Ireland General Employment Permit minimum salary: judged on the day you apply, and again at renewal

The department measures the salary against the minimum in force on the day the application is made, and does the same again when the permit is renewed. A job that clears today's figure can fall short at renewal: the next rise is planned for January 2027, and its amount has not yet been published.

Pay just above the line today carries a risk that shows up two years later. The first permit runs for up to 24 months. The renewal is a new application, and the department checks it against whatever minimum applies on that day, not the one you started on. Since the 2024 law that brought in indexing, the standard minimum moves with average earnings in Ireland, and the lower sector rate is set as a share of it. The rates shown above took effect on 1 March 2026, a rise of 7.66% for most jobs.

The department's plan sets out what happens next. In January 2027 the standard minimum is reset after a yearly review. The lower minimum for healthcare assistants, home support workers, meat processing operatives and horticulture workers moves to 92.5% of the standard one, and keeps climbing until the two meet by 2030.

Which minimum is yours

Three rates are shown above. Most jobs use the standard one. The graduate rate needs a relevant honours degree (level 8 or above on Ireland's scale) from an Irish college or university, and an application made within 12 months of graduating, or the renewal of a permit issued in that window.

The department counts basic salary, plus health insurance paid as part of the package to an insurer registered with the Health Insurance Authority. Two employer conditions sit alongside the salary: in most cases at least half the firm's staff must be Irish or from the European Economic Area when the application goes in (the 50:50 rule), and most jobs must first be advertised to workers already here (the labour market needs test).

Paying for the permit

An agency's service charge and the state's fees are separate bills.

To the Irish state:

• The permit fee, lower for a permit of six months or less and higher for one up to 24 months, shown above as part of the government fee.
• The immigration registration fee, per adult, when you register after arriving, also included above.
• At renewal, a higher permit fee again, for a renewed permit lasting up to 36 months.

To an agency or adviser:

• Their own service charge, listed apart from the state's fees.

What to settle before signing up:

1. Which of the three minimums applies to this job, and does the contract salary reach it on the date the application will be filed?
2. Is the figure basic pay, or does it lean on allowances the department does not count?
3. When will the permit expire, and will the salary meet the minimum likely to apply at renewal?
4. Has the employer checked the 50:50 rule and run any labour market needs test the job requires?

The box above reads a permit agency's quote or service agreement against the department's published rules, once you answer yes to its first question. A job offer or employment contract it does not read; with one of those, answer no, enter the salary it states and pick yearly or monthly. The check compares a document or a figure with the published rules, and does not look at your application or advise on it; for advice on your own case, speak to a qualified immigration lawyer.

General information, not legal advice.