# General Employment Permit explained | Visas and permits | Moving to Ireland > The General Employment Permit (GEP) is the route for non-EEA workers whose job is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List but is not on the… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/general-employment-permit/ Visas and permits · Step 2 of 7 # General Employment Permit explained 3 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 The General Employment Permit (GEP) is the route for non-EEA workers whose job is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List but is not on the Ineligible Occupations List either. It covers everything from chefs and healthcare assistants to construction workers and mid-level office roles. The trade-off is more paperwork: a labour market needs test, a lower salary floor, and a permit that ties you to one employer. Here is how it works in 2026. ## Salary threshold From **1 March 2026** the standard minimum salary for a GEP is **€36,605** a year, up from €34,000. Lower thresholds apply in a few sectors and for recent graduates. Remuneration means basic pay plus employer-paid health insurance; board and accommodation can be included only if agreed in writing. The Government's December 2025 roadmap ties future increases to the national average earnings index, with further adjustments phased in through 2030, so expect the figure to rise again.
CategoryMinimum salary (from 1 March 2026)
Standard General Employment Permit€36,605
Graduate of an Irish third-level institution within the last 12 months€34,009
Horticulture workers, meat processors, healthcare assistants and home support workers€32,691 (at least €16.12 per hour)
Salary at which the labour market needs test is waived€68,911
## The labour market needs test Before applying, your employer must show that no suitable Irish or EEA candidate was available. The role must be advertised on the Department of Social Protection's employment services and the EURES network, plus on an additional online platform. The test is not needed when: - The role is on the Critical Skills Occupations List - The salary is **€68,911** or more - Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland has recommended the application - The job is a carer for a person with an established dependency - You are a permit holder made redundant within the last 6 months The employer must also satisfy the **50:50 rule**: at least half of its employees must be EEA nationals. Start-ups less than 2 years old backed by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland, and companies where you would be the sole employee, can be exempt. ## Fees and duration Either you or the employer can apply through Employment Permits Online, and 90% of the fee is refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn. The employer cannot recoup the fee from your wages.
PermitDurationFee
New permit6 months or less€500
New permitMore than 6 months, up to 24 months€1,000
Renewal6 months or less€750
RenewalMore than 6 months, up to 36 months€1,500
A first GEP is issued for up to **24 months**. It can then be renewed for up to a further **3 years**. After **5 years** of residence on employment permits you can apply to the Department of Justice for long-term residency, which grants a 5-year Stamp 4 without a permit. Processing is in strict date order: on **11 September 2026** DETE was processing new GEP applications received on **6 August 2026**, about 5 weeks, while renewals were at 22 June 2026, closer to 12 weeks. Apply for renewal well before your permit runs out. ## Registration and family A permit is not a residence permission. Within 90 days of arriving you must register with Immigration Service Delivery and pay **€300** for an Irish Residence Permit showing Stamp 1. Unlike the Critical Skills permit, a GEP does not give your spouse or partner a right to work: they are not eligible for the free Dependant, Partner or Spouse Employment Permit and would need their own permit. Family reunification is possible but only after you have been working here for 12 months and meet the income rules set by ISD. ## Changing employer and losing your job Under the Employment Permits Act 2024, in force since 2 September 2024, first-time permit holders must remain with their initial employer for **9 months**. After that you can move, but the new employer must apply for a new GEP and the labour market needs test applies again unless an exemption fits. You can leave earlier if you are made redundant or if unforeseen circumstances fundamentally change the employment relationship. If you are made redundant, notify DETE within 4 weeks; you then have 6 months to find a new job and the needs test is waived for that application. Doctors on rotation in the public health system and transfers of undertakings are also treated as exceptions. ## ★ Useful links - [General Employment Permit (DETE)](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/permit-types/general-employment-permit/) - [Current permit processing dates](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/current-application-processing-dates/) - [Salary threshold roadmap announcement (December 2025)](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/news-and-events/department-news/2025/december/20251202.html) - [Citizens Information: types of employment permits](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/working-in-ireland/employment-permits/overview-employment-permits/) - [Immigration Service Delivery](https://www.irishimmigration.ie/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 21% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **General Employment Permit explained** — about 3 minutes more — is in the app, free to download, alongside 98 other guides and a checklist built around your own move. Still to come in this guide - The labour market needs test - Fees and duration - Registration and family - Changing employer and losing your job [Download free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) iPhone and iPad · no account needed ## More on visas and permits [All 7 guides in this section](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/) - ### [Critical Skills Employment Permit: who qualifies and how to apply](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/critical-skills-employment-permit/) The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) is Ireland's flagship work permit for skilled non-EEA professionals. It is the fastest route to a Stamp 4… 4 min read - ### [Irish immigration stamps explained: Stamp 0 to Stamp 6](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/irish-immigration-stamps-explained/) Every non-EEA resident in Ireland holds an immigration permission that is recorded as a "stamp" on their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. The stamp… 4 min read - ### [Stamp 4 and long-term residency](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/stamp-4-and-long-term-residency/) Stamp 4 is the permission most non-EEA residents in Ireland are working towards. It cuts the link between your right to live here and a single employer… 4 min read - ### [Irish citizenship by descent and the Foreign Births Register](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/irish-citizenship-by-descent/) If you have an Irish-born parent or grandparent, you may already be entitled to Irish citizenship, and with it an EU passport, without ever living in… 4 min read Keep going ## Get the full visa roadmap in the app Moving to Ireland turns 99 guides into a personal checklist. 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