Employment Permits System
aka Employment Permits, EPOS, Critical Skills Permit, General Employment Permit
Department of Enterprise system that issues nine types of employment permit allowing non-EEA nationals to work in Ireland. Online via the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS).
Last reviewed May 2026
Definition
The Employment Permits System is the regime through which Irish employers sponsor non-EEA, non-Swiss, non-UK nationals to take up employment in the State. It is operated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 to 2024 and processed through the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS). There are nine permit types, the most-used being the Critical Skills Employment Permit (occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List, minimum annual remuneration of EUR 38,000 or EUR 64,000 depending on role, fast-track to family reunification and Stamp 4), the General Employment Permit (most other roles not on the Ineligible List, minimum EUR 34,000 from January 2024 and rising), and the Intra-Company Transfer Permit. Most General permits require a Labour Market Needs Test, satisfied by advertising the role on the EURES portal and in print or online for set durations. Permits are tied to a named employer and a named occupation; significant changes need a new application. The Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists are reviewed twice yearly and shape what employers can sponsor. The Employment Permits Act 2024 introduced a Seasonal Employment Permit, an automatic change of employer mechanism after nine months, and indexation of salary thresholds.
Why it matters for software choice
Permit applications fail most often on documents the employer was supposed to keep: the signed contract matching the permit application, the Labour Market Needs Test evidence pack, payroll showing the minimum remuneration met every period, and a clean P30 / PSR history. HR software that stores permit numbers, expiry dates, salary-threshold checks against current minimums, and renewal-window alerts removes the manual diary work that causes overstays.
Authority sources
- DETE: Employment Permits (enterprise.gov.ie)
- Employment Permits Online System (EPOS) (employmentpermits.enterprise.gov.ie)
- Employment Permits Act 2024 (www.irishstatutebook.ie)
Software categories this affects
Vendors covered by this term
HRLocker
Irish-built HR software for the full employee lifecycle
BambooHR
Intuitive HR platform for Irish SMEs who need hiring, onboarding, and people management
HiBob
Modern HR platform designed for mid-size companies with strong culture and engagement tools
Personio
EU-first HR platform with GDPR-compliant data centres and payroll provider integrations
Employment Hero
All-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform expanding across Europe
Workvivo
Employee experience platform - founded in Cork, acquired by Zoom
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