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Country hiring guide

Hiring in Ireland ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

Ireland offers an English-speaking, highly educated workforce and moderate employer costs. All-in employer cost runs around 1.11x the gross salary. Here is what to know before your first Irish hire.

Calculate a Ireland hire โ†’
Capital cityDublin
CurrencyEuro (EUR)
LanguagesEnglish, Irish
Population~5.2 million
Payroll frequencyMonthly
VAT standard rate23%
Employer burden*~11% of gross
TGTC flat EOR fee$399/mo ยท Tier A
Overview

Employing in Ireland

Employment is governed by statute and common law, with a written statement of core terms due within five days and full terms within a month. Registration for PAYE and PRSI is mandatory, and pension auto-enrolment is being phased in.

Minimum wage

  • EUR 13.50/hour (from Jan 2025)
  • EUR 14.15/hour proposed for 2026*

Payroll cycle & extra pay

  • Monthly or weekly payroll common
  • No statutory 13th-month pay

Public holidays

  • 10 public holidays a year
  • St Brigid's Day added Feb 2023

Onboarding & probation

  • Core terms in writing within 5 days
  • Probation max 6 months
Employer costs

What you pay on top of salary

Employer costs are low, around 11%, driven mainly by employer PRSI, with statutory pension auto-enrolment being introduced.

Employer contribution*Rate
Employer PRSI (higher rate)11.25%
Employer PRSI (lower rate)8.9%
National Training Fund Levywithin PRSI*

PRSI bands

Employer PRSI is charged at a lower rate below a weekly earnings threshold and a higher rate above it, so lower salaries carry less.

Employee-side taxes

Employees pay income tax (20% and 40%), USC, and employee PRSI through PAYE. Withholding is the employer's responsibility, which under EOR means ours.

Types of leave

Statutory leave in Ireland

Annual leave

  • 4 weeks (20 days) statutory minimum

Maternity & parental leave

  • 26 weeks paid + 16 weeks unpaid
  • State Maternity Benefit, flat weekly rate*

Sick leave

  • 5 statutory sick days, paid at 70% (capped)*

Other leave

  • Paternity 2 weeks; parent's leave 9 weeks
Employment termination

Ending employment in Ireland

Notice

  • 1-8 weeks by length of service

Severance

  • 2 weeks per year + 1 week (after 2 years)

Probation

  • Typically 6 months, max 12 exceptionally

Contractor risk

  • Karshan (2023) test; misclassification risk

*All figures are estimates from public sources (2025-26), pending ops verification - same basis as the EOR cost calculator. Not tax or legal advice.

Employ in Ireland without opening an entity

Compliant Irish employment contract, PAYE payroll, PRSI, and benefits, handled. One invoice, flat $399 per month.

Get a Ireland quote