Publication
Advice from EURES Advisers
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
"I am a Hungarian Electrician, living and working in Hungary. My qualifications are from Hungary, but I will be moving to Ireland in the next year or two. Are my Hungarian electrical qualifications recognised in Ireland, or do I need to re-qualify when I move there?"
If you have completed a qualification outside Ireland, you may wish to have it assessed in order to gain employment or undertake further studies in Ireland. You should contact Quality and Qualifications Ireland, the Irish Centre for the recognition of foreign qualifications.
Information is available in English, Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian:
"I am planning to move to Ireland in the next few months and would like to improve my English. Where can I find information on free or fee paid English courses?"
The Advisory Council for English Language Schools provides a list of recognised schools which teach English as a Foreign Language. Please visit: www.acels.ie for information on English courses in Ireland.
Alternatively, the local libraries may offer linguaphone courses or language exchange groups. A list of local libraries and contact details is available on www.library.ie.
There are a number of community initiatives in Ireland aimed at helping non-Irish people in Ireland to improve their English. An example is Fáilte Isteach.
Fáilte Isteach is a community project with older volunteers welcoming new migrants through conversational English classes.
In addition, there are a number of free English classes run around the country. For information on those, you can contact one of the Irish EURES Advisers.
"I am a Non-EU National and looking for a job in Ireland. Do I need a work permit in order to get employment in Ireland?"
People seeking to come to work in Ireland from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) require an employment permit.
There are four different types of employment permit:
Please visit Citizens Information for general information on employment permits.
To apply for an employment permit you need to contact the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
"I was working for the last 3 years in Ireland and was recently made redundant. I am considering moving back to Latvia. Can I transfer my unemployment benefit?"
Jobseeker's Benefit may be transferred to another EU or EEA member state for up to 13 weeks, if you are looking for work there. You must be getting Jobseeker's Benefit for 4 weeks before you can transfer it to another EU or EEA member state.
You need to register with the employment services of the country where you have gone to look for work within a week.
You must take Form U2 (which is replacing Form E303) to the social services of the country you are travelling to. You can get a completed Form U2 from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
"I was employed in Ireland over the last 12 months and made redundant. I have some work history back in Poland. Can I include the Polish contribution when applying for job seeker benefit in Ireland?"
If you work in Ireland and pay at least one Class A PRSI (social insurance) contribution, your social insurance contributions paid in another EU or EEA country can help you qualify for a social insurance payment such as Illness Benefit or Jobseeker's Benefit.
You should bring a record of your social insurance contributions using forms S1 (formerly E104) and U1 (formerly E301) which you can get from your local social security office in your country.
For more information contact your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
EURES Advisers are trained experts on practical, legal and administrative aspects of job mobility. They provide assistance and advice on job search in Europe and any aspects of living and working conditions in the European countries.
Send an email if you require information, have questions or experience any work related difficulties while living in Ireland.
EURES is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. Visit eufunds.ie for more information.