Indians work in Ireland in two steps: an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, then a long stay D employment visa from the Irish visa office in New Delhi. The Critical Skills Employment Permit covers roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List paid at least EUR 40,904 (or other degree-level roles at EUR 68,911) from 1 March 2026 and leads to Stamp 4 after 2 years; the General Employment Permit covers most other roles at EUR 36,605 after a 28-day labour market needs test. The permit costs EUR 1,000 for up to 24 months, the visa EUR 60, and the whole sequence takes 3 to 4 months.
The short version with the price card and checklist is on the Ireland employment permit route page. This article is the long version: how the two permits differ, the salary thresholds, who pays what, the timeline for an Indian hire, family rights and the reasons applications are refused. Ireland is outside Schengen, so workers travelling to mainland Europe also need a Schengen visa until they hold an Irish Residence Permit that some states accept; the Schengen visa step-by-step guide covers that.
Who qualifies for an Ireland work visa?
A worker with a job offer from an Irish-registered employer for a role that qualifies for an employment permit, meeting the salary threshold and the qualification or experience the permit type requires, with the employer compliant with the 50:50 rule (at least half of staff EEA nationals, waived for start-ups and some sectors). Indian software engineers, data scientists, nurses, doctors, accountants, civil and mechanical engineers and pharmaceutical scientists dominate Critical Skills permits; chefs, healthcare assistants, truck drivers, meat processors and hospitality staff use the General Employment Permit where the role is not on the ineligible list.
Nurses and doctors need registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland or the Irish Medical Council before the permit; engineers and IT roles need the degree the Critical Skills list specifies. Graduates of Irish degrees on Stamp 1G apply from inside Ireland, as the Ireland student visa guide explains.
How do the Critical Skills and General Employment Permits compare?
| Feature | Critical Skills Employment Permit | General Employment Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Roles | Critical Skills Occupations List, or any role (except ineligible) with a degree | Most roles not on the ineligible list |
| Salary from 1 March 2026 | EUR 40,904 (list roles); EUR 68,911 (other degree roles) | EUR 36,605; EUR 34,009 for recent Irish graduates |
| Labour market needs test | Not required | 28 days of advertising on the EURES and jobs portals |
| Duration | 2 years, then Stamp 4 | 2 years, renewable to 5, then Stamp 4 |
| Family | Immediately; spouse on Stamp 1G works without a permit | After 12 months; spouse on Stamp 3 |
| Fee | EUR 1,000 | EUR 500 (up to 6 months) or EUR 1,000 (up to 24 months) |
| Job change | After 12 months with a new permit | After 12 months with a new permit |
Thresholds rose in January 2025 and again on 1 March 2026 under the Department's roadmap, so check the current figure at the date of application; the permit is assessed on the salary in the contract, and allowances other than health insurance do not count.
How much does an Ireland work visa cost?
| Item | Fee | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Employment permit, up to 24 months | EUR 1,000 | Employer or worker; 90 per cent refunded on refusal |
| Employment permit, up to 6 months | EUR 500 | Employer or worker |
| Long stay D employment visa | EUR 60 | Worker |
| VFS Global service fee | About INR 2,500 | Worker |
| Irish Residence Permit (Stamp 1) | EUR 300 a year | Worker |
| Degree attestation and translations | INR 2,000 to 5,000 | Worker |
| Professional registration (nurses, doctors) | EUR 350 to 1,500 | Worker, often reimbursed |
Ireland has no immigration skills charge, health surcharge or sponsor licence fee. Vistolane shows the EUR 60 visa fee at the official rate and the permit fee separately on the Ireland destination page.
How does the application run?
- The employer confirms the role qualifies, meets the salary threshold and, for a General Employment Permit, completes the 28-day labour market needs test.
- The employer or worker applies on the Employment Permits Online System with the contract, passport, qualifications, registration and company documents, paying EUR 1,000; decision in 4 to 8 weeks (2 to 4 for Trusted Partners).
- The worker completes AVATS for the long stay D employment visa, prints the summary and books VFS Global Ireland.
- Lodge the passport, permit, contract, qualifications, police clearance if requested, medical insurance and the EUR 60 fee at VFS with fingerprints; about 8 weeks to decision.
- Travel within the visa dates, register with the immigration service within 90 days for Stamp 1 (EUR 300) and apply for a PPS number.
How long does it take?
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Offer and salary check | 1 to 2 weeks | Role on the right list, threshold met |
| Labour market needs test (General only) | 4 weeks | Advertising |
| Employment permit | 4 to 8 weeks | Trusted Partner 2 to 4 |
| D visa | About 8 weeks | New Delhi visa office |
| Arrival and registration | Within 90 days | IRP card, PPS number |
Expect 3 to 4 months from offer to start date for Critical Skills roles and 4 to 5 for General permits. The processing times page tracks current turnaround.
What happens after arrival: family, job changes and residence?
Critical Skills holders register on Stamp 1 and bring their spouse and children at once; the spouse registers on Stamp 1G and works for any employer without a permit, which makes Ireland unusually attractive to Indian dual-career couples. General Employment Permit holders apply for family after 12 months under the income test described in the Ireland join family visa guide. Workers may change employer after 12 months with a new permit (or earlier on redundancy).
After 2 years Critical Skills holders apply for Stamp 4, which removes the permit requirement entirely; General permit holders reach Stamp 4 after 5 years. Five years of reckonable residence on Stamps 1, 1G, 3 or 4 qualifies for naturalisation, and the Irish passport allows dual citizenship, though India does not.
Why are Irish employment permits and visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
Salary below the threshold. Contract at EUR 38,000 for a Critical Skills role. Raise the base salary to EUR 40,904 or apply under the General permit with a needs test.
Role on the ineligible list or wrong list. Applying for Critical Skills with a non-list role and no degree. Match the role to the current occupations lists before applying.
Labour market needs test defective. Advertising shorter than 28 days or missing a portal. Repeat the advertising exactly as prescribed.
50:50 rule not met. Employer's workforce under half EEA. Check the rule or the start-up waiver before applying.
Visa documents incomplete. Missing police clearance, attestation or insurance. Follow the ISD employment visa checklist; the 90 per cent permit refund softens a permit refusal but not a visa refusal.
How Vistolane files it
Vistolane's Irish immigration partner checks the role and threshold, prepares the permit application with the employer and files the EUR 60 D visa at the official rate. Start with the free eligibility check or the Ireland employment permit route page. Workers comparing English-speaking routes can read the UK Skilled Worker visa guide and the Netherlands highly skilled migrant guide.
