If you plan to hire more than one international worker, Trusted Partner status is the single highest-leverage piece of admin you can do with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). It is free, it lasts for multiple applications, and it moves you into a faster processing queue for every employment permit you file afterwards.
This guide covers what the Trusted Partner Initiative actually is, who qualifies, how to register, and what changes once you have it.
Trusted Partner at a glance
- What it is: a DETE registration scheme for employers who file employment permits regularly
- Cost: free — there is currently no registration fee
- Effect: Trusted Partner applications are processed in roughly 2–4 weeks vs 4–8 weeks for standard applications (summer 2026)
- Coverage: your registration number applies to General Employment Permits, Critical Skills permits and renewals alike
What is the Trusted Partner Initiative?
The Trusted Partner Initiative is a DETE scheme that pre-approves the employer side of the employment permit application. Instead of re-submitting your company registration details, financial standing and workforce information with every single permit, you register once, receive a Trusted Partner number, and quote it on each application.
The practical effects are shorter application forms, fewer documents per permit, fewer returned applications, and a faster processing queue. For an employer filing three or four permits a year, that compounds into months of saved lead time.
Who qualifies for Trusted Partner status?
Trusted Partner status is aimed at employers with a genuine, recurring need for non-EEA workers and a clean compliance record. In practice DETE looks for:
- A company legitimately registered and trading in Ireland, tax-compliant with Revenue
- A track record of employment permit activity — most employers complete their first application or two at standard speed before registering
- Compliant employment practices: correct salaries, contracts and working conditions for existing permit holders
You do not need to be a multinational. SMEs that hire internationally every year — garages, nursing homes, haulage firms, manufacturers — register successfully all the time.
How do you register as a Trusted Partner?
Step 1 — Gather your company details
Company registration number, Revenue tax details, workforce numbers (EEA vs non-EEA — this matters for the 50/50 rule) and details of any current permit holders.
Step 2 — Submit the Trusted Partner registration through EPOS
The registration is filed through the Employment Permits Online System, the same portal used for permit applications. There is no fee.
Step 3 — Wait for approval
Registration processing typically takes a few weeks. Once approved you receive a Trusted Partner number.
Step 4 — Quote your number on every future application
Each subsequent permit application uses the shorter Trusted Partner form and joins the faster queue.
How much faster is Trusted Partner processing?
As of summer 2026, standard new employment permit applications are processing in roughly 4 to 8 weeks, while Trusted Partner applications are processing in roughly 2 to 4 weeks. DETE publishes current processing dates weekly, and the gap between the two queues has been consistent for years. On top of the queue itself, Trusted Partner applications are returned less often, because the fiddly employer-side documentation — where most errors happen — is already approved.
For the full timeline picture, including the Labour Market Needs Test and visa stages that sit around the permit, see our guide to Irish work permit processing times in 2026.
How Recruitroo fits in
Recruitroo prepares and files employment permits for 200+ Irish and UK companies, and we manage the Trusted Partner registration as part of onboarding for employers who hire repeatedly. Our platform tracks your EEA/non-EEA ratio, your permit expiry dates and your application history, so every filing is decision-ready the day it goes into EPOS.
Let Recruitroo handle recruitment and immigration
Tell us the roles you need to fill and how often you hire internationally. We will confirm whether Trusted Partner registration makes sense for you and handle it as part of your first hire.
Frequently asked questions
Does Trusted Partner status cost anything?
No. There is currently no fee to register as a Trusted Partner with DETE, and the status covers your subsequent employment permit applications.
Can a small company become a Trusted Partner?
Yes. The scheme is about compliance track record and genuine recurring need, not company size. Many Irish SMEs hold Trusted Partner status.
Does Trusted Partner status guarantee approval?
No. It speeds up processing and simplifies the employer side of applications, but each permit is still assessed on salary, occupation eligibility, the Labour Market Needs Test where required, and the 50/50 rule.
This guide reflects the DETE Trusted Partner Initiative and Irish employment permit processing times as of August 2026. Salary thresholds, occupation lists and processing times change regularly — check current DETE guidance or ask Recruitroo before committing to a hire.