Ireland's work-permit market, in the data
The live picture of who Ireland is hiring, where the demand sits and how the market is moving, drawn straight from the DETE employment-permit statistics, 2023 to 2026.
How Ireland’s work-permit market is moving
Straight from the Department of Enterprise permit statistics. No estimates, just the real counts.
Permits, peak year 2024
39,390
The busiest full year on record.
Permits, 2026 so far
15,535
Year to date, still counting.
India share of 2025
32%
India leads every source nationality.
Active source countries
112
Nationalities with permit holders in 2026.
National permit volume
Four years of Ireland’s permit demand
Total employment permits issued each year, 2023 to 2026. Permits peaked in 2024; the 2026 point is year to date, so it is still climbing.
Peak year 2024
39,390
2026 so far
15,535YTD
The top source nationalities of Ireland's non-EEA permit holders.
Leads in 2025
India
9,947permit holders
India leads the source nationalities in 2025, from 31,037 permit holders in total.
- India9,947 permit holders
- Philippines3,398 permit holders
- Brazil3,381 permit holders
- China1,922 permit holders
- Pakistan1,453 permit holders
- South Africa1,240 permit holders
- United States of America1,039 permit holders
- Zimbabwe831 permit holders
Top 8 shown.
Permit salary floors and the eligibility catalogue
Statutory salary floors, lowest to highest
- Graduate General Permit€34,009
- General Employment Permit€36,605
- Critical Skills, graduate€36,848
- Critical Skills, with degree€40,904
- Critical Skills, no degree€68,911
Occupation eligibility catalogue
Of 1,422 listed occupations: 78 critical skills, 1,082 general eligible, 262 ineligible. This is a classification of roles, not a count of permits issued, so the two cannot be cross-tabbed.
Source: DETE employment-permit statistics, 2023–2026 (2026 partial YTD). Figures are yearly only, with no monthly detail, and nationality, sector and county cannot be cross-tabbed.
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Every figure below is real employment-permit data from Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment: filter it the way an expert would.
Permits issued · 2026 YTD
15,535
Across all nationalities, year-to-date
Top nationality · India
4,603
#1 source country in 2026 (30% of all permits)
Top sector · Health & Social Work Activities
4,204
Leading sector by permits in 2026
Top county · Dublin
6,804
Where the roles are landing in 2026
Permits issued · 2023 → 2026
Total permits, summed by nationality
Peak year
2024
39,390 permits
2024 → 2025
-21%
year-over-year
Tracked
159
nationalities
Top 10 · 2026 YTD
Ranked nationalities
- India4,603
- Philippines2,347
- Brazil1,898
- China909
- Pakistan745
- South Africa613
- United States of America475
- Zimbabwe446
- Sri Lanka380
- Nigeria364
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Leinster · East coast
Dublin
Europe's tech and finance capital, and Ireland's biggest permit market.
Approx. rent
€2,300/mo
One-bed · approximate
Permits · 2025
14,627
6,804 so far in 2026 (YTD)
Top hiring sectors
Dublin permits issued, 2023 – 2026
Permit counts: real DETE data (2026 partial, YTD). Rent & sectors approximate, verify before deciding.
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