The situation every Irish contractor knows
You win a civils or structural contract in September. You need twelve welders, six plant fitters and a site engineer on the ground by January. The Irish market has two or three of those. You’ve already called every agency. This is the moment most MDs discover employment permits.
It is a more solvable problem than it looks. The construction permit pipeline - General Employment Permit for trades, Critical Skills for engineers - processed roughly 39,000 applications in 2024 and is on a similar pace in 2026. The employers who move fastest are the ones who have done this before and know the clock.
What is actually standing between you and a crewed site?
- A 28-day Labour Market Needs Test (advertising period) for General Employment Permit roles - welders, fitters, carpenters, plant mechanics. This is the long pole in the tent and it runs while you source.
- No LMNT for engineers: civil and structural engineers are on the Critical Skills list, which means you can apply the moment you have a signed offer.
- Trusted Partner registration compresses permit processing from four to eight weeks down to two to four. If you are hiring more than two or three people, it pays for itself on the first batch.
- The 50/50 EEA rule: at least half your company workforce needs to be EEA nationals at the time of application. Model this before you commit to a batch size.
The sequence that gets people on site fastest
- Decide which roles are permit-eligible and confirm the route (GEP trades, CSEP engineers). See our route comparison.
- Lock your job descriptions and advertised salaries - they cannot change once the LMNT starts.
- Begin the 28-day Labour Market Needs Test immediately and source candidates in parallel during those four weeks.
- File permit applications the day LMNT closes. A Trusted Partner decision comes back within two to four weeks.
- Visa-required nationals apply in parallel; most D employment visas take four to eight weeks.
- Arrival, immigration registration, induction and Safe Pass in week one.
The roles most Irish contractors need in 2026 are covered across our guides: welders and fabricators, carpenters and joiners, bricklayers and plasterers, civil and structural engineers, and the wider construction hiring guide.
Tell us the contract. We’ll build the crew plan.
Recruitroo has sourced and permitted construction workers for Irish contractors from Monaghan to Cork. We run the LMNT, source and screen candidates in parallel, handle permits and visas, and coordinate arrivals against your programme. Most clients see their first people on site within twelve to sixteen weeks of the first call.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can I get a welder from abroad on a construction site in Ireland?
Twelve to sixteen weeks is realistic with Trusted Partner status and a prepared candidate pool: four weeks for the LMNT, two to four for the permit, four to eight for the visa, then travel and Safe Pass. Starting immediately is the single biggest lever.
Can I hire a full crew, not just one or two people?
Yes. Construction employers regularly hire in batches of five to fifteen. Watch the 50/50 EEA rule across the total batch and consider staggering arrival waves to match your induction capacity.
Does Trusted Partner status make a meaningful difference?
Yes. Permit processing drops from four to eight weeks to two to four weeks, and the application process is simplified. For a contractor hiring regularly, it is worth registering early.
This guide reflects Irish employment permit rules for construction as of September 2026. Thresholds, lists and timelines change - check current DETE guidance or ask Recruitroo before committing to a programme.