The Internship Employment Permit is built for one clear situation. You are a full-time student enrolled at a third-level institution outside Ireland, your course is in a discipline that sits on the Critical Skills Occupations List, and an Irish employer wants to give you real, hands-on work experience linked to what you are studying. This permit lets you come over, do that placement, and then return to complete your course.
It is deliberately narrow. The work must relate to your field of study, the permit runs for a maximum of twelve months and cannot be renewed, and the whole point is that you go back to your studies afterwards. Get those pieces right and it is one of the more straightforward permits to secure, because there is no labour market test to clear.
Made for people like you
Students enrolled abroad
You are a full-time student at a third-level institution outside Ireland, and you have not finished your course yet.
Critical-skills disciplines
Your field of study sits on the Critical Skills Occupations List, for example software engineering, data, or many engineering and healthcare disciplines.
Placement with an Irish employer
An Irish-registered employer has offered you work experience that genuinely relates to what you are studying.
Returning to your studies
The plan is to gain experience in Ireland and then go home to complete your degree, not to stay on and settle.
Do you qualify?
This permit joins three things: a student studying abroad, a critical-skills discipline, and an Irish employer offering related work experience. All three have to line up.
You will need
- Enrolment as a full-time student at a third-level institution located outside Ireland
- A course in a discipline that appears on the Critical Skills Occupations List
- An offer of work experience from an Irish-registered employer that relates directly to your field of study
- Pay of at least the National Minimum Wage, €14.15 an hour, roughly €28,696 a year for full-time hours from 1 January 2026
- A clear intention to return to your overseas course once the internship ends
This route is not for you if
- You are studying in Ireland and want to work during or after your Irish course, that is a Stamp 1G or student permission matter, not this permit
- Your field of study is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List
- You have already graduated, look at the Graduate Employment Permit or a critical-skills route instead
- The placement has nothing to do with what you are studying
- You want to stay in Ireland long term, this permit is capped at 12 months and cannot be renewed
How the journey works
- 01
Confirm your discipline is on the list
Day 1We check that the subject you are studying abroad appears on the Critical Skills Occupations List and that the proposed placement genuinely relates to it. This is the make-or-break test, so we do it first.
- 02
Line up the employer and the offer
Week 1The Irish employer confirms it is registered and trading here, sets out the work experience on offer, and states pay at or above the National Minimum Wage. We make sure the placement description reads as study-related experience, not an ordinary job.
- 03
Gather documents on both sides
Week 1 to 2You collect your passport, proof of full-time enrolment abroad and evidence of your discipline; the employer provides its registration details and the internship offer. We check everything against the DETE checklist before filing.
- 04
Choose the fee band and apply online
Week 2We lodge the application on the Employment Permits Online System with the correct fee, €500 for a placement of up to six months or €1,000 for six to twelve months. Either the employer or the student can be the applicant.
- 05
DETE processing and any query
The Department reviews the application. If it raises a question, usually about the study link or the enrolment evidence, we help you respond fully and quickly so the file keeps moving.
- 06
Visa, travel and registration
Visa-required nationals apply for an entry visa once the permit issues. After you arrive you register with immigration, receive your IRP card, and can begin the placement.
- 07
Finish the internship and go home
The permit runs for its stated period, up to twelve months, and cannot be renewed. When it ends you return to your overseas institution to complete your studies.
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 for the full placement period
Proof of full-time enrolment
A current letter from your overseas third-level institution
Evidence of your discipline
Course details showing the subject is a critical-skills field
Internship offer letter
From the Irish employer, describing the work experience
Placement description
Duties clearly linked to your field of study
Pay confirmation
At or above the National Minimum Wage
Employer registration details
Registered with Revenue and the CRO and trading in Ireland
Statement of intent to return
Confirming you will go back to complete your course
Passport-standard photo
Recent, plain background
Up-to-date CV
Consistent with the application details
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit for up to 6 months | €500 | Application fee for a placement of six months or less. |
| Permit for 6 to 12 months | €1,000 | Application fee for a placement of more than six and up to twelve months. |
| Refund if refused or withdrawn | 90% back | The bulk of the fee is refunded; the refund form issues with the decision. |
| Entry visa (visa-required nationals) | €60 to €100 | Single entry €60, multi entry €100, where a visa is needed. |
| IRP registration | €300 | Payable when you register your permission after arrival. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
Government fees are set by DETE and ISD and can change. We confirm the current figures with you before anything is paid.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
DETE decision
A few weeks
Processing depends on the current DETE queue. Apply well ahead of the intended start date and keep the study link crystal clear.
Entry visa, if required
Around 8 weeks
Applies to visa-required nationals after the permit issues; times vary by visa office.
IRP registration
A few weeks
An appointment after you arrive, then delivery of the card in the following working days.
The permit itself
Up to 12 months
One placement only, non-renewable, after which you return to your studies.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
The discipline is not on the list
The permit only works where your field of study appears on the Critical Skills Occupations List. A course outside that list does not qualify, however strong the placement is.
Avoid it: Check your exact discipline against the current list before applying, and we will confirm it for you.
The placement does not match the studies
DETE looks at whether the work experience genuinely relates to what you are studying. A placement that reads like general labour or an unrelated role will be refused.
Avoid it: Write the placement description around duties that clearly connect to your course, and keep it consistent with the offer letter.
You are not a current full-time student abroad
This permit is for students still enrolled at a third-level institution outside Ireland. If you have graduated, or you are studying in Ireland, it does not apply.
Avoid it: Provide a current enrolment letter from your overseas institution, and if you have already graduated, look at the Graduate Employment Permit instead.
Pay below the minimum
The placement must pay at least the National Minimum Wage, €14.15 an hour from 1 January 2026. An unpaid or under-paid internship will not clear the bar.
Avoid it: Confirm the hourly rate meets or beats the minimum wage in writing before you file.
No genuine return plan
The whole design assumes you go back to complete your course. If the file suggests you intend to stay on rather than return, that undermines the application.
Avoid it: Include a clear statement that you will return to finish your studies once the placement ends.
Common questions
How is this different from a Stamp 1G graduate internship?+
Very different. The Internship Employment Permit is for students still enrolled at a college outside Ireland who come over for a placement and then go home. Stamp 1G is a permission for people who have already graduated from an Irish course. If you studied in Ireland, this is not your route.
Can I use this if I am studying in Ireland?+
No. This permit is specifically for full-time students enrolled at a third-level institution outside Ireland. Working during or after Irish studies is covered by your student permission or a Stamp 1G, not by this permit.
Does my course really have to be a critical-skills subject?+
Yes. Your field of study must sit on the Critical Skills Occupations List, and the placement must relate to that field. This is the first thing we check, because it decides whether the permit is even open to you.
Can the permit be extended or renewed?+
No. The Internship Employment Permit runs for a maximum of twelve months and cannot be renewed. When it ends, you return to your overseas institution to complete your studies.
How much will it cost to apply?+
The application fee is €500 for a placement of up to six months, or €1,000 for a placement of six to twelve months. If the application is refused or withdrawn, most of the fee is refunded.
Does the internship have to be paid?+
Yes. You must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, which is €14.15 an hour from 1 January 2026, roughly €28,696 a year for full-time hours. An unpaid placement does not qualify.
Is there a labour market test?+
No. Unlike the General Employment Permit, this route has no requirement for the employer to advertise the role first. That makes the process simpler, but the study-link and enrolment conditions still have to be met exactly.
Can my family come with me?+
This permit is a short, non-renewable placement of up to a year built around returning to your studies, so it is not designed as a family reunification route. If your longer-term plan is to work and settle in Ireland, we can talk you through the permits that do support family.
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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