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Practising law in Ireland as a foreign lawyer

A route to full local qualificationAsk the regulator about home-law practice

Ireland has a special transfer test for lawyers from a list of other countries, and a general route through the Law Society's own examinations for everyone else. Solicitors from England and Wales and from Northern Ireland have a fast route.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the kinds of route that exist. The regulator listed under “Official sources” publishes the current requirements, fees and dates, so always confirm with them. This is general information, not legal advice.

The routes

Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT)

For: Lawyers admitted in certain listed countries (including EU and EFTA states, several US states, parts of Australia, New Zealand and Scotland).

  1. Apply to the Law Society of Ireland for a Certificate of Eligibility to sit the QLTT.
  2. Pass the subjects of the QLTT that the Law Society requires, given your background.
  3. Complete the Law Society's admission requirements and apply to be admitted.

Solicitors from England and Wales and from Northern Ireland

For: Solicitors admitted in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland.

  1. Apply to the Law Society of Ireland for a Certificate of Admission. You are not required to pass any QLTT subject.

The general route (FE-1 and professional training)

For: Lawyers from countries that are not on the QLTT list, and law graduates without a lawyer's licence.

  1. Have your qualifications assessed by the Law Society.
  2. Pass the Final Examination, First Part (FE-1), in the core subjects of Irish law, unless exempt.
  3. Complete the professional training and traineeship required of all trainee solicitors.

Practising only your home-country law

We could not find a clear public rule on advising only on your home-country law in Ireland, so check with the Law Society before planning around it.

Preparing for this route

We make exam preparation for some of these routes. These are separate paid products, and this guide is free either way:

Understand the legal system first

Ireland belongs to the Common law family. Knowing how its system works makes the admission route easier to follow.

Read the Ireland legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Ireland with another country →

Official sources

Other countries

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s Bar Admission guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the regulator’s own information. Report a mistake.