From today, 1 March 2026, every employment-permit application lodged in Ireland must meet higher Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) figures. The long-signalled change, set out in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s MAR Roadmap, lifts the General Employment Permit floor to €36,605 and the Critical Skills Employment Permit floor (degree route) to €40,904. Sector-specific permits for meat processing, horticulture, healthcare assistants and home-carers rise to €32,691, while Intra-Company Transfer permits climb to €49,523. A new graduate category allows recent Level-8 graduates to qualify at €34,009 (GEP) or €36,848 (CSEP).
Although first announced in December 2025, the thresholds take legal effect today; applications filed even minutes after midnight must reference the new figures or risk rejection. The Employment Permits Section confirmed over the weekend that its online portal (EPOS) has been updated and will automatically flag salaries that fall short.
The higher floors mirror average-earnings growth and are designed to ensure Ireland remains attractive to international talent without under-cutting local wages. They also help companies future-proof against EU pay-transparency rules due in 2026. However, cost-sensitive sectors—particularly hospitality and agri-food—warn that sharply rising labour costs could squeeze margins and deter recruitment.
![New employment-permit salary thresholds kick in, raising minimum pay for foreign hires]()
If you need hands-on help steering through Ireland’s revised permit system, VisaHQ’s specialists can manage the paperwork for both employers and applicants, monitor salary-threshold changes, and submit compliant EPOS filings on your behalf. Explore their Ireland services at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/
Practical tips for employers:
• Re-check offer letters and Labour-Market-Needs-Test adverts before submitting an application.
• Where a start date was agreed before 1 March but the permit is being lodged today, issue a contract addendum reflecting the higher pay.
• Adjust HRIS and payroll coding so that automatic increments keep salaries above the threshold for the duration of multi-year permits.
Existing permit-holders are unaffected until renewal, but they should confirm that future extensions will meet the stepped-up amounts scheduled annually through 2030.
Although first announced in December 2025, the thresholds take legal effect today; applications filed even minutes after midnight must reference the new figures or risk rejection. The Employment Permits Section confirmed over the weekend that its online portal (EPOS) has been updated and will automatically flag salaries that fall short.
The higher floors mirror average-earnings growth and are designed to ensure Ireland remains attractive to international talent without under-cutting local wages. They also help companies future-proof against EU pay-transparency rules due in 2026. However, cost-sensitive sectors—particularly hospitality and agri-food—warn that sharply rising labour costs could squeeze margins and deter recruitment.
If you need hands-on help steering through Ireland’s revised permit system, VisaHQ’s specialists can manage the paperwork for both employers and applicants, monitor salary-threshold changes, and submit compliant EPOS filings on your behalf. Explore their Ireland services at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/
Practical tips for employers:
• Re-check offer letters and Labour-Market-Needs-Test adverts before submitting an application.
• Where a start date was agreed before 1 March but the permit is being lodged today, issue a contract addendum reflecting the higher pay.
• Adjust HRIS and payroll coding so that automatic increments keep salaries above the threshold for the duration of multi-year permits.
Existing permit-holders are unaffected until renewal, but they should confirm that future extensions will meet the stepped-up amounts scheduled annually through 2030.
