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Work & skilled workersPublishedHigh impactVerified

Ireland raises Critical Skills Employment Permit salary floor

🇮🇪 IrelandWork Permits1 recorded versionLast change 30 Jul 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 91%

Current rules

From 1 March 2026: The standard CSEP MAR increased to €40,904/year. Qualifying recent graduates can use a lower threshold of €36,848/year. Certain public-sector positions covered by a national pay agreement are exempt from the CSEP MAR. The higher remuneration route remains available at €68,911/year for qualifying occupations. The increase applies to the minimum annual remuneration, meaning the salary must be sufficient to meet the required annual amount. Ireland also specifies how remuneration is calculated, including eligible health-insurance payments.

Overview

Ireland's Department of Enterprise has published a revised salary floor for Critical Skills Employment Permits, lifting the general threshold and setting a separate rate for roles on the shortage list.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • People from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit
  • Employers who hire workers through the Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP)
  • Workers in jobs on Ireland's Critical Skills Occupations List
  • Recent graduates who can use the lower Critical Skills Employment Permit salary level
  • Employers who are preparing new Critical Skills Employment Permit applications
  • People who already have a permit and need to consider the correct salary level when renewing or changing their job situation

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before 1 March 2026: The standard minimum salary for a Critical Skills Employment Permit was €38,000 each year. Some recent graduates could qualify with a lower minimum salary. Jobs that paid more could qualify through a separate route for higher-paid jobs. Applicants also had to meet the job, qualification, and employment rules for the Critical Skills Employment Permit.

After

From 1 March 2026: The standard Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) for the Critical Skills Employment Permit increased to €40,904 each year. Qualifying recent graduates can use a lower minimum salary of €36,848 each year. Some public-sector jobs covered by a national pay agreement do not need to meet the Critical Skills Employment Permit Minimum Annual Remuneration. The route for higher-paid jobs is still available at €68,911 each year for jobs that qualify. The increase applies to the minimum annual payment. This means the salary must be enough to meet the required yearly amount. Ireland also states how to work out this payment. This includes eligible payments for health insurance.

The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) is one of the main ways Ireland brings in highly skilled workers from outside the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland — legally called third-country nationals. The minimum salary matters. This is because a job that would otherwise be eligible might not qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit if the salary offered is below the required amount. For 2026, the key amounts are: €40,904 each year — the standard minimum salary for a Critical Skills Employment Permit. €36,848 each year — the lower minimum salary for qualifying recent graduates. €68,911 each year — the minimum salary for some jobs where the role is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List but meets the route for higher-paid jobs.

Explained simply

Think of it like a new minimum 'price tag' for certain jobs in Ireland. The government, specifically the Department of Enterprise, has increased the required salary for highly skilled workers from outside Europe who want to get a special work permit called a Critical Skills Employment Permit. If your job is on a list of professions Ireland needs most, there's a specific (and likely different) new minimum salary you need to earn. This means if you're applying for one of these permits, you need to make sure your job offer meets these updated salary amounts.

Version history

  1. v1Effective 1 May 2026PublishedHigh impact
    Ireland raises Critical Skills Employment Permit salary floor

    Ireland's Department of Enterprise has updated the lowest acceptable salary for Critical Skills Employment Permits. It has increased the general amount and set a different amount for jobs on the shortage list.

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