Work Permit Renewal Ireland
Many foreign nationals who live and work in Ireland require a valid employment permit. Once your employment permit is approaching expiry, you may be eligible for renewal. This page discusses if and how you can renew your work permit, or whether you should apply for a different scheme, to remain in the country.
Renewing your work permit can be a complicated process. IAS can help. Contact us online today or call us on +353 (0)61 518 025.
Page Contents
- What is an Irish Employment Permit?
- Am I Eligible for Work Permit Renewal?
- Labour Market Needs Test
- What is an Unlimited Employment Permit?
- How to Renew Work Permit in Ireland?
- When You Have Worked in Ireland for 5 Years or Longer
- Renewing Your General Employment Permit
- Employment Permit Renewal Cost
- Renewing Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP)
- Reactivation Employment Permits
- How Can IAS Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Irish Work Permit?
Work permits are immigration permits that are offered to foreign nationals who wish to live and work in Ireland for longer than 90 days. Generally, employment permits are valid for 6 to 24 months, though this can vary considerably depending on what type of work you do and what type of work permit you qualify for.
The most common employment permits in Ireland are:
- Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit
- General Employment Permit
Other employment permits available in Ireland are:
- Contract for Services Employment Permit
- Exchange Agreement Employment Permit
- Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
- Internship Employment Permit
- Reactivation Employment Permit
- Sport and Cultural Employment Permit.
Am I Eligible for Work Permit Renewal in Ireland?
If you have an Irish work permit you may be eligible for a renewal application. However, not all work permits are necessarily eligible.
You are most likely eligible if you hold one of the following permits:
- General Employment Permit
- Intra-Company Transfer Permit
- Contract for Services Employment Permit
- Dependent Employment Permit.
You must also fit the following criteria:
- You continue to work for the employer that is listed on your current permit and can prove you have received a job offer to continue working with the company
- You can supply all supporting documentation required in the application
- You can prove that you satisfied the terms of your current permit, including annual salary terms
- Your employer can prove they intend to keep you as an employee in Ireland
- You have not committed any offences that break Irish or immigration law.
You will unlikely be granted employment permit renewal if:
- You hold any other type of work permit than the four listed above
- You no longer have an employer or are employed by a different employer than the one stated on your permit, or you change jobs regularly
- You cannot prove that you satisfied the terms of your current permit.
Labour Market Needs Test
Most Irish employment permits require your employer to pass a Labour Market Needs Test. This policy ensures that job opportunities are offered first and foremost to its Irish national population before seeking foreign employees to fill positions in Irish-based organisations.
The Labour Market Needs Test requires employers to advertise a job vacancy:
- With the Department of Social Protection Employment Services/EURES employment network for at minimum of 4 weeks, and
- In either an online employment website.
What is an Unlimited Employment Permit?
Unlimited Employment Permits are offered to foreign nationals who have been in continuous employment with the same employer for five consecutive years or longer. This permit is only offered under these circumstances with the following work permits:
- General Employment Permit
- Reactivation Permit
- Sport and Cultural Permit.
How to Renew Work Permit in Ireland?
If you meet the eligibility criteria to renew your work permit, then you can proceed with the application by applying online. You will require all the relevant documents that you need for your initial employment permit and will need to pay a fee, unless you are exempt.
Your permit must:
- Be valid at the time of application and not already expired
- Have less than four months of validity at the time of application.
So long as you apply for renewal whilst your permit is valid, it is okay if your current permit expires while you wait for your new one to be issued.
After receiving your new permit, you will also need to renew your Irish residence permit. You must book an appointment with your local Garda station, or with the Burgh Quay Registration Office if you live in Dublin.
When You Have Worked in Ireland for 5 Years or Longer
If you have been working lawfully in Ireland on an employment permit for longer than 5 years, you may not need to apply for another permit and could be eligible to apply for Stamp 4.
Stamp 4 allows you to work in Ireland in any profession without an employment business, and also allows you to operate a business, access state funds, and accrue time spent in Ireland that eventually can qualify you for citizenship.
Other conditions that may make you eligible for Stamp 4 include:
- Living and working in Ireland with a valid Critical Skills Employment permit for 2 years, or
- Living and working in Ireland as a researcher under a valid Hosting Agreement for 2 years.
You may also be eligible for other stamp options; each person has a unique set of circumstances and there are many options available within the Irish immigration system to support different situations.
We understand that the Irish immigration system is complicated, and it can be difficult to understand what your next steps should be. We can help. You can contact IAS today online, or call us on +353 (0)61 518 025 for expert legal advice on working and living in Ireland.
Renewing Your General Employment Permit
General Employment Permits are usually offered for a 2 year period. Assuming you meet the criteria, you can then renew the permit for up to three more years.
Staying in Ireland with a General Employment Permit for 5 years will make you eligible for long-term residency.
Once you have completed one year of work in Ireland on a work permit, you can become eligible to bring your family to live with you in Ireland. You must be able to prove that you can financially support your family and will not require government social welfare payments to support you.
Irish Work Permit Renewal Cost
Fees should be paid by the employer or authorised agent connected to the applicant in question seeking renewal of their employment permit.
The fees are outlined below:
Employment Permit Type | First-Time Application Fee | Renewal Application Fee |
General Employment Permit | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months) | €750 (6 months or less) €1500 (up to 36 months) |
Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months) | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months)€1500 (up to 36 months) |
Contract for Services Employment Permit | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months) | €750 (6 months or less) €1500 (up to 36 months) |
Reactivation Employment Permit | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months) | €750 (6 months or less) €1500 (up to 36 months) |
Sport and Cultural Employment Permit | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months) | €750 (6 months or less) €1500 (up to 36 months) |
Internship Employment Permit | €500 (6 months or less) €1000 (up to 24 months) | N/A |
Exchange Agreement Employment Permit | No fee required | N/A |
Critical Skills Employment Permit | €1000 (up to 24 months) | N/A |
Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit | No fee required | No fee required |
Certain applicants may be eligible for a no-fee application under the following conditions:
- The employer or authorised agent holds a confirmed charitable status by the Revenue Commissioners
- Non-EEA nationals who are married to or in a civil partnership with an EEA national
- Applications who
Please note that these prices are subject to change and do not include the cost of legal support, any travel or interviews that may be required during the application process, or any other document renewal, retrieval or translation costs that you may incur for the application.
Renewing Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP)
Oftentimes, your IRP has a similar validation period to your employment permit. Therefore, you may be required to renew your residence permit.
The fee for renewing your Irish Residence Permit varies according to your personal circumstances and whether you are renewing a work permit or applying for a different immigration route to stay in Ireland. Usually, you will either be exempt from paying for your IRP renewal (i.e. the application is free of charge), or you will be required to pay €300.
Reactivation Employment Permits
Reactivation Employment Permits are offered to foreign nationals who were unable to fulfil their employment permit requirements during its validity period through no fault of their own. This includes cases where employment permit holders have experienced poor treatment or exploitation in their workplace.
Reactivation Employment Permits are not easy to obtain, and an applicant will only ever be able to apply for this type of employment permit once unless they can prove particularly exceptional circumstances.
How Can IAS Help?
Living and working in Ireland is a great opportunity for many foreign nationals who travel to Europe for work. The country has a vibrant culture and a beautiful landscape, so it’s no wonder so many people choose to renew their Irish work permits.
We do however understand that it can be a complicated process. Not all work permits are renewable, and so you may be wondering if there is a different route you can take to remain in Ireland and continue to work. Perhaps your work circumstances have changed and you are eligible for a different work permit, or you’re unsure whether you still fit the criteria of your current permit. If you have been in Ireland for several years, you may be looking to move to the Stamp system and are not sure where to begin.
That’s why we are here. At IAS, we have a team of expert immigration lawyers who have a deep knowledge of Irish immigration permission systems that can offer impartial advice, and can guide you throughout the entire application process.
You can contact us today online, or call us on +353 (0)61 518 025.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the law may change, and the information may not reflect the most current legal developments. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, and we do not accept liability in such cases. We recommend consulting with a qualified lawyer at Immigration Advice Service before making any decisions based on the content provided.
Last modified on November 1st, 2024 at 10:15 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you apply for a work permit renewal and it is refused, the grounds for refusal will be outlined in the decision letter. Depending on the reasons for refusal, you may be entitled to challenge the decision, usually within a 28 day period. Whether or not you are eligible to challenge the refusal will be outlined in the letter and will depend on your individual circumstances.
If you are eligible for refusal, you will need to apply online by submitting an application form for Review of Decision under Employment Permits Act 2006. It is also recommended to speak with a legal advisor regarding any immigration refusals so that you can be sure that challenging the work permit refusal is the best course of action for you – IAS can help.
Residence permits are often validated in line with the dates of your work permit. However, this isn’t always the case, so it is best to check your personal IRP to see whether it is coming up for expiry around the same time as your employment permit.
Please note that you must have an Irish Residence Permit if you are living and working in Ireland on any employment permit, therefore it is essential that you renew your IRP before expiry.
Yes, working in Ireland without a work permit or another form of immigration permission that you are eligible for would be considered illegal. You should always maintain a valid immigration permission in order to continue living and working in Ireland.
However, sometimes foreign nationals may find themselves in situations where their employment permit is refused renewal unexpectedly, or their circumstances change suddenly and they are no longer lawfully residing and/or working in Ireland. These are particularly complicated circumstances and should be dealt with by working with an immigration law professional.