Seasonal Employment Permit (SEP)
A short-term permit introduced by the Employment Permits Act 2024 allowing a non-EEA national to work in a seasonally recurrent job for up to 7 months per calendar year.
Designed for sectors with predictable seasonal peaks, the SEP is renewable across multiple years for the same season, and permit holders can transfer between approved seasonal employers via a simplified notification. It launched as a pilot in horticulture, but seasonal hotels and coastal hospitality businesses should watch its expansion closely — it could solve the summer staffing crunch without committing to year-round permits. Note: employers must be pre-registered as an Approved Seasonal Employer, and the scheme includes accommodation and health insurance requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
The scheme includes conditions around accommodation and health insurance arrangements for permit holders. Employers should factor housing into the cost model from the outset — in most seasonal locations, whether you can house the worker is a bigger practical constraint than the permit itself.
The scheme launched as a limited pilot in the horticulture sector, with the eligible sectors set out in regulations rather than the Act itself. That structure means it can expand without new legislation, and seasonal tourism and hospitality are obvious candidates. Check the current list of eligible sectors with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment before building it into your staffing plan.
A maximum of seven months per calendar year in a seasonally recurrent employment. The permit is renewable across multiple years for the same season, so a reliable worker can return summer after summer — a genuine advantage for seasonal hotels and visitor businesses that previously lost trained staff every autumn.