How to Apply for an Ireland Work Permit: General Employment Permit Step-by-Step

Applying for a General Employment Permit in Ireland is a joint process — the employer cannot do it alone and neither can the employee. Since April 2025, everything goes through EPOS 2.0, the Employment Permits Online System, and the platform requires both parties to have verified accounts, upload separate document sets, and co-sign the application electronically.

The mechanics are more involved than people expect. Here is the step-by-step process, the documents each party needs to prepare, and the specific points where applications are most likely to be refused.

Before the Application: The Labour Market Needs Test

The General Employment Permit (GEP) application cannot be submitted until the employer has completed the Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT). This is a mandatory advertising process that proves the employer made a genuine attempt to hire from the local Irish and EEA labor market before offering the role to a non-EEA national.

The LMNT requires the role to be advertised simultaneously on three platforms for 28 consecutive days:

• Jobs Ireland — mandatory for every LMNT
• EURES — the EU employment portal (verify the Jobs Ireland ad has pushed through)
• A third recruitment platform — IrishJobs.ie, Indeed Ireland, LinkedIn, or a national newspaper's jobs section

The application must be submitted within 90 days of the first advertisement's publication date. If the employer misses this window, the LMNT is void and the 28-day advertising cycle must restart.

There is one exception: if the offered salary is €68,911 or above, the employer is exempt from the LMNT requirement.

For a detailed breakdown of what the LMNT must include and the most common compliance failures, see our post on LMNT employer requirements.

Setting Up Accounts on EPOS 2.0

Both the employer and the employee must create accounts on the EPOS 2.0 portal before starting the application.

Employer account: The employer registers once and completes a verification process by uploading:

• The company's CRO number
• A current Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) from Revenue
• Relevant Revenue registration documentation

Once verified, this creates a Company Profile. This profile does not need to be resubmitted for future applications — the company information is stored and reused.

Employee account: The prospective permit holder registers using their passport details. They are responsible for uploading their own documents, including qualification certificates and personal identification.

Both accounts require mobile-based multi-factor authentication (MFA) for security.

The old Trusted Partner Initiative — which allowed high-volume employers to fast-track document verification — was discontinued when EPOS 2.0 launched. All employers now go through the same verification process.

The Document Checklist

Once accounts are set up, both parties need to prepare and upload their documents. The DETE reviews these against strict content standards — unclear scans, missing dates, or minor discrepancies between documents are common causes of RFIs (Requests for Further Information) and refusals.

Employer documents:

• Signed employment contract specifying: job title, gross annual salary, work location, hours per week, and contract start date
• Current Tax Clearance Certificate from Revenue
• LMNT evidence: Jobs Ireland ad reference number, confirmation of EURES listing, and a full-page screenshot of the third platform advertisement including the date and URL
• Current CRO printout showing company status as "Normal"
• 50/50 workforce statement on company letterhead: total employees, total EEA/non-EEA breakdown, and the percentage of EEA staff (must be 50% or above at the time of filing)

Employee documents:

• Full-color scan of biometric passport page (passport should be valid for at least 2 years beyond the proposed start date)
• Copies of relevant degrees, diplomas, or trade certificates
• For healthcare assistant roles: a QQI Level 5 certificate or equivalent, or evidence of enrollment in an approved QQI program
• Detailed CV/resume tailored to the specific role
• Reference letters from previous employers confirming relevant experience
• For regulated professions: evidence of registration with the relevant Irish professional body (e.g., CORU for healthcare professions)

The 50/50 Rule

The 50/50 rule is one of the most frequently misunderstood elements of the GEP application. It states that at the time of the permit application, no more than 50% of the employer's entire workforce can consist of non-EEA nationals.

The calculation includes everyone on payroll — not just permit holders. If a company has 20 employees and 11 are non-EEA nationals, the application will be refused. The ratio must be above 50% EEA at the moment of filing.

There are limited exemptions:

• Startups registered within the last two years that are client companies of Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland can apply for a temporary waiver with a letter of support from the agency
• In exceptional cases where a permit holder would be the sole employee, the rule may be waived, but this attracts intense scrutiny

The 50/50 requirement applies again at renewal. If a company's workforce composition has shifted since the original application, a renewal may be refused or granted for a shorter period.

Paying the Fee

GEP application fees are paid through the EPOS 2.0 portal by credit or debit card:

The standard initial GEP is issued for 24 months. Most employers apply for the full 24-month permit.

If the application is refused, 90% of the fee is refunded. The DETE retains 10% (€100) as an administrative charge. Refunds are processed back to the original payment card within 2 to 3 weeks. If you withdraw an application before it enters processing, a 100% refund is usually available.

Submitting the Application

Once both parties have uploaded their documents and the fee has been paid, both the employer and employee must provide electronic signatures through EPOS 2.0 to finalize the submission.

The application then enters the DETE processing queue. You can track progress through the EPOS dashboard, which shows the application moving through stages: Draft, Awaiting Payment, In Processing, Requested Information, and Decision.

Current GEP processing time is approximately 9 to 11 weeks from submission. If a processor issues an RFI, you have 28 days to respond. Failure to respond within that window results in the application being rejected as incomplete.

Common Reasons for Refusal

Understanding why GEP applications get refused helps you avoid those mistakes. The most frequent refusal reasons are:

LMNT problems:

• Advertisement ran for fewer than 28 days
• Advertisement was modified during the 28-day window, requiring a restart
• Salary listed on the advertisement was a range rather than a specific figure
• The advertisement used a trading name rather than the employer's full registered name
• The third advertising platform was not a dedicated recruitment site (e.g., Facebook or Instagram)

Salary discrepancies:

• The salary on the contract does not match the salary in the application
• The salary falls below the March 2026 MAR threshold (€36,605 for standard roles)
• Bonus or benefit elements were included in the total to reach the threshold

Employer eligibility:

• The company's 50/50 workforce ratio exceeded the limit at the time of filing
• The Tax Clearance Certificate was expired
• The CRO shows a status other than "Normal" (e.g., the company was struck off)

Document quality:

• Passport scan was blurry, cropped, or only showed one page
• Qualification certificates were not translated into English
• The employment contract did not specify all required terms

After the Application Is Decided

If the permit is granted, the DETE issues a digital permit through EPOS 2.0. The employer receives a certified copy and the employee receives the original. Both parties are notified by email.

The employee then proceeds with the D-Visa application (if required — citizens of India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and other visa-required countries need this step). Once in Ireland, IRP registration at Burgh Quay must happen within 90 days of arrival. The IRP registration fee is €300 and produces the Stamp 1 card that formalizes the right to work.

After IRP registration, apply for a PPS number through the Department of Social Protection.

The Ireland General Employment Permit Guide includes the full EPOS document checklist in a step-by-step format, the LMNT compliance tracker, and the 50/50 rule worksheet that employers can use to verify eligibility before submitting — so both sides of the application are covered in one place.

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