Ireland when the contract ends or the permit expires. After one year, they may apply for another type of permit, such as Critical Skills or General Employment.
The Labour Market Needs Test and the 50:50 rule
The Labour Market Needs Test is usually required. It isn’t needed for jobs on the Critical Skills Occupations List, for jobs paying at least €64,000 a year, or with a recommendation from Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland. When the application is made, at least half of the staff of the contractor or of the Irish client must be EEA nationals.
Timing, length and fees
Applications must reach the Department at least 12 weeks before the employee is due to start. The permit runs for the length of the contract: up to two years at first, extendable to a maximum stay of five years. Contracts of three months or less may instead fall under the Department of Justice’s Atypical Working Scheme.
| Government fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| New permit, 6 months or less | €500 |
| New permit, over 6 months (up to 2 years) | €1,000 |
| Renewal, 6 months or less | €750 |
| Renewal, over 6 months (up to 3 years) | €1,500 |
If an application is refused, 90% of the fee is refunded. This permit doesn’t count towards long-term residence, and family members aren’t eligible for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse permit.
How we help
- We check the contract and the employees against the rules before you commit to start dates.
- We plan the timeline so the application goes in at least 12 weeks ahead.
- We prepare and submit the application on Employment Permits Online and deal with the Department’s queries.