Ireland Launches 2027 Seasonal Employment Permit for Horticulture: 300 Permits, Six Approved Employers, and a 12 December 2026 Deadline for Employer Status
Updated: 8 minutes ago
DUBLIN, 13 November 2026 – Ireland has opened applications for Approved Seasonal Employer (ASE) status ahead of the first full Seasonal Employment Permit (SEP) scheme for the 2027 horticulture picking season, with the State capping the programme at six approved employers and 300 permits nationwide. The 2027 scheme follows a limited 2025 pilot and represents Ireland’s first dedicated seasonal employment permit pathway for non-EEA horticultural workers. Employers must submit completed ASE application forms to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment by 12 December 2026, with SEP applications from approved employers opening on 1 January 2027. The official application form and guidance are published on the Department’s ASE application page, and the scheme operates under the Employment Permits (Amendment) (Seasonal Employment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 33 of 2025) , available on the Irish Statute Book.
What the 2027 Scheme Allows
The SEP permits non-EEA nationals to work in seasonally recurrent employment for a maximum of seven months per calendar year, with the 2027 employment season running from April to November. Permits under the 2027 scheme will be valid for three to seven months. The eligible employment is defined in the Regulations as horticultural operative roles in the soft fruit or vegetable growing sector, and the statutory employment period is set at 14 April to 13 November each year. The 2027 scheme is the second phase of Ireland’s SEP pilot, following the 2025 evaluation, and the Department has described it as a controlled test of a regulated, rights-based seasonal migration pathway for the horticulture sector.
The cap is deliberately small. Only six employers will be granted ASE status for the 2027 season, and a maximum of 300 SEPs will be issued nationwide. Each approved employer must commit to employing at least two SEP workers during its approval period. The six-employer cap and the 300-permit ceiling are set out in the Regulations and confirmed in the Department’s guidance.
Salary, Accommodation, and Compliance Conditions
The minimum annual remuneration for SEP roles in 2027 is €32,691 pro rata. This reflects the Government’s Roadmap for Minimum Annual Remuneration Salary Thresholds, which raised the threshold for horticultural workers from €30,000 to €32,691 with effect from 1 March 2026, as announced on gov.ie. Employers may count the costs they incur for the worker’s health insurance and accommodation toward the €32,691 total, provided the arrangement complies with National Minimum Wage legislation.
Employers also carry specific obligations under the Regulations. They must provide appropriate accommodation and health insurance for all SEP holders, conduct a Labour Market Needs Test before applying for permits, and demonstrate that at least 50% of their total workforce is sourced from Irish, EEA, UK, or Swiss nationals. The Regulations require details of remuneration, accommodation and training arrangements, transport and expenses where appropriate, and the terms and conditions of employment. Employers must also provide an overview of their recruitment supply chain and recruit exclusively from established partner countries. Failure to conduct or publish the Labour Market Needs Test correctly will result in a refused application and a restarted process.
Why Ireland Introduced a Seasonal Permit
Ireland had no dedicated seasonal employment permit before this initiative, a gap that the Government has described as unusual internationally. The SEP was developed in response to ongoing labour shortages in the horticulture sector, particularly for soft fruit and vegetable growers who rely on short, intense harvesting periods. The 2025 pilot tested the administrative model and the rights-based framework, and the 2027 phase extends the pilot with a larger permit cap and a formal employer-approval process. The scheme sits within the Employment Permits Act 2024, which for the first time provided a statutory basis for seasonal employment permits in Ireland, as noted on the Department’s economic migration policy page.
Key Dates for Employers and Workers
Date | Action |
12 December 2026 | Deadline to submit completed ASE application form to empu@enterprise.gov.ie |
1 January 2027 | SEP applications open for successfully approved ASEs |
April 2027 | 2027 horticulture season begins |
November 2027 | Season ends; permits valid for 3–7 months within the April–November window |
Employers intending to use the scheme should submit their ASE application by 12 December 2026. The application form is available on the Department’s ASE page, and applications must be emailed to empu@enterprise.gov.ie. Employers should ensure that their Labour Market Needs Test is completed and documented before applying, and that accommodation and health insurance arrangements are in place.
Prospective SEP holders cannot apply directly. The permit is employer-led: only workers with a job offer from an approved seasonal employer can obtain a SEP. Workers should therefore monitor the Department’s approvals and engage with approved employers rather than submitting applications independently. SEP holders must leave the State for at least five months at the end of their contract to remain eligible to return on a new SEP the following year.
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What This Means for the Horticulture Sector
The 2027 scheme is small in scale—300 permits across six employers—but it establishes a formal channel that did not previously exist. For growers in the soft fruit and vegetable sectors, the SEP offers a compliant route to recruit non-EEA workers for the harvest peak, provided they can meet the employer-approval conditions, the €32,691 remuneration floor, and the accommodation and insurance obligations. For workers, the scheme provides a short-term, sector-specific permit with defined conditions, but not a pathway to longer-term residence. The Government has positioned the 2027 scheme as a phase two pilot, and its future beyond 2027 will depend on the evaluation of this season’s operation.
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