Ireland Increases Annual Salary Requirement for Foreigners Seeking General Employment Permit
- Ireland announced a new salary threshold roadmap affecting all employment permit types, with the first increase taking effect in March 2026
- The minimum annual salary required to qualify for a General Employment Permit rose from €34,000 to €36,605, equivalent to over N55 million
- The roadmap also outlined plans to phase out very low salary thresholds in the agri-food and healthcare sectors
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Ireland has officially raised the minimum salary a foreigner must earn to qualify for a General Employment Permit, setting a new benchmark that will affect thousands of prospective workers hoping to relocate to the country.
The updated threshold, which took effect on March 1, 2026, places the minimum annual remuneration at €36,605 (N55,434,612). This represents an increase from the previous figure of €34,000 (N51,489,600).
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New salary roadmap for Ireland employment permits
The announcement came from Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Alan Dillon, Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, who jointly published the new Roadmap for Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) Salary Thresholds.
The roadmap sets out a gradual plan to raise salary thresholds across all employment permit categories in Ireland. Rather than introducing sudden increases, the government opted for a phased approach designed to give employers and prospective employees time to adjust.
According to the official statement, the roadmap will also eliminate very low salary thresholds on a phased basis for specific roles within the agri-food and healthcare sectors.
What the changes mean for permit applicants
For anyone planning to relocate to Ireland under a General Employment Permit, the minimum €36,605 annual salary is now the qualifying baseline. Applicants earning below this figure will not meet the eligibility requirement under the new rules.
The changes form part of a broader effort by the Irish government to align employment permit salary thresholds with current labour market conditions and ensure that permit holders receive fair remuneration upon arrival in the country.
Read also
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Visa-free entry: Ireland mentions eligible countries
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that Ireland had published a list of countries whose citizens can visit the country without a visa for up to 90 days.
The list included countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America, while no African country was included.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
