Ireland · long-stay visa routes and official sources
5 routes tracked · last reviewed · every route links to its official government source
Long-term visa difficulty for Ireland: Medium (52/100, lower is easier). Most practical route: Student permission / Critical Skills Employment Permit.
Common questions
What is the most practical long-term visa route to Ireland?
Based on our July 2026 review, the most practical route is usually: Student permission / Critical Skills Employment Permit. Overall difficulty is rated "Medium" (52/100, lower is easier).
Can I move to Ireland without a local job offer?
Yes — 1 of the 5 tracked routes do not require a local employer: Student permission. Each has its own income, funds, or admission requirements.
Long Stay D Study Visa / immigration registration for study
Long-stay study for visa-required applicants: an eligible full-time programme, documented tuition/living funds, insurance and a separate post-arrival registration step.
Typical timeline / duration: Study permission is granted for a specified course-related period and must be renewed before expiry. Eligible English-language study allows up to three eight-month permissions, not an automatic multi-year grant.
Choose an eligible programme from ILEP or the TrustEd Ireland eligible-programmes list. Check both registers: a programme need not appear on both. The acceptance letter must identify full-time study, fees and payments.
Apply through AVATS from your home country or lawful residence up to three months before travel; follow the application office's filing instructions. Provide the signed summary, passport valid for twelve months after planned arrival, photos and supporting records.
Provide academic/language evidence, a study explanation, education/employment gaps, previous visa-refusal details and private medical insurance. The college's language requirement may be higher than the visa minimum.
Pay tuition in full where fees are below €6,000; where higher, pay at least €6,000 before applying, unless the relevant rules require more. The college may require full payment.
Show immediate access to €10,000 for an academic year and €10,000 plus tuition for each later year. For courses shorter than eight months, published visa guidance gives €833/month or €6,665 total, whichever is lower. Casual work cannot replace the funds evidence.
Supply the Summary of Finances and six months of personal bank records, sponsor relationship/support records where relevant, and explanations of large deposits. Credit cards are not proof of sufficient funds; follow the original-document/translation requirements.
Critical Skills Employment Permit plus separate immigration permission
An employer-backed permit for qualifying occupations/remuneration and a job offer of at least two years. It is separate from the entry visa and immigration registration.
Typical timeline / duration: Normally a two-year permit; later immigration permission requires its own assessment.
Secure an eligible two-year job offer with a bona fide Irish employer and the qualifications/experience for the role.
Current remuneration categories: €40,904 for listed critical-skills occupations with a relevant degree; €36,848 where that qualification was obtained within the previous 12 months. Other non-excluded occupations may qualify above €68,911, with the necessary experience if no degree. Qualifying public-pay-agreement roles follow that agreement.
The employer normally needs at least 50% EEA employees, subject to stated exceptions. No Labour Market Needs Test is required for this permit.
Submit the permit application at least 12 weeks before starting; visa-required applicants need the separate entry visa and immigration registration.
An employer-backed permit for eligible work, not only jobs outside Critical Skills. Occupation exclusions, remuneration, labour-market testing and any quota still apply.
Typical timeline / duration: Up to two years initially; renewable for up to a further three years; after five years, long-term residence or Stamp 4 may be available
Obtain a job offer from a bona fide employer trading in Ireland and registered with the relevant tax and company authorities.
The role must generally pass the Labour Market Needs Test and must not be on the ineligible occupations list.
From 1 March 2026, general annual remuneration is €36,605; specified horticulture, meat-processing, health-care assistant/home-support roles have €32,691 (with the published €16.12 hourly minimum). Eligible relevant Irish third-level graduates within the previous 12 months have €34,009. Other job and employer conditions still apply.
Apply through Employment Permits Online, normally at least 12 weeks before the proposed start date; after approval, complete immigration registration if required.
For founders with an innovative, high-potential business proposal; this is not a passive investment visa.
Typical timeline / duration: Initial two-year permission; a further three years on renewal if conditions remain satisfied. A D visa, where required, is a separate travel step.
STEP is for innovative businesses with international growth potential, not passive investment. The currently linked September 2023 guide targets manufacturing or internationally traded services, a business under five years old with an experienced team and Irish headquarters/control, and the potential for ten Irish jobs and €1 million sales within three years; these are capability tests, not jobs that must already exist when applying.
The first principal needs at least €50,000 in available business funding; the guide sets €30,000 for each additional non-family principal in the same proposal. Evidence must establish lawful provenance and transferability, not merely an account balance.
Applicants must have good character and no criminal convictions. The guide requests police records for countries lived in for more than six months during the previous ten years; the current form and guide determine the full evidence list.
The approved founder must operate the proposed business full-time, with no other employment, private medical insurance and sufficient personal support without Irish State assistance.
The currently linked guide requires the necessary funds to reach an Irish-regulated financial institution before permission is issued, alongside the required good-character affidavit.
Discretionary retirement residence for financially independent applicants; not a work permit or an automatic residence-by-property route.
Typical timeline / duration: Temporary permission for the period in the approval letter; renewal is conditional. The entry visa and landing stamp are not the full residence term.
Retirement guidance gives €50,000 individual annual income plus accessible emergency capital, using the cost of an Irish dwelling as an example of scale. It does not specify a single national lump-sum figure or require buying a property.
Financial records must show monthly income, spending and liabilities in euros, certified by an Irish accountancy firm. Evidence includes six months of banking records; pension income or readily accessible funds matter, rather than simply quoting investment valuations.
Private medical insurance must fully cover private hospitals. Passport copies, civil-status evidence, reasons for retirement, Irish connections, police clearance and a health declaration form part of the initial evidence.
All applicants must obtain retirement permission before travel. Visa-required applicants then obtain a D-Reside visa with the approval letter before entry; a visitor entry does not replace this sequence.
Visa rules change frequently. Figures and requirements above were reviewed on the dates shown; always confirm against the linked official source before applying.