Work as a paramedic in Ireland: PHECC registration (2026)

• You hold a professional pre-hospital emergency care qualification obtained outside Ireland.
• Your training institution can verify, stamp and sign Form A, covering course content, assessment methods and each clinical placement block.
• You can obtain a professional reference (Form B) from a supervisor for each employment, in English or with a notarised translation.
• If you were registered with a regulator, you can give its details. PHECC lists examples such as the HCPC in the UK, the state licensing authority in the USA, and the HPCSA in South Africa.
• You can provide notarised copies of your passport, qualification certificate and any name change documents. Originals are not accepted.
• You have read PHECC's education and training standards for the division you apply for: EMT, paramedic or advanced paramedic.
• Once recognised, you can sign PHECC's Declaration and Commitment, follow the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics and keep a continuous professional competence (CPC) portfolio.
• To practise, you will need a PHECC licensed CPG provider to privilege you at your level (the triple lock).

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• PHECCPre-Hospital Emergency Care Council

  Paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians

  How to register with the PHECC

1. 1

   Choose the division and read the standards

   Decide whether to apply for EMT, paramedic or advanced paramedic, and read PHECC's education and training standards and clinical practice guidelines for that level. PHECC compares your training with the closest Irish standard, so applying for a division your training does not match leads to a lower award or refusal.
2. 2

   Read PHECC's policy, form and guidelines

   Download the current application form, guidelines, information bulletin and Council policy from PHECC's recognition page. PHECC's documents carry version numbers; check you are using the current one, as PHECC returns incorrect or incomplete applications.
3. 3

   Send Form A to your training institution

   Complete Form A (training and education testimony) electronically, with course content, examination methods and a separate table for each continuous clinical placement block. Your institution must verify it and stamp every page. Attach a full English syllabus; PHECC says course brochures are unlikely to be detailed enough.
4. 4

   Get Form B references from employers

   Each employer since qualifying needs to complete Form B, signed by someone who managed or supervised your practice, with an official stamp. It should describe your work settings, caseload and how you were authorised to practise, for example independently under guidelines or under a medical practitioner's licence.
5. 5

   Certify and translate your documents

   Gather notarised copies of your passport, qualification certificate, any name change document and evidence from your competent authority. Documents not in English must be translated and notarised. Do not send originals.
6. 6

   Pay the fee and email one application

   Pay the €350 recognition fee through PHECC's online store, or by euro cheque, bank draft or postal order drawn on an Irish bank. Review the checklist, then email the complete application as one attachment to [email protected]. Missing documents or fees mean the application is returned.
7. 7

   Assessment and decision

   PHECC's qualification assessors panel compares your qualification, training and experience with the Irish standard and recommends an outcome to the Director. PHECC says this usually takes 3 months, possibly longer with high volumes. If successful, PHECC awards the NQEMT at the appropriate level.
8. 8

   Join the PHECC register

   Print the application form to join the register, sign it with a pen (a wet signature), pay the €10 annual registration fee and email the three-page form and an ID photo to [email protected] with the subject 'Registration Application'. PHECC says applications in this format are processed within two working days. Your licence and registration certificate follow.
9. 9

   Get privileged and keep your licence current

   To practise, you must work for a PHECC licensed CPG provider that privileges you at your level. Paramedic licences expire on 31 May each year: PHECC sends notice on 7 March, the administrative closing date is 3 May, and late re-registration costs more. Keep your CPC portfolio up to date.

• No licensing exam for recognised applicants

  If PHECC recognises your qualification, it awards the NQEMT without an exam. The NQEMT examinations are the route for people who complete a PHECC-recognised course in Ireland.

• Adaptation period or aptitude test (EU Directive applicants)

  PHECC's policy says applicants covered by the Professional Qualifications Directive whose application does not fully meet the NQEMT requirements may choose an adaptation period or an aptitude test to address the deficit identified.

• Further steps for other international applicants

  For applicants outside the Directive, PHECC's policy provides for a successful or unsuccessful outcome. If unsuccessful, the Director identifies where you fell short and may set out steps to take before you resubmit. You can appeal within 28 days.

• PHECC's recognition and registration pages do not publish an English language test or minimum score for internationally trained applicants.
• All documents must be in English, or translated into English and notarised by a Notary Public with the notary's seal and registration number.
• Form A and Form B must be completed in English or accompanied by notarised translations; the syllabus must be in English.
• Employers such as the National Ambulance Service may set their own English requirements in recruitment; check the job specification.
• If you apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment's criteria apply separately from PHECC's.

Estimate your total cost

• Before applying, allow time for your training institution to verify and stamp Form A and for employers to return Form B.
• PHECC's guidelines say you will be told within one month if your application is incomplete.
• PHECC says recognition usually takes 3 months, which may be extended due to application volumes. Its form says the three months run from receipt of all documents and may be extended by one month.
• Joining the register: PHECC says complete emailed applications are processed within two working days; its FAQ says licences are issued within 28 days of a complete application and fee.
• Paramedic licences run to 31 May each year, with re-registration opening around 12 weeks before.

HSE consolidated pay scales from 1 June 2026 for National Ambulance Service grades (for those in post, new appointees or pension calculations for retirements from 18 April 2024). Other providers set their own pay.

• Paramedic, National Ambulance Service

  €42,731 to €60,346

  10 points including a long service increment.

• Specialist paramedic, National Ambulance Service

  €53,554 to €70,386

• Emergency medical technician

  €40,989 to €55,680

• Private and event medical providers: Set by employer

• The HSE National Ambulance Service.
• Dublin Fire Brigade, which provides emergency ambulance services in Dublin.
• Private ambulance and patient transport services licensed as CPG providers by PHECC.
• Event and remote medical providers licensed by PHECC.

• PHECC registered paramedics and PHECC registered advanced paramedic practitioners are on the Critical Skills Occupations List (SOC 3213).
• The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment says the Critical Skills Employment Permit needs a job offer of at least 2 years. The €40,904 salary threshold for listed occupations applies with a relevant degree; for public sector roles under a pay agreement, the agreed rate of pay applies.
• If your role or qualification does not meet the Critical Skills criteria, a General Employment Permit (generally €36,605 minimum salary) may be an option.
• The processing fee for a Critical Skills Employment Permit is €1,000, with 90% refunded if refused. Applications should be made at least 12 weeks before the start date.
• Critical Skills permit holders can apply immediately for family reunification, and can apply for permission to live and work without a permit once the permit ends.
• PHECC's guidelines say it does not help with work permits; contact the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

1. 1

   A GCC paramedic licence (DHA, DOH, MOHAP, SCFHS, QCHP or others) does not transfer. PHECC assesses the qualification you trained on, plus your experience, against the Irish standard for the division you apply for.

2. 2

   Gulf ambulance experience counts. Ask your operations manager or clinical supervisor to complete Form B for each employer, with an official stamp, describing your work settings, protocols and authority to practise.

3. 3

   Name your Gulf regulators in the professional experience section, with registration numbers, so PHECC can verify them.

4. 4

   Many Gulf paramedics trained under US-style NREMT certification. PHECC says NREMT is not a regulatory authority, so give your state or national licensing details too.

5. 5

   Form A must still come from the institution where you trained, not your Gulf employer, so contact your college early.

• Application plan with every step, fee and deadline

• Document checklist tailored to you, and a review of each document before upload

• Timeline built around the regulator's closure windows and document validity periods

• Help completing the application forms accurately and consistently

• Support with profession-specific evidence, such as the HCPC standards of proficiency mapping

• Guidance on certificates of good standing, references and certified translations

• Preparation for identity checks and declarations on health and character

• Tracking your application and help responding to regulator requests

• Next steps after the decision: exams, adaptation, PIN or licence and your first job

Regulators make all registration decisions and set all fees. Our fee is separate from the regulator's fees, exam fees and translation costs.

What our registration and licensing support includesPackages and fees