Ireland Raises Minimum Salary Thresholds for Foreign Workers From 2026
- Ireland's Department of Enterprise has updated its annual remuneration rates for foreign workers across multiple employment categories effective 2026
- The General Employment Permit trainee salary rose from €34,000 to €36,605, while care workers and meat operatives saw increases to €32,691
- Two brand-new visa categories for Irish graduates and Critical Skills graduates were introduced for the first time in the 2026 update
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Ireland has officially raised the minimum salary thresholds that employers must offer foreign workers across a range of employment permit categories, with the updated figures taking effect in 2026.
The changes, published by Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, affect several permit types and introduce new graduate-specific categories that did not previously exist. The move signals a broader effort to align wage floors with rising living costs and labour market conditions in the country.
Source: UGC
Updated pay rates across permit categories
Under the General Employment Permit (GEP) and ICT Trainee category, the minimum annual remuneration has moved from €34,000 (N51,306,000), where it had remained flat between 2024 and 2025, up to €36,605 (N55,227,945) in 2026. Healthcare assistants, home carers, and care workers, along with meat and horticultural operatives, will now be entitled to a minimum of €32,691 per year (N49,328,319). This figure represents 89.3% of the GEP rate and marks a meaningful jump from the €30,000 floor (N45,270,000) that applied to both categories in 2025.
Holders of the Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) with a relevant degree will see their minimum threshold rise to €40,909 (N61,741,681), up from €38,000 (N57,342,000), while those without a relevant degree face a higher bar, now set at €68,911 (N103,995,699) compared to the previous €64,000 (N96,576,000). Intra-company transfers and contract-for-services arrangements carry a new minimum of €49,522 (N74,728,698), rising from €46,000 (N69,414,000).
New graduate categories added for 2026
Among the most notable additions are two entirely new permit classifications introduced for the first time in 2026. The GEP Irish Graduate category sets a minimum remuneration of €34,009 (N51,319,581), while the Critical Skills Graduate category comes in at €36,849 (N55,596,141). Neither of these categories existed in the 2024 or 2025 frameworks, suggesting a deliberate push to attract and retain graduate talent within the Irish economy.
The updated thresholds apply to employers sponsoring foreign nationals under Ireland's employment permit system and set the legally required baseline that work permit holders must be offered before a permit can be granted or renewed.
See the full official remuneration table on the Department of Enterprise website.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Ireland released the full list of occupations that are eligible for Critical Skills Employment permit.
Ireland increases annual salary requirement
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Ireland announced its new salary requirement for foreigners seeking a General Employment Permit. The minimum annual salary has risen from €34,000 to €36,605, or more than N55 million.
The change is part of a wider roadmap that will gradually raise pay thresholds and remove very low salary limits in some agri-food and healthcare jobs. Ireland has also listed countries whose citizens can enter without a visa for up to 90 days—but no African country made the list.
Source: Legit.ng
