🇮🇪 Visas & Immigration — Ireland

Visa Details

Ireland offers the Startup Entrepreneur Programme (STEP) for non-EEA founders with an innovative business idea and at least €50,000 in funding. STEP grants a two-year residency permission, renewable for three years, with a path to long-term residency. There is no requirement to create a specific number of jobs, but the business must be innovative, scalable, and capable of creating employment. Separately, the Critical Skills Employment Permit targets highly skilled workers in occupations on the Critical Skills Occupation List (including ICT professionals, engineers, and financial analysts) with a minimum salary of €38,000–€64,000 depending on the role. This permit allows the holder to apply for immediate family reunification and leads to Stamp 4 residency after two years. Ireland does not currently offer a digital nomad visa or a golden visa/investor residency programme.