Looking for work in Ireland

Documents you need

• Degree certificates and transcripts

  optional

• Passport (and IRP card, if you have one) to prove your right to work

  required

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Check how your situation affects which jobs you can take

   If you need a permit, compare the job with DETE's rules before you apply: the Critical Skills Occupations List (no labour market test, minimum €40,904 a year with a relevant degree in October 2026), jobs paying at least €68,911 (most occupations), or the General Employment Permit (minimum €36,605 in general). Jobs on the Ineligible List of Occupations cannot get a permit. Employers also need at least 50% EEA staff.

   For a General Employment Permit, the employer usually has to run a labour market needs test first, advertising the job with the Department of Social Protection's employment services and EURES and on another online platform. Jobs on the Critical Skills Occupations List, and jobs paying at least €68,911, do not need the test.

2. 2

   Step 2: Use the public job services

   JobsIreland, run by the Department of Social Protection, lists paid positions, apprenticeships and work placement programmes and can be searched from abroad. Intreo, the Irish Public Employment Service within the same department, is a single point of contact for employment and income supports, with Intreo Centres throughout Ireland. Also search employer websites, recruitment agencies and professional networks in your field.

3. 3

   Step 3: Get your qualifications compared or recognised

   NARIC Ireland, hosted by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), offers free online comparability statements that compare foreign academic qualifications with the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The database covers over 2,000 qualifications from more than 160 countries. A statement is advice, not a legal decision, and it is often requested for study, employment or work permits. If your qualification is not listed, you can request advice through QQI's online form.

   If you work in a regulated profession, such as medicine, nursing or teaching, recognition is decided by the relevant Irish professional body, not by NARIC. Check this early: nurses and midwives, for example, need a qualification accepted by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland for a Critical Skills permit.

4. 4

   Step 4: Prepare for the offer

   When you accept an offer, you need:

   • a signed job offer on company letterhead with the start date, employer details and registered company number (used for the PPS number and, if needed, the employment permit)
   • your PPS number once you start; employers should only ask for it when you take up the job
   • for permit holders, enough time: permit applications must be made at least 12 weeks before the start date.

If you already live in Ireland and lose your job

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Applying for jobs that cannot qualify for a permit if you need one, for example roles on the Ineligible List or below the salary threshold.
• Waiting until after arrival to check whether your profession is regulated.

Tips

• State your right-to-work status clearly in applications (for example "EU citizen, no permit needed" or "eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit").
• Download your NARIC comparability statement and attach it to applications if your degree is from abroad.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Start your job searchAdd to plan
• Get a NARIC comparability statement or check professional recognitionAdd to plan
• Check whether your job qualifies for an employment permitAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 6 Apr 2027.