Ireland
Details of launch of new online employment permit system
The Department of Enterprise, trade and Employment (DETE) has announced that its new “Employment Permits Online” system will launch on 28 April 2025.
To facilitate the move to Employment Permits Online, the existing EPOS website will be taken offline. During this time no employment permit applications will be able to be submitted.
The EPOS website will be taken offline from 6pm on 17 April 2025 for 5 business days.
Importantly, all completed draft employment permit applications must be submitted before the EPOS system is taken offline. Draft employment permit applications prepared but not submitted before the EPOS system is taken offline will not be transferred to Employment Permits Online. Only fully completed and submitted applications will be transferred to Employment Permits Online for processing.
The new system will introduce a portal space with separate and individual accounts for both employers, employees and agents.
Registration
Employment Permits Online will require all users (employer, employee and agent) to set up a portal account, in order to access the system and to submit future employment permit applications. This will involve confirming an email address and password and verifying these via a secure Multi Factor Authentication process (using mobile phone confirmation).
For employers, registration will also require the provision of some key additional documents, that is, Revenue and CRO details. Once these documents have been uploaded and validated (by the Employment Permits Unit) accounts will be ready to go.
The initial email address used to register a portal account will be set as the ‘Administrator’ for the account. More than one administrator can be assigned for an account.
Once the account is verified by the Employment Permits Unit, the administrator for any employer or agent account will be able to add or remove additional contact points (email addresses) listed under the account. There is no limit to the number of additional contact points that can be added to an account. All contact points can prepare and submit employment permit applications.
Portal account
Once registration has been completed (including verification), users will have access to their new portal accounts. Portal accounts will provide a record of current and historic applications, as well as a new ‘status update’ feature – allowing users to see at what stage of the process any current applications have reached (draft, awaiting payment, processing, requested information, issued, refused, appeal and so on).
Another key feature of portal accounts is the level of control users will have over them. Accounts will be managed via the use of Core and Non-Core requirements. Changes to Core requirements such as the submission or renewal of Revenue or CRO documentation, involve additional validation by the Employment Permits Unit, while non-Core requirements (that is, employer business locations or additional contact details) can be updated directly by the user.
Enhanced data protection
Requests from DETE will issue as an email from Employment Permits Online direct to the verified email addresses of the parties (employer, employee or agent) linked to the application. The parties can then ‘reply’ to this email, which is then returned directly to the application record on the employment permits system.
The portal itself can be used by the account holder to update their profile as well as certain permit information. Changes to core requirements such as business address, renewal of Revenue or CRO details, involve additional validation by the Employment Permits Unit. While non-core requirements (business locations or additional contact details) can be updated directly by the relevant party.
Additionally, the submission of requests for permit; renewals, change of employer, appeals, withdrawals, cancellations, and so on) all take place through the portal account. Any relevant documents associated with the processing of these requests by the employment permits team, will also be requested to be provided.
Joint applications
An additional feature of Employment Permits Online, is that all employment permit applications will be jointly completed online by the parties involved, the employer and prospective employee (as well as the appointed agent, if applicable). The employee will directly provide the personal information relevant to themselves, with the employer completing the fields relevant to their sections of the application. For agents, they will be able to provide the details for the party on whose behalf they are acting. The application will be signed by all parties involved using an e-signature.
Trusted Partner initiative
In order to set up and maintain a valid portal account, employers are required to submit relevant Revenue documentation in addition to their CRO number. These would be the key documents required for Trusted Partner status. Therefore, the Trusted Partner initiative will no longer operate under Employment Permits Online. As all employers will now operate from portal accounts, this will deliver more efficient processing of applications, benefiting all users.
Spain
Abolition of “Golden Visa” takes effect
Effective 3 April 2025, the Spanish government has ended the granting of residence permits based on real estate investments of more than EUR 500,000, known as Golden Visas. This eliminates the benefits currently available for residential investments, as well as for other investments, and will abolish residence visas for investors in Spain.
This fulfils the commitment made by the Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, who justified the repeal of this measure because it undermines the right to housing.
The decision adopted by the Executive, similar to that taken by other countries such as Ireland and Portugal, is in line with the European Commission, which in 2022 urged Member States to repeal any existing investor citizenship system.
United Kingdom
Extended right to work checks for gig economy and zero-hours employers
The government has announced that it plans to introduce right to work checks to companies hiring people in the gig economy and zero-hours workers. Currently, companies using these flexible arrangements are not legally required to check the status of these workers.
Where businesses fail to carry out these checks, they will face hefty penalties already in place for those hiring illegal workers in traditional roles, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, business closures, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.
All employers are required to check that job applicants have the right to work in the UK.
