For employers · Ireland · Down
Chef recruitment in Down
0 employment permits have been issued to employers in County Down so far in 2026, and 2,760 nationally in I - Accommodation & Food Services Activities, the sector most chefs and kitchen staff work in. We place chefs and kitchen staff with Down employers, trade tested before travel, with the permit application handled with you. No retainer. Nothing charged to the candidate.
What the official figures say
Hiring overseas in Down is normal
The sector, nationally
I - Accommodation & Food Services Activities
What the numbers say
2,760 permits for I - Accommodation & Food Services Activities by the end of August 2026, already 79% of the 3,499 issued in the whole of 2025.
At the current pace 2026 would finish around 4,140, up 18% on 2025.
The busiest full year on record was 2025 with 3,499 permits. In 2020 the figure was 1,628. That is a 2.1-fold rise.
Who is already doing it
The biggest permit users in Ireland this year
Every one of them has hired from outside the EEA this year and got the paperwork through. Your competitors are on this list or the fastest growing one.
How we fill it
Trade tested, paperwork handled, fixed fee
1. The test
Trade test in a kitchen with the employer or a partner. In Johannesburg, Manila or a partner centre, before anyone travels. You get the score sheet.
2. The paperwork
The employment permit application prepared with you, the visa handled with the candidate, and the Department's current timeline told to you plainly before you commit.
3. The landing
Flights, accommodation, PPSN, bank account and phone sorted, and someone checking in with them after they start, so they stay.
4. The fee
A fixed fee per placement, invoiced when they start. No retainer, no startup fee, and nothing is ever charged to the candidate.
For employers in Down
Tell us how many chefs you need and when
A recruiter rings you back within one working day with candidates we already have trade tested, the permit timeline as it stands, and a fixed fee. No retainer, nothing charged to the candidate, and nothing to sign until you have seen people.
Other trades in Down
For candidates
What you need to work here
- A job offer and a contract of employment signed by you and the employer before anything is submitted. Applications must reach the Department at least 12 weeks before the start date.
- The right permit for the job. Most trades and driving roles go through a General Employment Permit, which is issued for 2 years and can be renewed. Roles on the Critical Skills list use a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
- Pay at or above the minimum for the permit. For a General Employment Permit the Department currently lists it as generally EUR 36,605 a year, with lower figures for meat processing, horticulture, healthcare assistants and home support. Check the official figure for your role before you rely on it.
Register with Sama
Tell us your trade and we will tell you what we have
Five fields, under a minute. A recruiter reads every one. You never pay us anything, at any stage, and we will say plainly if we have nothing for you.
After they land
What we give the person you hire
Free, and not conditional on anything. A placement that fails usually fails in the first month, and it is rarely about the work.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment Permit Statistics, re-used under the Public Sector Information licence. A permit issued to a company is a record of a past application. It is not a vacancy and not a promise of sponsorship.