Working in Ireland from Egypt: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

Is Ireland right for you? Permit routes explained

If you are an Egyptian worker looking to move abroad, Ireland offers strong wages, excellent safety standards, and English speaking workplaces. However, you must know the reality upfront before spending time or money. Ireland is a highly selective destination for non-EU workers in manual or lower skilled roles.

Ireland maintains a strict rule called the Ineligible List of Occupations. This list automatically blocks work permits for general warehouse staff, basic farm hands, standard delivery drivers, light vehicle operators, and general construction laborers. If you do not have specialized technical qualifications or certified trade experience, Ireland is a very poor target for legal migration. In that case, you should look at countries like Croatia, Romania, or Poland, which have accessible national work permit quotas for general labor.

However, if you have recognized trade certificates or specialized experience, Ireland has a clear legal pathway. The main route for Egyptian workers is the General Employment Permit, administered by Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). Highly specialized technical or engineering roles may fall under the Critical Skills Employment Permit.

Under Irish law, the employer in Ireland must apply for the employment permit first. You cannot apply for a work visa from Egypt until your employer in Ireland submits the application to DETE, pays the state fee, and receives an official permit approval certificate.

Where to apply and documents required in Egypt

Once your employer in Ireland receives the approved employment permit from DETE, you begin your visa process in Egypt. You cannot travel to Ireland on a tourist visa to begin work. You must obtain entry clearance before traveling.

First, you complete the online visa application on the official Irish government portal, known as AVATS (Online Visa Applications Facility). After finishing the online form, print the summary document and gather your physical file.

You will submit your passport, application form, and supporting paperwork in person at the official VFS Global Visa Application Centre serving Ireland, located in Cairo. During your appointment at the Cairo center, staff will collect your biometrics, including your fingerprints and digital photo.

To apply for your Category D Employment Visa, you need to prepare a clean document folder in Egypt:

• Valid passport: Must remain valid for at least 12 months past your planned arrival date in Ireland and contain unused visa pages.
• Approved employment permit: The original approval certificate issued by DETE in Ireland, sent to you by your employer.
• Signed employment contract: A complete contract signed by both you and the Irish employer, detailing your exact job title, workplace address, working hours, and hourly rate.
• Egyptian Police Clearance: Known locally in Egypt as Fish wa Tashbih (Criminal Record Certificate). You must request this from the Egyptian Ministry of Interior.
• Official legalisation: Ireland requires Egyptian public documents to be authenticated. Your Fish wa Tashbih and educational or trade certificates must be legalised by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation office in Cairo.
• Certified translations: Any document issued in Arabic must be translated into English by an accredited translation agency in Egypt and stamped.
• Proof of qualifications: Certified trade diplomas, vocational certificates, or detailed reference letters from previous employers in Egypt proving your work experience.
• Medical insurance: Proof of medical insurance coverage for your initial stay in Ireland, arranged by you or provided by your hiring company.

Costs, fees, and protecting yourself from scams

Knowing the actual fees helps you budget correctly and protects you from fraudulent agents who target workers in Cairo and online.

The official permit fee in Ireland is set directly by the government. For a General Employment Permit, the fee is approximately 1,000 EUR for a permit valid up to two years, or approximately 500 EUR for a permit lasting up to six months. In almost all legitimate recruitment cases, the Irish employer pays this fee directly to DETE.

The official Long Stay D Visa fee paid at the VFS Global center in Cairo is set by Ireland and is approximately 60 EUR for a single-entry visa or approximately 100 EUR for a multiple-entry visa. VFS Global also charges a small local administrative service fee in Egyptian Pounds.

Processing times require careful planning. Work permit processing by DETE in Ireland takes approximately 6 to 12 weeks. After the permit is granted, visa processing through the embassy and VFS Global in Cairo takes approximately 4 to 8 weeks.

As a worker living in Egypt, your actual personal expenses cover local documentation and travel preparation:

• Police record and MOFA legalisation: Approximately 1,500 EGP to 3,500 EGP (approximately 30 EUR to 70 EUR) for the Fish wa Tashbih, translation, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation stamps.
• Medical check and biometrics: Approximately 2,000 EGP to 5,000 EGP (approximately 40 EUR to 100 EUR).
• Flight ticket from Cairo to Dublin: Approximately 15,000 EGP to 35,000 EGP (approximately 300 EUR to 700 EUR), depending on the booking period and airline.

Rules on recruitment fees are absolute. Under Irish law and broader European Union regulations, no recruitment agency, broker, or employer is allowed to charge a worker money in exchange for a job offer or work permit. The employer must cover the costs of recruitment. You should be extremely alert to middleman brokers in Egypt who ask for thousands of Euros or tens of thousands of Egyptian Pounds for a promised job. These upfront fees are illegal and almost always indicate a scam.

Trades hiring foreign workers in Ireland

While basic manual labor roles are restricted, Irish businesses recruit qualified non-EU trade workers through legal permit exemptions:

• Healthcare Assistants and Caregivers: Nursing homes and residential care facilities across Ireland hire foreign healthcare assistants who hold recognized care diplomas and strong English communication skills.
• Specialized Welders and Fabricators: Manufacturing plants and structural steel workshops in Ireland recruit experienced TIG and MIG welders who hold international trade certifications.
• Specialist Construction Operatives: Large infrastructure and commercial building projects recruit heavy equipment operators, formwork carpenters, and experienced steel fixers when local staff cannot be found.

Myths vs facts

• Myth: You can fly to Dublin as a tourist, look for a job in person, and switch to a work visa inside Ireland.
  Fact: Irish immigration rules prohibit switching from tourist status to a work permit inside the country. You must complete the entire permit and visa process from Egypt before traveling.
• Myth: Brokers in Cairo can issue an official Irish work visa without an approved permit from an Irish company.
  Fact: An Irish employment visa cannot be issued without an approved permit registered with DETE in Ireland under a legitimate company registration number.
• Myth: Any Egyptian driver or general farm hand can easily secure an Irish work visa.
  Fact: Standard driving roles and basic farm labor are listed on Ireland's Ineligible List of Occupations, meaning work permits are not granted for those specific roles.
• Myth: You must pay an agency in Egypt thousands of Euros to register your work permit application.
  Fact: Irish employers are legally required to handle and pay for the work permit process with DETE, and charging workers job placement fees is illegal.

Before you sign

Before you sign a contract or spend money on document preparation in Egypt, check these crucial points:

• Verify the Irish business: Confirm that the employer is a registered company in Ireland with an active Companies Registration Office (CRO) number and real physical address.
• Check job eligibility: Ensure your exact job title is permitted by DETE and is not on the Irish Ineligible List of Occupations.
• Review the full contract terms: Make sure your employment contract clearly states your hourly wage, guaranteed weekly hours, overtime policy, and workplace location.
• Confirm permit sponsorship: Verify that the employer is applying directly to DETE for your permit and paying the required government fee themselves.
• Prepare your Egyptian documents: Obtain an updated Fish wa Tashbih from the Ministry of Interior, legalise it through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Cairo, and get it translated into English by a certified translator.

Build your Workuro profile for Irish employers

When you register your details on Workuro, list your exact technical trade skills, official certifications, and practical work history clearly. Mention that you can provide legalised Egyptian documentation, including a legalised police clearance and official English translations, and state your English language ability alongside your Arabic fluency. Detailed profiles help Irish employers locate you easily when searching for qualified talent abroad. Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.