Working in Ireland after living abroad

If you are returning to Ireland after living abroad, or if you have never worked in Ireland, you need to know how employment in Ireland works. This page includes information on your employment rights, where to look for a job, income tax and childcare in Ireland.

If you are coming home with non-EEA family members, and they want to work in Ireland, they must have permission to work.

You should try to start your job search before you come home and some employers hire people directly from overseas. You will need to prepare documents, organise references and do some research on pay and conditions in Ireland. You can use websites such as Jobs Ireland to search for jobs.

If you want to work in Ireland and your qualification is from another country, you may need to get your qualification recognised in Ireland. You should get your foreign qualification recognised before you apply for a job.

You can read more about finding and getting a job in Ireland after living abroad.

Within five days of starting a new job, your employer should tell you in writing:

• How much you’ll be paid and how often
• How many hours you are expected to work in a normal week
• How long your contract is for (only applies to temporary or fixed-term contracts)

You have a right to get a payslip with every payment of your wages, either when you get paid or shortly after. The national minimum wage for people aged 20 or over in Ireland is €11.30 per hour since 1 January 2023.

When you are working in Ireland, you pay tax and charges on your income through the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system. You normally pay Income tax, Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and Universal Social Charge (USC).

When you start a new job, take the following steps to make sure you get paid on time and avoid paying emergency tax:

• Give your employer your PPS number
• Make sure you are registered for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) in myAccount
• Register your new job with Revenue's Jobs and Pensions service in myAccount

You can read more about the tax you pay as an employee in Ireland. If you are starting to work for yourself, there are different tax rules for self-employed people.

If it has been a long time since you have worked in Ireland (or you have never worked here), then you need to know about your employment rights in Ireland.

These rights include:

• Statement of pay
• Breaks during working hours
• Right to disconnect
• Leave from work
• Equal treatment in the workplace
• Minimum notice periods
• Redundancy and dismissal

You can also read about working from home in Ireland.

If you have children, and you need someone to take care of them while you are at work, you have different childcare options such as full day care, sessional services and childminders.

You may be able to get help with paying for childcare through the National Childcare Scheme and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme.

If you are unemployed when you return to Ireland, you can access free employment services for jobseekers. Your local employment service (LES) or your local Job Club can help you with writing a CV and cover letter. They can also help with filling in job application forms and training in interview skills.

You can apply for a jobseekers payment while you look for work, including:

Jobseeker’s Allowance

This is a means-tested payment given to unemployed people who are looking for work.

Jobseeker’s Benefit

This is a payment given to unemployed people who are looking for work and who have paid enough PRSI contributions. It is not means tested.

If you are applying for Jobseeker's Benefit and you need contributions you paid in another EU or EEA country to help you qualify, then your last contribution must have been paid in Ireland.

You can drop in or call your local Intreo centre to get information on job vacancies. Intreo centres provide information and advice for all jobseekers.

You can get more information on your employment rights from the Workplace Relations Commission’s Information and Customer Service.