🇮🇪 Ireland visa and immigration options

Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP)

Ireland's premium work permit for occupations in shortage (ICT, healthcare, engineering, specialist finance and others), with no Labour Market Needs Test required for listed roles. From March 2026 the minimum salary is EUR 40,904/year generally (EUR 36,848 for recent graduates in a qualifying role).

Processing time

Processing times vary; the permit itself is issued for up to 2 years initially.

Typical costs

The EUR 1,000 permit fee is the main direct government cost; on top of this, IRP registration is EUR 300 per person after arrival.

Government fees

Confirm current fees on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's employment permits pages.

Work and study rights

Tied to the sponsoring employer and role for the permit's duration; after 2 years, Stamp 4 removes this restriction entirely.

Family

Immediate family reunification is available; spouses/partners of CSEP holders can generally seek employment without needing their own permit once granted Stamp 1G or similar.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Employment permits', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

General Employment Permit (GEP)

Ireland's broader employment-permit category for roles not on the Critical Skills list, generally subject to a Labour Market Needs Test and a lower minimum salary than CSEP. Issued for up to 2 years initially and renewable for a further 3 years; reaches Stamp 4 only after 5 years (60 months), a much longer path than CSEP.

Processing time

Generally longer than CSEP due to the Labour Market Needs Test requirement.

Typical costs

EUR 500-1,000 in permit fees depending on duration, plus EUR 300 for IRP registration after arrival.

Government fees

Confirm current fees on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's employment permits pages.

Work and study rights

Tied to the sponsoring employer and role.

Family

Family reunification rules are less immediate than for CSEP in the early years; check current requirements for your specific situation.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Employment permits', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

Irish student visa (Stamp 2)

For non-EEA students on a full-time course of at least one year, listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP). Applicants outside the EEA/UK apply for a D-study visa before travel, then register in Ireland for the Stamp 2 permission on their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card.

Processing time

4-8 weeks during peak season (May-August); apply at least 3 months before your course start date.

Typical costs

Roughly EUR 360-400 in visa and first-year IRP fees, plus proof of EUR 10,000 in funds for living costs (separate from tuition, which varies by institution).

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on irishimmigration.ie.

Work and study rights

Stamp 2 holders can work up to 20 hours/week during term and up to 40 hours/week during set holiday periods (June-September and mid-December to mid-January).

Family

Student visas generally do not support bringing dependants.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Study visas', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)

Ireland's passive Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) closed to new applications on 15 February 2023 and has not reopened — do not rely on information describing it as available. The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP), for founders with an innovative, internationally scalable business idea, continues to operate and requires a minimum of EUR 50,000 in…

Processing time

Varies; historically STEP has received a relatively small number of applications per year, and evaluation focuses heavily on the business plan's genuine innovation and scalability.

Typical costs

A minimum of EUR 50,000 in funding is the central requirement, on top of modest application fees.

Government fees

Application processing fees are modest relative to the EUR 50,000 funding requirement itself — confirm the current fee with Immigration Service Delivery via irishimmigration.ie.

Work and study rights

Grants an initial 2-year residence permission (renewable for 3 more years) to build the business.

Family

Spouse/partner and dependent children can generally be included.

Important: this is Ireland's remaining active business-immigration route since the IIP investor programme closed in 2023 — a genuinely innovative, scalable business idea is required, not simply available capital.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Start-up Entrepreneur Programme', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

Family reunification (non-EEA)

Ireland handles non-EEA family reunification through a Policy Document rather than a single fixed-fee visa product like most other countries covered here — decisions involve more individual discretion, and requirements vary by the sponsor's own status (Irish citizen, Stamp 4 holder, employment-permit holder, etc.) and by relationship.

Processing time

Processing times vary significantly by case complexity and route; Ireland's family reunification decisions are generally less standardised in timing than the EU/Schengen countries covered here.

Typical costs

Highly case-dependent; confirm the specific visa fee and any sponsor income requirements for your situation directly with ISD.

Government fees

There isn't a single standard fee — costs depend on the specific visa route and sponsor status. Confirm directly with Immigration Service Delivery via irishimmigration.ie.

Work and study rights

Work rights depend on the specific status granted — some family reunification statuses carry full work rights, others are more limited.

Family

This program is itself the family route — spouse/partner and dependent children are the typical applicants.

Important: Ireland's approach is genuinely less standardised than the other countries covered here — there's no single fixed income threshold or processing time that applies universally. Requirements depend heavily on your specific sponsor's status and relationship category.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Family reunification', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

Path to Stamp 4 and long-term residency

Stamp 4 is Ireland's unrestricted residency status — no employment permit needed, can work for any employer or be self-employed. CSEP holders can apply after 2 years; General Employment Permit holders after 5 years (60 months).

Processing time

Varies; CSEP holders can apply for Stamp 4 as soon as they complete 2 years of permitted employment.

Typical costs

IRP registration (EUR 300) is the main direct cost for Stamp 4 itself; citizenship, if pursued later, is a separate EUR 1,125 total.

Government fees

Stamp 4 itself is generally granted alongside your IRP registration (EUR 300); naturalisation later carries separate fees (EUR 175 application + EUR 950 certification on approval, EUR 1,125 total, at time of writing).

Work and study rights

Stamp 4 removes the need for any employment permit — full flexibility to work for any employer, change jobs, or become self-employed.

Family

Family members' own status and timelines depend on their individual permit history; spouses of Stamp 1G holders are typically on Stamp 3 unless they secure their own permit.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Employment permits', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

Irish citizenship by naturalization

Requires 5 years of 'reckonable residence' within the 9 years before applying, with continuous residence in Ireland during the final 12 months before applying (3 years total reckonable residence if married to or the civil partner of an Irish citizen, with the same final-year continuous residence rule). Ireland allows dual citizenship, and applicants make a…

Processing time

Historically has taken 12-24 months, though this varies with application volumes.

Typical costs

EUR 175 application fee plus EUR 950 certification fee on approval — roughly EUR 1,125 total for most adult applicants.

Government fees

Confirm current amounts with Immigration Service Delivery.

Work and study rights

Citizenship adds an Irish passport, EU citizenship rights, and removes all remaining immigration-status conditions.

Family

Each adult applies individually; children can sometimes be included in a parent's application or apply separately depending on circumstances.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Citizenship', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}

Visit Ireland (Short Stay 'C' visa)

Ireland is NOT part of the Schengen Area — a Schengen visa does not grant entry to Ireland, and vice versa. Many nationalities (including US, UK, Canadian and Australian passport holders) are visa-exempt for stays up to 90 days; others need a Short Stay 'C' visa in advance.

Processing time

Commonly 4-8 weeks; apply well in advance of travel.

Typical costs

EUR 60-100 for visa-required nationalities; free for visa-exempt nationalities.

Government fees

whether you need a visa at all, an electronic travel authorisation, or nothing beyond a valid passport depends entirely on your specific nationality — this varies enormously by country and changes periodically. Always check the destination's official…

Work and study rights

Does not permit employment or long-term study.

Family

Each traveller, including children, needs their own visa or exemption status.

Important: do not assume a Schengen visa or residence permit covers Ireland — it does not, since Ireland is outside the Schengen Area. IMPORTANT: whether you need a visa at all, an electronic travel authorisation, or nothing beyond a valid passport depends entirely on your specific nationality — this varies enormously by country and changes periodically.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration Service Delivery - Visas for tourists', 'url': 'https://www.irishimmigration.ie/'}