Right to Work Ireland: Employment Permits, Stamps and PPS Numbers

A recruiter in your Dublin team has a strong candidate for a warehouse supervisor role. He is ready to start on Monday, he has sent a photo of his passport and a residence card, and the client is keen. But which Stamp is on his permission, does it allow full-time work, and does he have a PPS number so payroll can run correctly in week one?

For agencies recruiting in Ireland, right to work Ireland checks are not as standardised as in some other markets. There is no single online checking service that covers everyone, permission is shown through a mix of passports, Irish Residence Permits and Stamps, and the rules for employment permits sit with one department while immigration permission sits with another. Recruiters who understand the basics move faster and avoid costly mistakes.

This is part 3 of our Right to Work Around the World series. In this guide we cover who can work in Ireland without a permit, the main employment permit types, how immigration Stamps affect work, what a PPS number for a new employee means in practice, and which documents to collect. Irish immigration and employment rules change, so always check the current guidance from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Immigration Service Delivery and Revenue.

Who has the right to work in Ireland

In broad terms, candidates fall into three groups.

EU, EEA, Swiss and UK citizens

Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland can generally live and work in Ireland without an employment permit. UK citizens can also live and work in Ireland under the Common Travel Area arrangements. For these candidates, the usual evidence is a valid passport or national identity card.

Candidates with immigration permission that allows work

Some non-EEA nationals hold immigration permission that allows them to work without an employment permit, for example certain spouses and partners of Irish citizens, or people with long-term residence. Their permission is shown on an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card, which records the Stamp type and expiry date.

Candidates who need an employment permit

Most other non-EEA nationals need an employment permit before they can work. Employment permits are issued by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and are tied to a specific employer and role, although under the Employment Permits Act 2024 holders of the main permits can generally move to a new employer after nine months without a brand new permit.

Employment permits in Ireland: the main types

Ireland has several permit types. The two most common for recruitment are:

Other permits include intra-company transfer, dependant and spouse permits, and permits for specific schemes. Salary thresholds, eligible and ineligible occupation lists, and processing times are reviewed regularly, so check the current figures on the Department's website before advising a candidate or client.

The agency question

This matters for recruitment agencies in particular. The Department's published policy is that there must be a direct employer and employee contract between the permit holder and the employer, and an employment agency cannot obtain a permit for a non-EEA worker who will be assigned to work for a client. An agency can only hold a permit for someone who works for the agency itself. If you are placing a non-EEA candidate who needs a permit, the client must be the employer and apply. Check the current rules for your specific arrangement before you make promises to a candidate or a client.

Immigration Stamps and what they mean for work

Non-EEA nationals living in Ireland have their permission recorded as a Stamp on their IRP. The Stamp tells you whether, and how, they can work. A simplified view:

The details and conditions of each Stamp can change, and individual cases vary. Treat this table as a guide only and confirm a candidate's position against the current Immigration Service Delivery guidance.

Practical checks for recruiters

• See the original passport and IRP card, and keep a clear copy of both sides of the IRP.
• Note the expiry date and diary a follow-up before it lapses.
• Check the Stamp conditions against the role, including hours for students.
• Do not assume that a candidate who worked in Ireland before can do the same job now; permission may have changed.

PPS numbers for new employees

A Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) is the unique reference used across public services in Ireland, including tax and social welfare. Employees need one so that Revenue can apply the correct tax credits and rate band.

Why it matters for onboarding

If an employer does not have the employee's PPS number and the correct tax details when they are first paid, the employee may be taxed under emergency tax until the position is sorted out. That is a common source of frustration for new starters, and it reflects on your agency if you are the employer.

A PPS number is not, in itself, proof of the right to work. It is a tax and public services identifier. Always check right to work separately.

Getting a PPS number

Candidates apply for a PPS number through the Department of Social Protection, usually needing proof of identity and proof of address, and a reason for needing one, such as starting a job. Allocation can take time, so ask candidates early whether they have one.

Onboarding documents for recruitment in Ireland

A typical onboarding file for recruitment in Ireland includes:

• Identity: passport or national identity card.
• Right to work evidence: for non-EEA nationals, IRP card (both sides) and, where relevant, the employment permit.
• PPS number and any documents needed to register the employment with Revenue.
• Bank details for payroll.
• Contract and policies: signed contract of employment or assignment terms and agency policies.
• Role-specific items: qualifications, training certificates, driving licence for driving roles, and Garda vetting where the role involves relevant work with children or vulnerable persons.
• References as required by your process or your client.

Collecting the paperwork without the chase

Most of these items sit with the candidate, which means someone has to ask, wait, check and ask again. Amy, the GettingDocs AI assistant, takes that chase off your team. Amy contacts candidates on WhatsApp and on email sent from your agency's own domain, in your voice. Each document is checked to confirm it is readable and the right document; blurred photos, cut-off pages and wrong documents (such as one side of an IRP card) are rejected and chased again. Files are screened for malware, and accepted documents are filed onto the candidate's record in your ATS, with live integrations for Recruit CRM, Crelate, Zoho Recruit and JobAdder. Your team still makes the right to work judgement; Amy makes sure the evidence is complete. GettingDocs is built for staffing agencies in the US and UK today, so if you also recruit in Ireland, talk to us about your workflow first. You can see the full feature overview on the GettingDocs homepage.

Key takeaways

• EU, EEA, Swiss and UK citizens can generally work in Ireland without an employment permit; most other nationals need one or suitable immigration permission.
• The Critical Skills and General Employment Permits are the main routes, and permits are generally tied to the direct employer, which matters for agency placements.
• The Stamp on a candidate's IRP card shows whether and how they can work, so check it and its expiry date.
• A PPS number is essential for payroll but is not proof of the right to work.
• Collect clear copies of every document early and diary expiry dates.

If you recruit in Ireland and want to stop chasing onboarding documents by hand, book a call and we will show you how Amy works with your process.

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Please note: this article is general information, not legal advice, and was correct at the time of writing (October 2026). Rules and guidance change, so please check the latest guidance from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment before relying on it.