Healthcare and Nursing

There is no fixed answer, and we would be wary of anyone who offers one. NMBI sets out two steps for a nurse who qualified outside Ireland, recognition of the qualification and then registration, and it publishes no standard processing time. An employment permit and visa may also be needed, and those are decided by the State. We plan in months, not weeks, check each candidate's stage before you interview and give you a written timeline that we update as each step clears.

From 1 March 2026 the Critical Skills Employment Permit minimum salary is €40,904 for degree level roles such as nursing, and the minimum for healthcare assistants, home carers and care workers is €32,691, according to the Department of Enterprise. Some employers on public sector pay scales are treated differently. Thresholds change and further increases are planned, so check the Department's current figures before you make an offer. We confirm which threshold applies to each role before a campaign starts.

Ask for three things in writing: that candidates pay no fees, which countries the agency recruits from, and how it follows the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. The risk is real. In a Migrant Rights Centre Ireland survey of 1,019 permit holders that closed in February 2026, 31% of healthcare assistants said they had paid a recruitment fee. We never charge candidates, and we put that in writing to you and to them.

You typically need registration before you can practise, though you can talk to us before it is complete. Nurses and midwives register with NMBI and doctors with the Medical Council, while professions such as physiotherapy, radiography and medical science are regulated by CORU. Neither NMBI nor CORU publishes a standard processing time for qualifications gained abroad, so apply early and keep copies of everything. We tell you honestly which roles you can apply for at each stage, and we never charge candidates a fee.