Ireland Lists 8 Categories of Foreigners Whose Family Members Can Work Without a Permit

• Ireland's Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy covers eight specific categories of foreign nationals whose family members can take up employment in the country
• The policy extends work rights to spouses, civil partners, de facto partners and minor children aged 16 to 18 of eligible sponsors
• Critical Skills Employment Permit holders, researchers, and refugees are among those whose families can benefit from the policy

Ireland has identified eight categories of foreign nationals whose spouses, partners and children are permitted to work in the country without needing to apply for a separate employment permit.

The provision falls under Ireland's Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, which grants eligible family members of certain workers, residents and protected persons the right to take up paid employment upon arrival, bypassing the standard work permit process.

Ireland employment permit

According to the Irish government, the following groups are covered by the policy:

1. Irish citizens

2. Holders of Critical Skills Employment Permits (CSEP)

3. Holders of General Employment Permits (GEP)

4. Researchers working under a Hosting Agreement

5. Foreign workers on Intra-Corporate Transfer permits

6. Entrepreneurs under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)

7. Investors under the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP)

8. Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection who qualify under the policy

Which family members can work in Ireland

The policy applies to spouses, civil partners, de facto partners and minor children between the ages of 16 and 18 of the eligible sponsor. To benefit, these family members must satisfy the requirements set out under the family reunification policy itself.

The rule is particularly relevant for Nigerians and other Africans who have relocated to Ireland on skilled work visas or as protected persons, as it means their families can contribute economically from the moment they join them in the country, without navigating a separate permit application process.

Ireland sets salary requirement for employment permit

Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that Ireland increased the minimum annual salary for foreigners applying for a General Employment Permit from €34,000 to €36,605, effective March 2026.

The country also announced plans to gradually raise salary requirements across other employment permit categories.