Ireland Issued Nearly 40,000 Work Permits in 2024
Key Insights
- Irish authorities granted approximately 39,000 work permits in 2024.
- The majority of permits were issued to workers from India and Brazil.
- Healthcare, social work, and information and communication sectors saw the highest number of approvals.
Ireland Approved Over 39,000 Work Permits in 2024
In 2024, Irish authorities processed 42,910 work permit applications, with the vast majority receiving approval.
According to data from the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, 39,390 permits were granted, reflecting a 91.8% approval rate, as reported by Schengen.News. Meanwhile, 2,456 applications (5.72%) were rejected, and 1,064 (2.48%) were withdrawn.
Indian Nationals Received the Highest Number of Work Permits
Indian workers accounted for 35% of all approved permits, receiving 13,566 in total. They were followed by Brazilian applicants (4,553) and Filipino workers (4,049).
The top 10 nationalities receiving work permits in 2024 included:
- Chinese – 1,962
- Pakistanis – 1,742
- South Africans – 1,631
- Americans – 1,119
- Nigerians – 974
- Zimbabweans – 971
- Malaysians – 662
Brazil had the highest number of rejected permits, with 618 refusals, making up 25% of all rejections. However, Bolivia had the highest rejection rate in proportion to applications, with 15.79% of requests denied.
Healthcare & Social Work Sectors Saw the Most Approvals
Among all sectors, healthcare and social work dominated work permit approvals, accounting for 12,501 permits (31.7%).
Other key sectors included:
- Information & Communication – 6,788 permits (17.2%)
- Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing – 3,625 permits (9.2%)
Throughout 2024, permit issuance remained relatively consistent, with around 3,000 approvals per month. However, July saw a peak, exceeding 4,000 permits. March, September, October, and December each recorded an average of 2,900 approvals.