Nairobi · Ireland Work visa

Ireland Work visa from Nairobi🇮🇪

Ireland Critical Skills / General Employment Permit from Kenya: salary-driven, employer-led.

Critical Skills Employment Permit (€38,000-€64,000+ skilled list) or General Employment Permit (€34,000+). Critical Skills bypasses labour-market test.

Start application — $499 (KSh 64,371)See pricing tiers

Last verified May 2026 · Sources: INIS · Department of Enterprise

Kenya company since 2023 US Delaware LLC 90-day refund policy Stripe-protected payment M-Pesa supported

Nairobi consular geography

Where your Ireland visa is actually adjudicated

Embassy / High Commission

Irish Embassy Nairobi

Riverside Drive, Westlands

Visa adjudication at AVATS Pretoria — Embassy handles intake

~20 min from Nairobi CBD

Visa intake centre

Irish Embassy Nairobi (intake) → AVATS Pretoria (adjudication)

Official booking portal →

SwiftPass prepares your file specifically for Irish Embassy Nairobi — addresses, hours and intake routing verified May 2026.

SwiftPass tier

Priority

KSh 64,371 flat

All-in estimate

$2084–$2434

incl. government fee + biometrics

Embassy SLA

DETE permit: ~6–12 weeks + visa 6–8 weeks

Adjudicating post

Irish Embassy Nairobi

Nairobi-specific refusal pattern

What the Ireland adjudicator flags for Nairobi work applicants

Employment Permit not yet issued by DETE; salary below €34,000 General Employment Permit threshold; occupation not on Critical Skills list.

Plus the corridor-wide top-3 the post flags for any Kenya applicant

1
Salary below relevant threshold (CSEP €38,000+ / GEP €34,000+)
2
Occupation not on Critical Skills List + General permit labour-market test fails
3
Employer not registered with DETE Trusted Partner scheme

Document checklist

What you'll need for this work visa

The Ireland consulate expects every item below. SwiftPass verifies each one before submission and flags gaps.

Valid passport (validity covering full contract duration)
Passport-sized photos to destination spec
Completed visa application form
Job offer letter from employer (on letterhead, with salary + role)
Employer's sponsorship / work-authorisation document (CoS / LMIA / Single Permit / RWR / etc)
Educational qualifications with credential evaluation
Police clearance certificate (some posts require multiple)
Medical examination report (where required for the specific visa)
Proof of relevant work experience (reference letters with duties + dates)
Language proficiency proof (if required by employer / visa)
Funds proof for initial settlement period

Application timeline

From intake to decision

The steps SwiftPass takes you through, with realistic durations.

1
Employer-side approvals
4–12 weeks
Sponsorship documents from your employer: CoS (UK) / LMIA (CA) / Single Permit (EU) / RWR Card (AT) / Kennismigrant (NL) etc.
2
Document collection
2–4 weeks
Job offer, qualifications, credential evaluation, police clearance, medical (where required).
3
SwiftPass pre-audit
2–3 days
We pre-check both the employer pack and your personal dossier.
4
Embassy submission
appointment-dependent
Submit through the official channel.
5
Embassy processing
DETE permit: ~6–12 weeks + visa 6–8 weeks
Embassy decision period.

Realistic cost breakdown

What this work visa to Ireland actually costs

Full picture — SwiftPass fee + the Ireland government visa fee + supporting costs that other platforms hide.

Line item	Amount
SwiftPass Priority service fee Flat — same across destinations + visa types	$499
Ireland government visa fee Paid directly to embassy or via official portal	~$1500
Biometrics fee (VFS / TLS / BLS / VAC) Paid at the application centre on the appointment day	$25–$85
Document translations (if applicable) Required by some Schengen / national posts for non-English / non-host-language documents	$15–$50 per doc
Courier / return-shipping (where applicable) For long-stay D visa passport return	$20–$60
Estimated all-in (USD)	$2084–$2434

Estimate range. Actual amounts vary by document count, courier choice, and currency conversion at the time of payment.

What free AI can't do for your visa

AI can read the form. SwiftPass files it and is on the hook.

Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Gemini can explain your visa process for free. They cannot fill it, submit it, book your biometrics, or sign accountability for the outcome. That's what your SwiftPass account does.

AI can summarize embassy fees and explain the visa form fields.

SwiftPass actually fills, submits, and tracks your application end-to-end.

AI can list documents you need.

SwiftPass formats your M-Pesa, bank statements, and ties-to-home evidence to the embassy's exact assessment framing.

AI can describe biometrics appointments.

SwiftPass books your VAC / VFS appointment for you, with your case file already prepared.

AI can predict your odds with public-data heuristics.

SwiftPass works against the actual refusal patterns and 214(b) cross-checks the issuing officer is trained on.

AI has zero accountability if its advice causes a refusal.

SwiftPass refunds you within 90 business days if we cause the error. Signed in your dashboard.

Personal eligibility score

Your Ireland approval score for a Kenya passport — in 60 seconds.

Free AI tools give you generic odds. SwiftPass's Approval IQ scores your actual profile against real Ireland refusal patterns for Kenya passport holders — and shows the specific gaps your application will be judged on. Free to view; full improvement plan unlocked inside your dashboard.

Get my Approval IQ score

Common questions

Answers for Nairobi applicants

Where do I apply for a Ireland work visa from Nairobi?

Irish Embassy Nairobi, Riverside Drive, Westlands. Visa intake at Irish Embassy Nairobi (intake) → AVATS Pretoria (adjudication). Hours: Visa adjudication at AVATS Pretoria — Embassy handles intake. Typical embassy processing time: DETE permit: ~6–12 weeks + visa 6–8 weeks.

How far is the Ireland embassy/visa centre from Nairobi CBD?

Approximately 20 minutes by taxi from Nairobi CBD. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment to clear security.

What are the most common refusal reasons for Nairobi applicants applying for a Ireland work visa?

Employment Permit not yet issued by DETE; salary below €34,000 General Employment Permit threshold; occupation not on Critical Skills list.

How much does the Ireland work visa cost in KES from Nairobi?

SwiftPass Priority flat fee: KSh 64,371 (USD $499). Realistic all-in including the Ireland government visa fee, biometrics, insurance and translations: USD $2084–$2434.

How long does the Ireland work visa take from Nairobi?

End-to-end: typically 2–6 weeks depending on document readiness. Document collection + SwiftPass pre-audit takes 5–10 days; Irish Embassy Nairobi processing takes DETE permit: ~6–12 weeks + visa 6–8 weeks.

What does SwiftPass do for Nairobi applicants to Ireland?

SwiftPass pre-checks every document against the Ireland post that adjudicates Nairobi files (Irish Embassy Nairobi), flags the specific refusal risks for Nairobi applicants in this visa type (see above), and prepares the file in the order the consular officer reads it. End-to-end service from intake to submission.

Recent approvals

Recent Ireland approvals through SwiftPass

Real decisions from the last 60 days — initials only, no document identifiers. Days-to-decision is wall-clock from SwiftPass submission to embassy/consulate decision.

Applicant	Passport	Destination	Visa type	Days	Decision
S.M.	Kenya	Canada	Visitor	12	Approved
J.O.	Kenya	Canada	Visitor	16	Approved
A.M.	Kenya	Canada	Visitor	21	Approved
C.N.	Nigeria	Schengen	Schengen	9	Approved
T.A.	Nigeria	Schengen	Schengen	14	Approved
O.I.	Nigeria	Schengen	Schengen	19	Approved

Outcomes reflect SwiftPass-prepared applications. Approval is determined by the issuing embassy/consulate, not SwiftPass. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Inside your SwiftPass dashboard

Your application runs inside a paid account. Not a chat thread.

When you pay SwiftPass, you get a real client dashboard — not a conversation. Every document, status update, and decision is tracked in one place you can sign into anytime.