What trades are eligible for a General Employment Permit in construction?

DETE's eligible occupations list includes electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, welders, steel fixers, and a range of engineering roles. Basic construction operatives classified under SOC 9120 (elementary construction occupations) are on DETE's ineligible list. If the role requires a recognised trade qualification, it will typically qualify. Check the current DETE eligible occupations list at enterprise.gov.ie before starting the process.

What is the Labour Market Needs Test for construction roles?

The LMNT requires the employer to advertise the vacancy for 28 consecutive days on Jobs Ireland (the DSP/EURES platform) and at least one additional online platform, such as a commercial job board. The employer keeps a full log of every application received and documents why no suitable EEA candidate was available. DETE reviews this record when the GEP application is submitted.

Does the 50/50 rule apply to construction employers hiring overseas tradespeople?

Yes. At least 50% of your total workforce must be EEA nationals when you submit the GEP application. The only exemptions are businesses registered with Revenue in the last two years that hold a formal letter of support from Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland, and situations where the overseas worker will be the sole employee. Most established construction firms do not qualify for an exemption. Check your headcount before starting the process.

Can CA Recruitment source and place Filipino electricians or plumbers in Ireland?

Yes. CA Recruitment places skilled Filipino workers with Irish construction and engineering employers. We manage the end-to-end process: role eligibility check, candidate sourcing in the Philippines, Labour Market Needs Test, DETE GEP application, and D-visa coordination.

Can I Hire an Electrician or Plumber from Outside the EU in Ireland?

Q: Can I hire a plumber from outside the EU in Ireland?

Yes. Plumbers and pipefitters are both GEP-eligible roles. The same rules apply as for all construction trades: the employer must complete 28 days of LMNT advertising, the salary must meet the legally binding Sectoral Employment Order rate for the trade (which works out above the €36,605 GEP threshold), and at least 50% of the employer's total workforce must be EEA nationals at the time of application.

Q: What is the minimum salary for a construction GEP in Ireland?

Higher than the standard €36,605 GEP threshold in practice. Construction trades are covered by Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs), which set legally binding minimum hourly rates: the Construction Sector SEO craftsperson rate is €23.00 per hour from 1 August 2025 (about €46,600 per year on a 39-hour week), electricians fall under the Electrical Contracting SEO, and plumbers under the Mechanical Engineering Building Services SEO. The salary on the permit application must meet the applicable SEO rate, paid as contracted basic pay, not made up with overtime or allowances. Check current rates at workplacerelations.ie.

Q: How long does it take to hire a tradesperson from overseas in Ireland?

The full process takes approximately 6 to 8 months from first enquiry to the worker starting on site. This covers 28 days of LMNT, approximately 10 to 12 weeks of DETE processing (check current dates at enterprise.gov.ie), 2 to 4 weeks for the Irish D-visa at the Embassy in Manila, and travel plus onboarding. Running stages in parallel — sourcing candidates during the LMNT window — keeps the timeline towards the shorter end.

The short answer

Yes. Irish employers can hire electricians, plumbers, and other qualified tradespeople from outside the EU. The route is a General Employment Permit (GEP) issued by DETE (Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment).

It is not a shortcut around local hiring. Before DETE will consider a permit application, you must advertise the role for 28 days and show that no suitable EEA candidate applied.

If the role qualifies and you follow the steps correctly, the process is more straightforward than most employers expect. The ones who hit trouble are usually the ones who skip the preparation — checking their 50/50 ratio, getting the LMNT documentation right — before they start.

Which trades qualify for a construction GEP?

The GEP covers skilled and professional roles. DETE publishes a list of eligible occupations and a separate ineligible list. For construction, the key distinction is between skilled trades and elementary site labour.

GEP-eligible construction trades include:

Electricians
Plumbers
Pipefitters
Welders
Steel fixers
Mechanical and electrical engineers
Civil engineers
MEP and structural engineering roles

What does not qualify: basic construction operatives classified under SOC code 9120 (elementary construction occupations). If a role requires no formal qualification and involves general site labour, it cannot be sponsored under a GEP.

DETE updated the GEP eligible occupations list in May 2026, adding further construction roles including steel fixers, concrete pump operators, curtain wallers, and fencing operators. If you are uncertain whether your specific role qualifies, check the current eligible occupations list at enterprise.gov.ie or WhatsApp Monette before starting anything.

The Labour Market Needs Test

Before DETE will accept a GEP application, you have to demonstrate that you gave EEA candidates a genuine shot at the role and nobody suitable applied. That is the LMNT. It runs before you submit anything to DETE.

What it involves:

Advertise the vacancy on Jobs Ireland (jobsireland.ie) — this is the mandatory DSP/EURES platform. There is no substitute for it.
Advertise on at least one additional online platform — a commercial job board, LinkedIn, or any other site whose purpose is publishing job offers.
Run both ads for the full 28 consecutive days. There is no shortcut.
Keep a log of every application received during those 28 days.
Document why no EEA applicant was suitable for the role.

DETE checks this record at application stage. Gaps in the log — missing applications, no written reason why a candidate was rejected — are one of the most common reasons permits get refused or held up.

One practical point: the 28-day LMNT window is time you can use. CA Recruitment runs candidate sourcing in parallel — while the LMNT is running, we are screening Filipino candidates. By the time the 28 days close, you already have a shortlist ready.

The 50/50 rule applies before you advertise. Before starting the LMNT, check that at least 50% of your total workforce are EEA nationals. If you run the full 28-day LMNT and then find out your ratio is below 50%, you cannot submit the application. That is four weeks of wasted effort. Check the ratio first. See our 50/50 rule guide for the full detail.

Salary requirements: the SEO rate, not just the permit threshold

This is the point that catches employers out most often. The GEP has a minimum annual salary of €36,605, but for trades roles that is not the number that matters. Construction trades in Ireland are covered by Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs), which set legally binding minimum hourly rates for the sector. The salary on the job offer and the permit application must meet the applicable SEO rate, and for qualified tradespeople the SEO rate works out well above the permit threshold.

Electricians are covered by the Electrical Contracting Sector SEO. The newly qualified electrician rate works out at roughly €47,000 per year on a 39-hour week, with higher rates from the third and sixth year of employment.
Plumbers and pipefitters are covered by the Mechanical Engineering Building Services Contracting Sector SEO, with craft rates at a similar level.
Other construction trades (bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, glaziers, painters) fall under the Construction Sector SEO: the craftsperson rate is €23.00 per hour from 1 August 2025, which is about €46,600 per year on a 39-hour week.

The SEOs also oblige the employer to make pension and sick pay scheme contributions on top of the hourly rate. These are not optional.

Two further points on how the salary is assessed:

The salary must be the contracted basic rate. You cannot meet it by adding overtime payments, subsistence allowances, or site bonuses to a lower base. DETE looks at the base salary figure in the employment contract.
A job offer below the applicable SEO rate is an offer of employment below the legal minimum for the sector. Build the permit application on the SEO rate, not the GEP threshold.

SEO rates are reviewed regularly, with the construction rates typically changing each August. Check the current SEO rates at workplacerelations.ie before setting the salary in a job offer or permit application.

DETE processing times

Once the LMNT is complete and the GEP application is submitted to DETE, current processing time for new applications is approximately 10 to 12 weeks.

This figure changes. Before planning your timeline, check the live processing dates on enterprise.gov.ie. That page is updated regularly and is the only source you should rely on for current waiting times.

After DETE approves the permit, the worker applies for an Irish D-visa at the Irish Embassy in Manila. Embassy processing typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. The full process from first contact to worker on site is 6 to 8 months.

The Construction Industry Federation has been vocal about labour shortages pushing up costs and delaying projects across the country. That pressure is not going away. The employers who start the permit process now are the ones who have staff in place for Q3 and Q4.

Why source from the Philippines?

The Philippines produces qualified tradespeople at scale. Electricians, plumbers, and pipefitters hold qualifications regulated by TESDA — the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. These are nationally recognised credentials, not certificates of attendance.

Three things that matter specifically to Irish construction employers:

English on site from day one. English is a medium of instruction throughout Philippine secondary and tertiary education. Safety briefings, toolbox talks, and direct communication with foremen work from the start — no language barrier to manage.
DMW-regulated departure. Filipino workers are medically screened and oriented before leaving under the oversight of the Department of Migrant Workers. When a worker arrives on your site, both sides of the process have been checked.
Genuine skills assessment. CA Recruitment assesses trade qualifications directly — not via a third-party partner. Our founder Monette is Filipino, based in Tipperary, and manages the sourcing relationship personally. That matters when you are evaluating trade competency remotely before offering a contract.

Ireland is an English-speaking country with strong cultural ties to the Philippines built up over decades of migration. Filipino tradespeople have been working in Irish construction and healthcare for years. The pipeline is established — it just needs to be managed correctly.

What CA Recruitment manages for you

CA Recruitment is founded and run by Monette, a Filipino national based in Tipperary. She manages the sourcing relationship in the Philippines directly and has placed workers with Irish construction and engineering employers including Joe Colville at Ecoville Construction.

Here is what we handle:

Role eligibility check against the current DETE occupations list
50/50 workforce ratio check before any process begins
Candidate sourcing and trade skills screening in the Philippines
Labour Market Needs Test management — advertising, application logging, outcome documentation
DETE GEP application preparation and submission
Philippines-side documentation (medical certificate, OEC, DMW compliance)
D-visa coordination with the Irish Embassy in Manila
Arrival support and first 90 days

The recruitment fee is agreed upfront and separate from government costs.

If you have a trades vacancy you cannot fill locally and want a straight conversation about whether an overseas hire is feasible, WhatsApp Monette. She will give you an honest answer about what is achievable for your role and your business.

Hiring a tradesperson from overseas? Start with a free call.

We check your role eligibility, run your 50/50 ratio, and tell you exactly what the process involves for your specific situation. No obligation.

WhatsApp Monette Book a Free Call

Frequently asked questions

Can I hire an electrician from outside the EU in Ireland?

Yes. Electricians are eligible for a General Employment Permit from DETE, provided the role meets the minimum salary requirement and the employer completes the Labour Market Needs Test first. The role must be a genuine contracted position with a specific employer — it cannot be a labour supply or agency arrangement.

Can I hire a plumber from outside the EU in Ireland?

Yes. Plumbers and pipefitters are both GEP-eligible. The employer must complete 28 days of LMNT advertising on Jobs Ireland and at least one other platform, the role must meet the €36,605 minimum salary, and at least 50% of the employer's total workforce must be EEA nationals at the date of application.

Which construction trades are eligible for a General Employment Permit?

GEP-eligible trades include electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, welders, steel fixers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and civil engineers. Basic construction operatives (SOC 9120) are on DETE's ineligible list. If the role requires a recognised qualification, it will typically qualify. Confirm against the current DETE eligible occupations list before starting.

What is the minimum salary for a construction GEP in Ireland?

In practice, higher than the €36,605 GEP threshold. Construction trades are covered by Sectoral Employment Orders that set legally binding minimum hourly rates: €23.00 per hour for Construction SEO craftspersons from 1 August 2025 (about €46,600 a year at 39 hours), with electricians and plumbers covered by their own sector SEOs at similar or higher rates. The permit application must be built on the SEO rate, paid as contracted basic salary, not topped up with overtime or site allowances. Check the current rates at workplacerelations.ie.

What does the Labour Market Needs Test involve for trades roles?

The employer advertises the vacancy on Jobs Ireland (jobsireland.ie) and at least one other online platform for 28 consecutive days. Every application received is logged, with a written record of why no EEA candidate was suitable. DETE checks this documentation when the GEP application is submitted. The 28-day period is fixed and cannot be shortened.

How long does it take to hire a tradesperson from overseas in Ireland?

6 to 8 months end-to-end. That covers 28 days of LMNT, approximately 10 to 12 weeks of DETE processing (check current dates at enterprise.gov.ie), 2 to 4 weeks for the D-visa at the Irish Embassy in Manila, and travel plus onboarding. Running sourcing during the LMNT window keeps the timeline at the shorter end.

Does the 50/50 rule apply to construction employers?

Yes. At least 50% of your total workforce must be EEA nationals when you submit the GEP application. The only exemptions are businesses registered with Revenue in the last two years with a formal Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland support letter, and situations where the overseas worker will be the sole employee. Most established contractors need to verify their EEA headcount before applying. See our 50/50 rule guide for worked examples.

Can CA Recruitment place Filipino electricians or plumbers with my business?

Yes. CA Recruitment places skilled Filipino tradespeople with Irish construction and engineering employers. We manage the full process from role eligibility check to first day on site. WhatsApp Monette to start the conversation.

Want the full permit process explained? Our Work Permit Guide for Irish Employers covers GEP and CSEP routes, the Labour Market Needs Test, salary thresholds, and what the process looks like from start to finish. Or read our guide to hiring construction workers from overseas for the full step-by-step process.