VisaIreland requires €37,544 a year for a general work permit on a 40-hour week
The standard general employment permit salary is based on a 39-hour week. Employers offering longer hours must check the hourly requirement as well as the annual figure.
Official source date: 2026-11-02
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The March increase also matters at renewal
Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment applies its minimum annual remuneration threshold when a new employment permit or a renewal is requested. A worker whose existing permit was granted under an older salary level should therefore review the next application with the employer. The department’s remuneration resource identifies the stage at which the threshold is assessed; it does not describe the national minimum wage as sufficient for every permit.
The 2026 general employment permit figure is EUR36,605, with separate lower thresholds for specified roles and qualifying recent Irish graduates. Applicants must identify the correct category before comparing the contract with the published table. An occupational exception should not be inferred simply because an employer operates in healthcare or agriculture.
Longer hours require more than the headline annual salary
The department’s general permit checklist states that EUR36,605 is based on 39 hours a week, with an hourly rate of EUR18.05. Its stated minimum for a 40-hour week is EUR37,544. A contract promising the standard annual figure while requiring 40 hours therefore needs a separate pay check; annual salary alone does not resolve the hours requirement.
The same checklist asks for annual, weekly and hourly pay, weekly working hours and deductions. It says bonuses, shift allowances and overtime are not basic salary. Collect the signed contract, passport copy and required supporting evidence before filing. These documents let the department assess the actual job offer rather than a headline remuneration package.
Use the correct commencement date and exception
The salary roadmap was announced on 2 December 2025 and its first increases took effect on 1 March 2026. This guide addresses those operative rules, rather than presenting the announcement as new. The department replaced an earlier timetable with gradual changes extending to 2030; employers should not use a superseded proposed threshold as though it were the present requirement.
The announcement identifies a EUR32,691 minimum for specified meat-processing, horticultural, healthcare-assistant and home-carer roles, alongside lower starting thresholds for eligible recent graduates. These are differentiated routes, not a general reduction available to every lower-paid applicant. Check the current permit guidance for the occupation and qualification conditions before agreeing pay or submitting a renewal.
Pay compliance does not establish eligibility by itself
The General Employment Permit guidance also requires an eligible occupation and a genuine employer trading in Ireland, registered with Revenue and the relevant company register where applicable. The worker must have the qualifications, skills or experience needed for the proposed employment. Jobs on the ineligible list remain a separate barrier, even where the employer can meet a salary figure.
A labour-market needs test is normally required, subject to listed exceptions. Applications must be received at least 12 weeks before the proposed employment start date. Renewals can be requested within four months before expiry. Use the permit page and its linked application checklist to plan the submission, rather than assuming a higher salary permits an immediate start. A permit application remains subject to assessment and possible requests for further evidence.
Budget for the application and identify who pays
The department’s fees resource lists EUR1,000 for a new general permit lasting up to 24 months, or EUR500 for six months or less. Renewal fees are EUR1,500 for up to 36 months, or EUR750 for six months or less. These are application charges, separate from the salary that must be paid to the worker.
The fees page also identifies applications that do not attract a charge, including qualifying employer applications with Revenue-confirmed charitable status. Check the precise exemption before paying; a non-profit description alone is insufficient evidence of the listed status. Agree whether the applicant is the employer or employee and follow the payment instructions attached to the live application. The fee resource establishes the charge, while the remuneration guidance establishes pay eligibility; meeting one does not satisfy the other.
