For years, changing jobs on an Irish employment permit meant starting from scratch: a full new application, the full fee, and for General Employment Permit holders a fresh labour market needs test. The Employment Permits Act 2024 changed that. Since 2 September 2024, GEP and CSEP holders who have completed 9 months on their first permit can ask DETE to reissue their existing permit in a new employer's name, with no new permit application and no advertising requirement.
The route comes with strict guardrails. Your permit must still have at least 2 months to run when you apply, the new job must sit in the same occupation, you can use the process a maximum of 3 times, and you must not start with the new employer until the reissued permit is in your hands. Get any of those wrong and you risk a refusal, or worse, a breach of your permit conditions. We check every condition before anything is filed.
Made for people like you
GEP holders with a better offer
You have completed 9 months on your first General Employment Permit and want to move to another employer in the same occupation, matched at the 4-digit SOC code level.
CSEP holders moving up
Critical Skills holders get more room: you can move anywhere within the same 3-digit SOC category, for example between different engineering roles.
Workers whose job changed under them
Made redundant, or your employment fundamentally changed, for example the business relocated a significant distance away. These are the exceptions that can apply inside the first 9 months.
Anyone who falls outside the route
Different occupation, fewer than 9 months served, or 3 changes already used. You are not stuck, but the answer is a fresh permit application, and we help you plan it.
Do you qualify?
Five conditions decide whether you can use the change of employer process or need a full new application. All five must be met on the day you apply.
You will need
- A General or Critical Skills Employment Permit, the only two types this process covers
- At least 9 months completed since you started work on your first employment permit in Ireland
- A permit still in force with at least 2 months left to run when the application is made
- A new job in the same occupation: the same 4-digit SOC code for GEP holders, the same 3-digit SOC category for CSEP holders
- Fewer than 3 change-of-employer applications already granted to you
- A new employer registered with Revenue and trading in Ireland, ready to sign the joint application
This route is not for you if
- You are inside your first 9 months, unless redundancy or a fundamental change in your employment applies
- The new role is a different occupation, which means a full new permit application instead
- You have already used your 3 changes of employer
- You hold any other permit type, such as an Intra-Company Transfer, Reactivation or Dependant permit
Change of employer vs a fresh application
Change of employer process
In-permit move- Fee
- None listed in the DETE fee schedule
- Labour market test
- Not required
- Occupation
- Same SOC occupation or category only
- Permit end date
- Unchanged, no reset
- Availability
- After 9 months, maximum 3 times
Fresh permit application
- Fee
- €1,000 for a permit of up to 2 years
- Labour market test
- 28 days for most GEP roles
- Occupation
- Any eligible occupation
- Permit end date
- New permit, new duration
- Availability
- Whenever the criteria are met
How the journey works
- 01
Check you fit the route
Day 1We confirm the four gates before anything else: 9 months served on your first permit, at least 2 months left on the current one, the new role inside the same SOC occupation or category, and how many changes you have already used. If any gate fails, we reroute you to a fresh application early, before you resign from anything.
- 02
Get the new contract signed
Week 1The new employer issues a contract of employment signed by both parties, with the salary meeting the current minimum annual remuneration for your permit type. We check the job description against the SOC code so the occupation match is beyond argument.
- 03
Gather the new employer's paperwork
Week 1The new employer provides a Revenue statement of their monthly statutory returns dated within 3 months of the application. If the new employer runs a restaurant, DETE also wants a Local Health Authority letter, a statement that it is not a fast-food outlet, and utility bills dated within 2 months.
- 04
File the joint application on EPOS
Week 1-2Since 28 April 2025 the application goes through the Employment Permits Online portal. It is a joint application, e-signed by you and the new employer, and employers see a Transfer Permit button in their portal. The process runs most smoothly when the new employer initiates it, and we guide both sides through every field.
- 05
Keep working while DETE decides
Stay in your current job. DETE does not publish a separate queue for change-of-employer applications, so we prepare a complete, query-proof file to keep the wait as short as possible. You must not start with the new employer until the permit has been reissued.
- 06
Start the new job within 1 month
Once the reissued permit arrives, your employment with the new employer must commence within 1 month. The permit keeps its original end date, so we also map out your renewal timing before you settle in.
What to gather
Start collecting these early. Weak or missing documents are the most common avoidable cause of delays and refusals.
Passport bio page
Valid and matching your permit details
Current IRP card
Your registration continues on its own schedule
Current employment permit
Must be in force with at least 2 months to run
New employment contract
Signed by you and the new employer, salary stated clearly
Job description for the new role
Duties matched to the same SOC occupation or category
New employer's Revenue statement
Monthly statutory returns dated within 3 months of applying
Proof of your permit start date
Shows the 9 months completed on your first permit
E-signatures on the joint application
Both you and the new employer sign inside EPOS
Local Health Authority letter
Restaurants only, plus a statement it is not a fast-food outlet
Utility bills for the premises
Restaurants only, dated within 2 months
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Change of employer application | €0 | The change-of-employer process carries no DETE fee — it replaces the need for a whole new permit. |
| Fresh permit application, if you fall outside the route | €1,000 | GEP or CSEP for up to 24 months. 90% is refunded if refused or withdrawn. |
| IRP renewal, when it falls due | €300 | Per adult. Changing employer does not reset your registration schedule. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
Government fees are set by DETE and ISD and can change. Remember too that under section 55 of the Employment Permits Act 2024, an employer may not recover any permit charge or expense from you.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
DETE decision
Not published
There is no separate change-of-employer queue on the DETE processing dates page. A complete joint application with nothing missing is your best protection against delay.
Starting the new job
Within 1 month
Employment with the new employer must commence within 1 month of the permit being reissued, and not a day before it issues.
Your permit end date
Unchanged
The reissued permit keeps the original expiry, so plan your renewal around the date you already have.
Fresh application instead
2-6 weeks
If you fall outside the route: new CSEP applications are currently decided in about 2 weeks and new GEP applications in about 6 weeks.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
Fewer than 9 months on your first permit
The clock runs from the day you commenced employment on your first permit in the State, not from your arrival or your application date. Inside 9 months the route is closed unless redundancy or a fundamental change in your employment applies.
Avoid it: Check your actual start date on the first permit before resigning from anything. If you are close, waiting a few weeks is usually cheaper than a refusal.
The new role is a different occupation
GEP holders must stay within the same 4-digit SOC code and CSEP holders within the same 3-digit SOC category. A move that looks similar on paper can still cross a code boundary.
Avoid it: Have the SOC codes for both roles checked before you accept the offer. If they do not match, the correct route is a fresh permit application.
Less than 2 months left on the permit
The permit must be in force and remain in force for at least 2 months at the point of application. Applications filed too close to expiry fail this condition.
Avoid it: If expiry is near, deal with the renewal first, or file a fresh application naming the new employer. We help you sequence it.
Starting with the new employer too early
The new employment cannot begin until the permit has been reissued. Working for the new employer while the application is pending is a breach of your permit conditions, not just a paperwork problem.
Avoid it: Stay with your current employer until the reissued permit arrives, then start within the 1-month window.
All 3 changes already used
A maximum of 3 change-of-employer applications may be granted per permit holder. A fourth move cannot go through this process at all.
Avoid it: Keep count of your transfers. Once the third is used, any further move means a full new application with the standard fee.
Gaps in the new employer's paperwork
A missing or out-of-date Revenue statement, a contract signed by only one party, or missing restaurant documents will stall or sink the application.
Avoid it: The Revenue statement must be dated within 3 months and the contract signed by both sides. We cross-check the employer's file before it is submitted.
Common questions
Do I have to pay a fee to change employer?+
There is no DETE fee for the change-of-employer process. It was created by the Employment Permits Act 2024 specifically to remove the need for a whole new permit, which would otherwise cost €1,000, so no charge appears in the fee schedule for it. A fee only arises if your move falls outside the route — for example changing before 9 months, moving into a different occupation category, or already having used your three changes — in which case a fresh permit at €1,000 applies.
When exactly does the 9-month clock start?+
From the day you commenced employment on your first employment permit in the State. It is not counted from your arrival in Ireland, your application date, or the date the permit issued. Your first payslips and Revenue records settle the question.
Can I change employer before 9 months are up?+
Only in limited circumstances: you were made redundant, or something fundamentally changed your employment relationship, for example the business relocating a significant distance away. Outside those exceptions you are expected to stay with your first employer for the 9 months.
Does my permit get more time when I move?+
No. The permit is reissued in the new employer's name with the original end date unchanged. That is exactly why the rules require at least 2 months left when you apply, and why we plan your renewal date alongside the move.
What does 'same occupation' actually mean?+
It is defined by SOC codes. A GEP holder must move within the same 4-digit code, so a meat processing operative can move to another meat processing role but not into a different occupation. A CSEP holder has the wider 3-digit category, so different engineering roles are usually fine.
Can I take a promotion with my current employer without any of this?+
Yes. Since 2 September 2024, an internal promotion or transfer with the same employer, using the same skills in an eligible job, needs no new permit and no change-of-employer application at all.
Can I start with the new employer while the application is pending?+
No. You must keep working for your current employer until the permit is reissued. Once it issues, you must start with the new employer within 1 month. Starting early is a breach of your permit conditions.
What if I have already used my 3 changes, or the new job is a different occupation?+
Then this process is closed and the route is a full new permit application: the €1,000 fee, and for most GEP roles a fresh 28-day labour market needs test. The 2024 Act also allows a permit holder to apply for a new permit for a new type of role after 9 months, so a career change is possible, just through the front door.
Grounded in official sources
Ready to talk through your next step?
Book a consultation with our team and leave with a clear, personal plan grounded in the official rules.
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