🇮🇪 Job offer letter in Ireland: what to include
Updated July 2026 · General information, not legal advice
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Ireland is a magnet for tech and multinational hiring, and its employment framework is a mix of EU-driven rules and Irish statute. Offers are usually made conditional on references and right-to-work checks, and once the employee starts they have early statutory rights to written terms — so the offer and the contract should tell the same story.
Quick facts
- Probation
- Max 6 months since Aug 2022; extendable to 12 only in exceptional cases
- Written statement
- Core terms within 5 days; full terms within 2 months
- Annual leave
- 4 weeks (20 days for a 5-day week) + 10 public holidays
- Statutory notice
- 1 week after 13 weeks, scaling to 8 weeks with long service
- Right to work
- Employer must verify before employment starts
Conditional offers and written terms
It is standard in Ireland to make the offer conditional on satisfactory references, proof of right to work and any role-specific checks. Once employment begins, the employee must receive a written statement of five core terms within five days, and the full terms within two months.
- Job title, start date, location and any hybrid arrangement
- Salary (annual gross), pay frequency and pension/PRSA access
- Annual leave (statutory minimum 20 days) and the 10 public holidays
- Probation length (max 6 months) and review process
- Notice periods at or above the statutory floor
- Conditions the offer is subject to
Probation: capped at six months
Since August 2022, probation in Ireland may not exceed six months. It can be extended beyond that only in exceptional circumstances and where the extension is in the employee's interest, up to a total of twelve months. Note that unfair-dismissal protection generally applies after 12 months of service regardless of probation status.
Leave and notice
Full-time employees are entitled to four weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave, plus ten public holidays. Statutory minimum notice from the employer is one week after 13 weeks of service, rising with tenure — two weeks after two years, four after five, six after ten and eight after fifteen. Contracts commonly set longer notice for senior roles.
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Create a free offer →Frequently asked questions
How long can probation last in Ireland?
A maximum of six months since August 2022. An extension up to a total of twelve months is possible only in exceptional circumstances and in the employee's interest.
When must an Irish employee get their written terms?
Five core terms within five days of starting, and the full written statement of terms within two months.
How many holidays do Irish employees get?
Four weeks (20 days for a five-day week) of paid annual leave, plus ten public holidays.
Official sources
Related guides
This guide is general information for employers, not legal advice. Employment rules change and collective agreements may set different terms — confirm the specifics with local counsel before sending an offer.