4 March 2026
Further to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment’s (DETE) recent publication of a new roadmap for Minimum Annual Remuneration salary thresholds, the first increase is effective since 1 March 2026.
This increase is part of DETE’s gradual approach to increasing salary thresholds for all employment permit types, which will see salary thresholds for employment permits increase annually in line with average earnings across the Irish labour market through to 2030. This means that employers need to note the changes highlighted below and may need to factor future salary threshold increases into human resource budgets.
The key changes to salary thresholds effective from 1 March 2026 are as set out below:
| Employment Permit Type | Pre March 2026 Salary | Post 1 March 2026 Salary |
|---|---|---|
| General Employment Permit | €34,000 | €36,605 |
| Critical Skills Employment Permit (with a degree requirement) | €38,000 | €40,904 |
| Critical Skills Employment Permit (without a degree requirement) | €64,000 | €68,911 |
| Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit | €46,000 | €49,523 |
| Meat processors, horticultural workers, healthcare assistants, and home carers | €30,000 | €32,691 |
Lower salary thresholds now apply for recent graduates.
The changes to the salary thresholds (which are based on a standard 39 hour working week), do not affect current employment permits, but are applicable to applications made from 1 March 2026, and to the renewal of existing employment permits.
This means that employers will not only have to match non-EEA nationals’ pay to the new thresholds, but they may also need to increase salary levels on the renewal of current employment permits if salary falls short of the new thresholds.
Our Employment and Immigration Law team guides employers through all matters relating to employment permit applications, and we reflect our experience with processing these to ensure a smooth process for both employers and applicants.
