Where Things Stand
Two end dates are in play, and they differ. The EU has extended Temporary Protection to 4 March 2028, and anyone still on it keeps the right to work in Ireland until then. The Irish immigration permissions that go with it were extended to 4 March 2027, and the Irish renewal page still shows that earlier date.
The date to plan around is 30 March 2027, when applications close for the Temporary Protection Transition Scheme. This is the Government's route for Ukrainians to move onto Stamp 4, an immigration permission that lets the holder work without an employment permit. Stamp 4 does not depend on Temporary Protection continuing.
Your job as the employer is small but time-bound. Find out which of your staff are still on Temporary Protection, make sure they know about the deadline, and give them the employment evidence they need to apply. For anyone who does not qualify, start thinking now about whether their role could carry an employment permit later.
This guide is for the employer. If you are a Ukrainian worker checking your own options, Citizens Information explains the scheme from your side.
Correct as of 27 October 2026. Before you make a decision about a member of staff, get in touch and we will check the current position for their role.
The Dates to Put in the Diary
4 March 2027. The date on the Irish immigration permissions of people on Temporary Protection. Immigration Service Delivery, the Department of Justice's immigration service, has a renewal page that still shows that date and was last updated on 3 March 2026. Watch it for renewal instructions that take account of the EU extension, and check your staff's documents against whatever it says.
30 March 2027. Applications for the Temporary Protection Transition Scheme close. No application will be accepted after this date. Applications sent in before it will still be processed after the deadline passes.
4 March 2028. Temporary Protection ends across the EU unless it is extended again. The Government's launch announcement says it "may be extended at EU level".
What the Transition Scheme Gives Your Employee
Approved applicants get Stamp 4 permission, which for you means no employment permit is needed: the Government's scheme FAQs say someone approved under the scheme "can take up employment and are not required to hold an Employment Permit". The permission runs for up to two years and can be renewed for two years at a time.
To qualify, the main applicant must:
- have been living in Ireland on Temporary Protection on or before 30 September 2025, so at least a year before the scheme opened
- have been in continuous employment or self-employment for the six months before 30 September 2026, earning at least €29,432 a year gross, and still be working when they apply
- be living in independent accommodation when they apply, not accommodation the State provides (State-contracted accommodation or rapid build homes), or a host's home paid for through the Accommodation Recognition Payment
Part-time work counts if the earnings reach the threshold, and two part-time jobs can be added together. Social welfare payments and savings do not count towards it.
Two points matter to an employer:
- Temporary Protection ends on approval. The worker must then complete immigration registration for the new permission with Immigration Service Delivery within 90 days of the grant letter.
- Driving changes. Ireland recognises a Ukrainian driving licence only while the holder has Temporary Protection. Under any other permission, including this one, they need an Irish or EU/EEA (European Union/European Economic Area) licence to drive. If the job involves driving a van, a tractor or a forklift on the road, raise the licence question early.
What Your Employee Will Ask You For
Applicants have to prove their income for the six months before 30 September 2026. The FAQs ask for at least two of these:
- at least four payslips (the pay statements you issue each pay day) covering those six months
- a contract of employment, or a letter from the employer confirming employment details
- Revenue records
- bank statements
In practice, you will get requests for an employer letter and copies of payslips. Turn them round quickly.
The employment test also applies on the day of the application, not only to the six months before it. A worker who loses their job before applying no longer qualifies. If you are planning redundancies or seasonal lay-offs this winter, check who on the list is relying on this scheme.
Applying is the employee's decision. Someone who does not apply keeps the right to work under Temporary Protection while it lasts, so we would not make applying a condition of keeping the job. Tell staff about the deadline, give them the paperwork, and leave the immigration decision with them.
What to Keep on the Right-to-Work File
For anyone still on Temporary Protection, keep a copy of two documents: the certificate confirming their Temporary Protection, and their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. Immigration Service Delivery has said an expired certificate still counts as proof of entitlement until 4 March 2027. The IRP card is different: it must be renewed, so check that the copy on file is in date.
For anyone approved under the scheme, ask for a copy of the grant letter. Once they have registered, ask for proof of the new registration as well. Then diary the renewal date, as you would for any other worker whose permission expires. For more on right-to-work records, see our right to work checks guide and our IRP registration guide.
A short spreadsheet does the job: name, current permission, document expiry date, whether they plan to apply, and the date they applied. It will show you who is exposed if Temporary Protection is not extended past 4 March 2028.
When an Employment Permit Becomes the Route
An employment permit is not needed now for anyone on Temporary Protection or Stamp 4. It becomes the question for workers who stay on Temporary Protection because they did not qualify for the scheme, or chose not to apply, and who want to keep working for you after Temporary Protection ends.
The General Employment Permit guidance from DETE (the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment) says that "in certain circumstances" a permit may be issued to someone already living legally in Ireland on another immigration permission. That person must have been offered work in an eligible occupation. Whether that will work for a particular employee depends on their immigration position at the time. It also depends on the normal permit tests, which apply in full:
- The occupation must not be on DETE's ineligible list. Every occupation can get a General Employment Permit unless it is on DETE's Ineligible List of Occupations. Our General Employment Permit guide explains how to check.
- The pay must meet DETE's minimum annual pay for the permit, which the same guide sets out.
- A Labour Market Needs Test is needed in most cases. That means advertising the job on the DSP (Department of Social Protection) Employment Services/EURES (European job mobility) network and on one other online platform before you apply. See our Labour Market Needs Test guide.
- In most cases, at least 50% of your workforce must be EEA (European Economic Area) nationals when you apply. See the 50:50 rule explained.
If a key worker does not qualify for the scheme, do not wait for February 2028. Work out now whether their job could support a permit, so the decision is made with time to act on it.
How CA Recruitment Helps
We manage the employment permit side for Irish employers: whether a role is eligible, what it has to pay, the advert for the Labour Market Needs Test, and the DETE application itself. If you have Ukrainian staff who will not be covered by the transition scheme, we can tell you which roles could carry a permit and what that would involve. Where a role cannot, you will hear that from us too.
The scheme application itself is your employee's to make. Citizens Information explains the scheme, and the Irish Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration run webinars on it.
If you want to talk through your own staff, message Monette on WhatsApp or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
No. Temporary Protection gives the right to work in Ireland without an employment permit, and the EU has extended it to 4 March 2028 under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912. A permit only becomes a question for someone who is still relying on Temporary Protection when it ends.
It is an Irish immigration permission for Ukrainian beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who meet set conditions on residence, employment, income and accommodation. It is granted on a Stamp 4 basis for up to two years and can be renewed for two years at a time. Applications opened on 30 September 2026 and close on 30 March 2027.
Yes. The Government's own FAQs say a person approved under the scheme can take up employment and is not required to hold an employment permit.
Proof of income for the six months before 30 September 2026. The applicant must send at least two of the following: at least four payslips (pay statements) covering those six months, a contract of employment or a letter from the employer confirming employment details, Revenue records, or bank statements. Expect a request for an employer letter or copies of payslips.
We would not. Applying is the employee's choice, and an employee who does not apply keeps the right to work under Temporary Protection while it lasts. Your job is to make sure they know the deadline and to provide the employment evidence they ask for.