Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: current processing dates
How long is an employment permit taking right now?
The Department does not publish a processing time. It publishes the date of the applications it is working on today, by type, and moves it every week. We read that page every day, keep every edition, and turn the dates into weeks so you can plan a start date. The Department's own words: "Applications for employment permits are processed in date order of receipt of the fully completed application form and fee, if applicable."
As of 2 October 2026
What the Department is processing today
| Type of application | Applications received on | Waiting | Since the last edition (1 Oct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All other New Applications (All permit types excluding Critical Skills, GEPs and I.C.T.) | 13 August 2026 | 7 weeks | Unchanged |
| Critical Skills Employment Permit | 25 September 2026 | 1 week | Unchanged |
| New General Employment Permit | 26 August 2026 | 5 weeks | Unchanged |
| Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit Applications (Renewal) | 13 July 2026 | 12 weeks | 1 week longer |
| Renewal Applications (All renewable permit types included) | 10 July 2026 | 12 weeks | Unchanged |
| Reviews / Appeals | 14 April 2026 | 24 weeks | Unchanged |
| Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit Applications (New) | 1 October 2026 | 0 weeks | Unchanged |
"Waiting" is the gap between the Department's as-of date and the application date it was processing, in whole weeks. An application lodged today joins the back of that queue; the Department's own page is the source and is linked below.
How the queue has moved
| Edition | All other New Applications (All permit types excluding Critical Skills, GEPs and I.C.T.) | Critical Skills EP | New General EP | Intra-Company Transfer EP Applications (Renewal) | Renewal Applications (All renewable permit types included) | Reviews / Appeals | Intra-Company Transfer EP Applications (New) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct 2026 | 7 wk | 1 wk | 5 wk | 12 wk | 12 wk | 24 wk | 0 wk |
| 1 Oct 2026 | 7 wk | 1 wk | 5 wk | 11 wk | 12 wk | 24 wk | 0 wk |
| 30 Sep 2026 | 7 wk | 1 wk | 5 wk | 12 wk | 12 wk | 24 wk | 0 wk |
| 29 Sep 2026 | 7 wk | 1 wk | 6 wk | 12 wk | 12 wk | 24 wk | 0 wk |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 7 wk | 1 wk | 6 wk | 12 wk | 12 wk | 24 wk | 1 wk |
| 25 Sep 2026 | 6 wk | 1 wk | 5 wk | 11 wk | 12 wk | 23 wk | 1 wk |
For employers
Planning a start date
Count back from the day you need the person: the permit queue above, then the visa where one is needed, then notice at the current job and travel. The dates move in both directions, so the plan is a range, not a promise. If the role needs a Labour Market Needs Test, that runs before the application goes in, and its length is on the Department's page for it.
For candidates
Waiting on a permit?
Find the type of your application in the table. If the Department is processing applications received on a date after yours, a decision is close; if not, the gap in weeks is roughly how much longer. Your employer lodged the application and receives the decision, so the update comes through them.
Questions
What people ask about permit processing times
How long does an Irish employment permit take?
The Department does not give a fixed time. It publishes, as of a date, the application dates it is currently processing by type; the table above shows the latest edition and works the gap out in weeks. On 2 October 2026 the Department was processing New General Employment Permit applications received on 26 August 2026, about 5 weeks.
Why are renewals and reviews slower than new Critical Skills applications?
Each type is a separate queue, processed in date order of receipt. The Department publishes a separate date for each, and they move independently. The table shows how each has moved since the previous edition.
Where do these dates come from?
From the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment's "Current processing dates for employment permits" page, which we read every day and keep. Every figure on this page is the Department's own, shown with the as-of date it was published under.
Does a complete application go faster?
The Department says applications are processed in date order of receipt of the fully completed application form and fee. An incomplete application does not join the queue until it is complete, which is the practical reason to get the paperwork right first time.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Current processing dates for employment permits, read 2 October 2026. General information, not legal advice; the Department's page is the authority.