The Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT) is Ireland's way of giving EEA jobseekers first refusal on a vacancy before an employment permit issues for it. If you are hiring on a General Employment Permit or a Contract for Services permit, you must advertise the role with DSP Employment Services and EURES through jobsireland.ie for at least 28 consecutive days, and on at least one other online jobs platform for 28 consecutive days, before the permit application goes in, unless the role qualifies for a waiver.
One point that trips employers up: the Graduate General Employment Permit lets you pay a recent Irish graduate a reduced salary floor of €34,009, but that lower rate is about pay, not paperwork. A Graduate GEP still needs the labour market needs test unless a separate waiver applies, so plan the 28-day run as normal.
It sounds simple, and it is, right up until someone edits the advert on day 19 or the salary in the application does not match the one advertised. DETE has no discretion to overlook a defective test, and neither does the review officer. The only cure is to start the 28 days again and reapply. We make sure you only ever run it once.
Made for people like you
Employers hiring on a General Employment Permit
The role is GEP-eligible but not on the Critical Skills list and pays under €68,911, so the test almost certainly applies to your hire.
HR teams building a repeatable process
You hire non-EEA staff regularly and want an advertising routine that survives DETE scrutiny every single time.
Third-level institutions
Universities and colleges get an extended window of 120 days from first publication to file the permit application.
Employers who suspect they are exempt
Before you spend 28 days advertising, it is worth checking whether a waiver already covers the role.
Do you qualify?
The test applies to General Employment Permit and Contract for Services applications, and that includes the reduced-salary Graduate General Employment Permit. Run it exactly as prescribed, unless the role qualifies for one of the waivers below. The €34,009 graduate rate is not one of those waivers: it lowers the salary floor for a recent Irish graduate without skipping the advertising.
A valid test needs
- The vacancy published with DSP Employment Services and EURES through jobsireland.ie for at least 28 consecutive days
- The same vacancy on at least one other online platform whose main purpose is publishing job offers, also for 28 consecutive days
- An advert stating the job description, the employer's name, the minimum annual remuneration, the location or locations, and the hours of work
- No amendment or extension of the vacancy at any point during the 28-day run
- The permit application filed within 90 days of first publication, or 120 days if you are a third-level institution
You can skip the test if
- The occupation is on the Critical Skills Occupations List
- The role pays €68,911 or more, provided the occupation is not on the Ineligible List
- Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland has recommended your company as one of their client companies
- You are hiring a carer for a person with exceptional medical needs who already depends on that carer
- Your hire held a General Employment Permit, was made redundant in the past 6 months, and notified DETE within 4 weeks of dismissal
Test required vs test waived, at a glance
LMNT required
- Permit type
- GEP or Contract for Services
- Salary
- Below €68,911
- Occupation
- Eligible, but not on the Critical Skills list
- Graduate GEP
- Reduced €34,009 floor, but still tested
- Advertising
- 28 days on jobsireland.ie plus 1 more platform
- Deadline
- Apply within 90 days of first publication
LMNT waived
No advertising- Occupation
- On the Critical Skills Occupations List
- Salary
- €68,911 or more
- State backing
- Enterprise Ireland or IDA client recommendation
- Redundancy
- Ex-GEP holder reapplying within 6 months
- Job moves
- Statutory change of employer, no fresh test
How the journey works
- 01
Check whether you need the test at all
Day 1We confirm the occupation against the Critical Skills and Ineligible lists, check the salary against the €68,911 waiver line, and rule the other exemptions in or out. There is no point spending 28 days on a test the role never needed.
- 02
Draft one advert and use it everywhere
Week 1The advert must state the job description, your company name, the minimum annual remuneration, the location or locations, and the hours of work. We lock those details against the contract now, because every figure must match the eventual application exactly.
- 03
Publish on jobsireland.ie and your second platform
The vacancy goes to DSP Employment Services and EURES through jobsireland.ie, and the identical advert goes on at least one other online jobs platform. Each run must last at least 28 consecutive days.
- 04
Leave it completely alone for 28 days
Days 1-28No edits, no extensions, no reposting. Any change during the run invalidates the test. Interview any EEA candidates who apply and keep notes on the outcomes, screenshotting the live adverts with dates visible along the way.
- 05
Assemble the evidence
Week 5We compile the advert copies, publication dates, screenshots and response records into the exact evidence DETE expects to see attached to the permit application.
- 06
File the permit application inside the window
By day 90The application is lodged through Employment Permits Online within 90 days of first publication (120 days for third-level institutions), with the €500 or €1,000 fee depending on permit length. DETE also asks for applications at least 12 weeks before the proposed start date, so we prepare the application while the advert runs.
What to gather
Start collecting these early. Weak or missing documents are the most common avoidable cause of delays and refusals.
jobsireland.ie advert
Showing the first publication date and the full 28-day run
Second platform advert
Same content, its own 28 consecutive days
Dated screenshots
Start, middle and end of each run, full advert visible
Full job description
Consistent with the advert and the contract
Signed employment contract
Salary and hours identical to the advertised figures
Salary breakdown
Annual remuneration plus hourly and weekly rates and weekly hours
Employer registration details
Revenue registration and CRO number for your EPO account
Workforce numbers
Count of non-EEA staff, for the 50:50 rule
Redundancy declaration
Any redundancies in the same role in the past 6 months
Record of responses
Applications received and outcomes, in case DETE queries the recruitment effort
Your hire's passport and qualifications
Bio page plus evidence of the skills the advert asked for
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The test itself | No DETE fee | jobsireland.ie is the State employment service. Your only likely cost is the second platform's listing charge. |
| GEP application, up to 6 months | €500 | Paid on application through Employment Permits Online. |
| GEP application, 6 to 24 months | €1,000 | The usual fee for a standard 2-year first permit. |
| Refund if refused or withdrawn | 90% back | Refunded to the applicant, even where someone else paid. |
| Our LMNT review | Fixed fee | Agreed up front. We check the advert before it goes live and the evidence before you file. |
Government fees are set by DETE and can change. And remember, under section 55 of the Employment Permits Act 2024 you cannot deduct or recover any permit cost from your employee.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
Advertising run
28 days
Consecutive and unamended, on both platforms. Build it into the hiring plan from day one.
Window to apply
90 days
Counted from first publication of the advert. Third-level institutions get 120 days.
DETE decision, new GEP
~6 weeks
Per the DETE processing dashboard in July 2026. File at least 12 weeks before the start date.
Review, if refused
~6.5 months
The current review queue, and a defective test cannot be cured there anyway. Re-running the advert is almost always faster.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
The advert was amended mid-run
The vacancy must run unamended and unextended for the full 28 days. Editing the salary, the duties or even the job title during the run invalidates the whole test, and DETE cannot overlook it.
Avoid it: Proof the advert against the contract before it goes live, then do not touch it. If something is wrong, take it down, fix it and restart the 28 days.
The run was shorter than 28 consecutive days
Adverts taken down early, reposted after a gap, or counted from the wrong start date all fail the consecutive-days requirement. A 27-day run is a failed test.
Avoid it: Diary the exact start and end dates for each platform and screenshot the live advert on day 28 before anything comes down.
The advertised salary does not match the application
DETE cross-checks the minimum annual remuneration in the advert against the contract and the application form. A role advertised at one figure and filed at another is a classic refusal, and the salary must also meet the threshold in force, €36,605 for most GEP roles since 1 March 2026.
Avoid it: Lock the remuneration before you advertise and use the identical figure in the advert, the contract and the application.
Only jobsireland.ie was used
The test needs jobsireland.ie plus at least one additional online platform whose main purpose is publishing job offers. Advertising on the State service alone is not a complete test.
Avoid it: Line up a recognised jobs platform before day one and give it its own full 28 consecutive days.
The advert was missing required content
An advert without the salary, the hours of work, the location or a proper description of the employment does not satisfy the Regulations, however long it ran.
Avoid it: Check all five required elements are present on every platform: job description, employer name, minimum annual remuneration, location and hours.
The application arrived outside the 90-day window
The permit application must be received within 90 days of the advert's first publication, 120 days for third-level institutions. Slow document-gathering after the run is a common way to sail past it, and a stale test cannot be revived.
Avoid it: Prepare the permit application in parallel while the advert runs, so you file comfortably inside the window.
Common questions
Do I still need a newspaper advert?+
No. The Employment Permits Act 2024, in effect since 2 September 2024, removed the print requirement. The test is now fully online: jobsireland.ie plus at least one other online platform, each for 28 consecutive days. A newspaper's website can serve as the second platform.
What counts as the second online platform?+
A website or software whose main purpose is publishing job offers. Established jobs boards clearly qualify. We advise using a recognised platform rather than relying on your own careers page, whose main purpose is arguably not publishing job offers.
We are hiring on a Graduate General Employment Permit. Does that skip the test?+
No. The Graduate General Employment Permit lets you pay a reduced salary floor of €34,009 to someone awarded a relevant Level 8 or higher degree by an Irish third-level college in the previous 12 months. That concession is about the salary threshold only. A Graduate GEP still needs the full labour market needs test, the same 28 consecutive days on jobsireland.ie plus one other platform, unless a separate waiver applies, such as a Critical Skills occupation, a salary at or above €68,911, or an Enterprise Ireland or IDA client recommendation.
Can I fix a typo once the advert is live?+
No. The vacancy must not be amended or extended during the 28-day run, and there is no materiality threshold to hide behind. The safe fix is to take the advert down, correct it, republish and start the 28 days again.
When does the 90-day clock start and end?+
It starts on the date the advert is first published and DETE must receive the permit application within 90 days of that date, or 120 days if you are a third-level institution. Separately, DETE asks for applications at least 12 weeks before the proposed start date, so plan both deadlines together.
Do I have to run the test again at renewal?+
No. The LMNT is an initial-application requirement only, and DETE's renewal document checklists do not ask for advertising evidence. The renewal window opens 4 months before the permit expires, and renewals were taking roughly 14 weeks in July 2026, so file early in that window.
Does a change of employer need a fresh test?+
No. Since 2 September 2024, a permit holder who has completed 9 months on their first permit can move through the statutory change of employer process without a new permit application and without any labour market needs test, provided a GEP holder stays within the same 4-digit SOC occupation.
The role is a quota role. Anything different?+
Quota roles still need the full test, and when DETE created or renewed quotas in May 2026 it required a fresh LMNT for them. Quotas also run out: the hospitality managers quota of 292 permits filled on 28 April 2026 and the vehicle mechanics quota of 200 filled on 19 March 2026, with pending applications rejected. Move quickly once your advert completes.
We were refused over the test. Can we appeal?+
You can request a review within 28 days on the prescribed form, decided by a separate, more senior DETE official, but the Minister has no discretion to excuse a defective LMNT because it is set in the Regulations. Reviews were also taking roughly 6.5 months in July 2026. The realistic route is to re-run the 28 days and reapply, with 90% of the refused fee refunded.
Grounded in official sources
Ready to talk through your next step?
Book a consultation with our team and leave with a clear, personal plan grounded in the official rules.
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