Ireland Work Visas for China Citizens
10,530 employment permits have been issued to China nationals since 2019, based on Ireland’s official Employment Permits register from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).
10,530
Permits issued (2019–2026)
1,525
Issued in 2026 (-21% YoY)
5.7%
Share of all permits, 2026
What this data shows
This counts employment permits granted to China nationals across every permit type: Critical Skills, General Employment, Intra-Company Transfer, and the rest. It doesn’t include people who moved to Ireland through other visa routes (study, family reunification, international protection), and it only reflects permits that were granted, not applications refused or withdrawn. It’s a proxy for how many China citizens are entering the Irish labour market through employer sponsorship specifically, not overall migration from China.
Year by year
| Year | Permits issued |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 661 |
| 2020 | 833 |
| 2021 | 642 |
| 2022 | 1,497 |
| 2023 | 1,488 |
| 2024 | 1,962 |
| 2025 | 1,922 |
| 2026 | 1,525 |
How the employment permit system works for you
Whether you need a permit, and which type, depends on your occupation and salary offer, not your nationality. The rules are the same for every non-EEA country. Start with the permit types guide to see which of the 9 permit categories fits your situation, or run your details through the eligibility checker for a direct answer.