The short answer
- What: permission from ISD for short-term, specialised work that an employment permit doesn’t cover, with an Irish host company.
- How long: up to 90 days, usable over 6 months, then a one-month cooling-off period. Longer only for locum hospital doctors and nurses (6 months) and internships required to graduate (up to 12 months).
- How: apply online from outside Ireland, €250, at least 20 working days. A visa too, if you need one.
- Limits: it doesn’t count towards Stamp 4, it’s only for the job you applied for, and family can’t come with you.
Check your work
AWS checker
Whether the scheme fits your work, for how long, and when you could start.
To register for the first time
From ISD’s Atypical Working Scheme pages (October 2026). ISD decides every application. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.
Who it’s for
| Category | How long | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist or skill-shortage work, for example IT, engineering, entertainment, biotech or pharma | 15 to 90 days, usable over 6 months | Pay must meet the General Employment Permit salary threshold. One-month cooling-off afterwards |
| Paid internship that’s useful for your course | 15 to 90 days | For students at accredited colleges outside Ireland. Unpaid and medical internships aren’t covered |
| Paid internship that’s required to graduate | Up to 12 months | Your college must confirm it, and that you’re returning |
| Locum doctor, hospital sector | One 6-month block in 12 months | Then 6 months outside Ireland. Registered with the Medical Council |
| Locum GP, general practice | 90 days in a row | Up to 14 days away within them, then at least 30 days before the next permission |
| Nurse seeking NMBI registration | 6 months | Only for clinical adaptation or the RCSI Aptitude Test (see below) |
It isn’t for you if you’re already in Ireland, the job is on the list of ineligible jobs for employment permits, you hold, qualify for or are waiting for an employment permit, the work is 14 days or less, or you’re only coming for business meetings, a sales trip or a conference. People who qualify for Van der Elst, as employees of a company in another EU country, use that instead.
The 90 days and the cooling-off month
In the general category, permission lasts up to 90 days. You can use them in and out of Ireland over 6 months. After those 6 months, a one-month cooling-off period applies before you can enter on a new permission. You can apply during that month, but the new permission only starts once it’s over. To get another permission, you must show you kept to the last one, for example with the passport stamps from where you went.
The permission is a block: it starts the day you first arrive and ends after its full length, however long you actually spend here.
How to apply
- Get a contract signed in ink and dated by you and your employer, with your pay (allowances listed separately), the job and the dates. A letter of offer isn’t enough.
- Apply online on ISD’s application portal, from outside Ireland, with the documents for your category: your full passport, the Irish host’s letter, and for example a college letter for interns or Medical Council registration for doctors.
- Pay €250 by card. It isn’t refunded.
- Wait at least 20 working days, outside Ireland. ISD doesn’t speed applications up.
- Then the Irish visa, if your nationality needs one: a C visa for up to 90 days (multi-entry if you’ll come and go), or a D visa for longer. Apply only after approval, and allow 8 weeks.
The approval letter is valid for 90 days: if you don’t use it in time, you apply again and pay again. If you’ll stay more than 90 days, you register after you arrive, with proof of medical insurance.
What it doesn’t allow
- No Stamp 4: time on the scheme isn’t reckonable for Stamp 4.
- One job only: the permission is only for the role you applied for.
- No family: family members can’t come with you on it.
- No bridging: you can’t use it to come in while another application is pending, or to apply for another permission from inside Ireland.
For longer work, the usual route to working in Ireland is an employment permit.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
What is the Atypical Working Scheme?
A scheme run by ISD, agreed with the Department of Enterprise, for specialised, highly skilled work of a short-term nature that employment permits don't cover. It's for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, with a host company in Ireland.
How long can I work on the Atypical Working Scheme?
Up to 90 days, which you can use in and out of Ireland over 6 months. Longer permissions exist only for locum doctors in hospitals (6 months), nurses seeking NMBI registration (6 months) and paid internships that are required for graduation (up to 12 months).
What is the cooling-off period?
After the 6 months, there's a one-month gap before you can enter Ireland on a new AWS permission. You can apply during that month, but you can't use the new permission until it ends. This applies to the general category, not to doctors, nurses or interns.
Can a nurse work on the Atypical Working Scheme?
Not as a nurse, at first. The 6-month permission is only to complete clinical adaptation or sit the RCSI Aptitude Test and get an employment permit. You can work as a nurse once the employment permit is granted, and it must be granted before the 6 months end.
Does time on the Atypical Working Scheme count towards Stamp 4?
No. ISD says permission under the scheme isn't reckonable for Stamp 4. It's also only for the job you applied for, so you can't move to other work, and family members can't come with you.
How do I apply?
Online, on ISD's application portal, from outside Ireland. Pay the €250 fee by card and send the documents for your category, including a contract signed in ink by you and your employer. Allow at least 20 working days. If you need a visa, apply for it only after you're approved, and allow about 8 weeks more.
Can I use it for a business trip or a few days' work?
No. It isn't for business visits like meetings or conferences, or for work of 14 days or less.
My application was refused. Can I appeal?
ISD writes to explain why. If your circumstances change and you now qualify, you can apply again, with a new fee.
Sources
All sources checked on 5 Oct 2026.
- Atypical Working SchemeImmigration Service Delivery
- Atypical Working Scheme for locum hospital doctorsImmigration Service Delivery
- Atypical Working Scheme for locum GPsImmigration Service Delivery
- Atypical Working Scheme for nursesImmigration Service Delivery
- Employment visa (Atypical Working Scheme), less than 90 daysImmigration Service Delivery