How many hours per week can I work part-time as an international master's student in Ireland with a Stamp 2 student visa, and what is the current minimum wage per hour?

Your Stamp 2 permission is capped by total hours across all employers combined, not per job, which is a detail students frequently miss when they try to combine two part-time roles during term.

Your Work Hours, Term And Holidays

• During term: up to 20 hours a week across all employment combined.
• During holidays: up to 40 hours a week, applicable in June, July, August, September, and from 15 December to 15 January.
• No separate work permit needed: this casual employment is allowed directly under Stamp 2 conditions, provided you comply with the hour limits.

What You Can Actually Earn

From 1 January 2026, Ireland's national minimum wage is 14.15 euros an hour for workers aged 20 or over, with lower statutory rates of 12.74 euros at age 19 and 11.32 euros at age 18. At the legal minimum, that works out to roughly 283 euros a week during term at 20 hours, or around 566 euros a week during a 40-hour holiday period, both figures before tax, PRSI and USC deductions. An employer can legally pay above this floor, and many part-time roles do.

This Information Is Also Available On

Ireland's Immigration Service Delivery guidance on immigration permission stamps and student permission, and the Workplace Relations Commission's national minimum wage page.

My Advice

Get a Personal Public Service number arranged as soon as possible after arrival, since most employers will not process your first paycheck without it, and that step alone can delay your first income by several weeks if left too late. Treat part-time work as a contribution toward living expenses, not tuition, since 20 hours a week at minimum wage will not come close to covering a full year's fees, and plan your core budget around loans, savings or scholarships instead.

Ireland fixes the weekly cap by calendar window rather than by a flexible average, so it's worth knowing the exact dates rather than assuming any school break qualifies for the higher 40-hour allowance.

Your Work Hour Limits on Stamp 2

• Term time: a strict 20 hours a week, counted across all your jobs combined if you hold more than one.
• Official holidays only: 40 hours a week, but only during two government-designated windows, summer (June 1 to September 30) and winter (December 15 to January 15).
• Shorter breaks don't count: Easter and mid-term breaks stay at the 20-hour term-time limit.

What That Earns at Minimum Wage

Ireland's national minimum wage for adults is €14.15 an hour. At 20 hours a week that's €283 gross weekly, or roughly €1,225 a month using a 4.33-week average. During a full 40-hour holiday week, that rises to €566 weekly, around €2,451 a month, before Universal Social Charge (USC) and PRSI deductions, which most part-time student earners pay little or none of due to standard tax credits.

Two Requirements Before You Can Start

You need a Personal Public Service (PPS) number to work legally and register with Revenue for tax. You must also keep at least 85% attendance to stay compliant with your Stamp 2 conditions, and Stamp 2 only covers employee (PAYE) work, not self-employment, freelancing or gig-delivery platforms.

This Information Is Also Available On

Citizens Information (Ireland).

My Advice

Don't take a second part-time job without adding up combined hours across both; immigration checks count all your jobs together against the 20-hour cap, not per employer. Apply for your PPS number in your first week in Ireland rather than after you find a job, since it can take longer than expected and most employers won't start you without one.