Overview of Garda Entry Requirements

Please note:  the full list of requirements are published by the Public Appointment Service and are available to download on publicjobs.ie and at the bottom of this page. The following is a general overview based on the most recent 2018 campaign. 

Physical Requirements

(1) Be of good character.

(2) Be certified by a Registered Medical Practitioner (nominated by the Commissioner after
consultation with the Minister) to be of good health, of sound constitution and fitted
physically and mentally to perform the duties of a member of the Service.

(3) Have passed a Physical Competence Test.

(4) Be 18 years of age but not yet 35 years of age on midnight of the 24th April, 2019, therefore you must have been born between 25th April 1984 and 24th April 2001.

Nationality Requirements

(i) Be a national of a European Union Member State; or

(ii) Be a national of a European Economic Area State or the Swiss Confederation; or

(iii) Be a Refugee under the Refugee Act, 1996; or

(iv) Have had a period of one years' continuous residence in the State on the closing date of
the advertisement for the competition for the vacancy to which the admission relates, and
during the eight years immediately preceding that period, has had a total residence in the
State amounting to four years; or

(v) Has been granted subsidiary protection, or is a family member of such a person, in
compliance with the Admissions and Appointments Regulations 2013.

Educational Requirements

(A) 

(i) Have obtained an Irish Leaving Certificate with a grade D3 minimum in five subjects
at ordinary level, or

(ii) a Level 5 Certificate (Major award) on the National Framework of
Qualifications (NFQ), or

(iii) hold a recognised qualification (at Level 5 or greater), deemed comparable to the above in terms of both level and volume of learning as determined by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

AND

Language Requirements

(B) 

Must have a proven proficiency in two languages; one of which must be Irish or
English. Such competency may be proven by achieving the relevant grades or
qualifications specified in (A) above, or for English or Irish through such
assessments as set out by the Public Appointments Service. See here for more

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) will verify the validity of qualifications other than the Irish
Leaving Certificate with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), applicants should not contact QQI
directly.

The Public Appointments Service can be contacted at 1890 44 99 99

See here for the Garda Trainee 2019 Information Booklet for a full list of entry requirements from the most recent campaign.