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How to become a Garda in Ireland

There is one way in, a national competition run by publicjobs. You need to be 18 or over and under 50 on the closing date, with five Leaving Certificate subjects at Ordinary level or a Level 5 qualification. If you get through, training is 36 weeks in Templemore and you are paid for every one of them.

How you get in

One competition a year, roughly
The Garda Trainee competition

Everyone. There is no other route

An Garda Siochana does not hire directly. The competition is run by publicjobs, the central recruiter for the civil and public service, it opens for a few weeks and then it closes. Miss it and you wait for the next one. Everything after that, the tests, the interview, the medical and the vetting, happens in stages over months.

36 weeks to attestation
Then 36 weeks in Templemore

Everyone who passes the competition

Training is at the Garda College in Templemore, County Tipperary, and you live there from Sunday to Friday with accommodation and food provided. At the end you attest, which is the moment you actually become a Garda. Training continues after that: the full programme runs to 104 weeks.

What you need to get in

These come from the Garda Trainee competition booklet. They are the minimum to be eligible, not what makes you competitive.

Requirement What you need
Age18 or over, and not yet 50Measured at midnight on the closing date
EducationFive subjects at Ordinary level, grade D3 or O6Or a Level 5 major award on the National Framework
LanguageProven proficiency in Irish or EnglishEither one, not both
HealthCertified fit by a medical practitionerNominated by the Garda Commissioner

Note the age rule carefully. It is not yet 50 at midnight on the closing date, so somebody who turns 50 the week after the competition closes is still eligible. The education requirement is also lower than people assume: five Ordinary level subjects, or any Level 5 award, and no degree is needed at any point.

What the competition actually involves

It runs in stages and each one takes weeks to process. Stage 1 is online assessments. Those who pass go to Stage 2, an interview, and candidates are called in order of merit rather than all at once, so a strong result means you are seen earlier. After that come the medical, the physical assessment and Garda vetting. The whole thing from application to Templemore is measured in months, not weeks, which is worth knowing before you hand in notice anywhere.

What you earn, during and after

While you train

You are paid from the first week, which is the big practical difference between this and going to college for a career. The trainee allowance is €354 a week for the 36 weeks of training, with accommodation and food provided while resident in the Garda College from Sunday to Friday.

You attest after 36 weeks and go onto the Garda pay scale as a Probationer Garda. Shift allowances and overtime sit on top of these figures, and overtime runs at time and a half or double time on Sundays and public holidays.

On attestation
€39,194
Top of the scale
€60,333

Figures effective 1 February 2026. See the full pay page.

Where things stand right now

The 2026 Garda Trainee competition closed to applications on 3 June 2026 and is now working through its stages. Stage 1 assessments finished on 21 July with results issued on 11 August, and Stage 2 online interviews were expected to begin on 24 August for those placed highest on the order of merit. If you are not in this one, the thing to watch is publicjobs for the next campaign opening.

Checked 20 August 2026

Questions people actually ask

How do you become a Garda in Ireland?
You apply to the Garda Trainee competition when it opens, which is run by publicjobs rather than by An Garda Siochana. If you pass the assessments, the interview, the medical and vetting, you go to the Garda College in Templemore for 36 weeks and attest at the end of it.
What are the entry requirements to be a Garda?
You must be 18 or over and not yet 50 at midnight on the closing date, and hold either five Leaving Certificate subjects at Ordinary level at grade D3 or O6, or a Level 5 major award. You also need proven proficiency in Irish or English, and to be certified medically fit.
How much does a Garda trainee get paid?
The trainee allowance is €354 a week for the 36 weeks of training, and accommodation and food are provided while you are resident in the Garda College from Sunday to Friday. You are earning from week one, unlike teaching or nursing where you pay fees for years first.
How long is Garda training in Templemore?
36 weeks before you attest and become a Garda. Training does not stop there though: the full programme runs to 104 weeks, with the rest served on the ground.
Do you need a degree to be a Garda?
No. The minimum is five Ordinary level subjects or a Level 5 award. A degree can bring an extra increment after probation, so it is worth something in pay terms, but it is not needed to get in.
What is the age limit to join the Gardai?
You have to be at least 18 and not yet 50 at midnight on the closing date of the competition. That upper limit is higher than most people think, and it means a career change into the Gardai in your forties is possible.
How much does a Garda earn?
You start on €39,194 and the scale reaches €60,333 after 8 years. The individual points in between are not published by the employer, so this page does not guess at them. The full picture is on the garda pay scale page.
Do you need Irish to join the Gardai?
No. The requirement is proven proficiency in Irish or English, so English on its own is enough. This is a genuine difference from primary teaching, where Irish is unavoidable.
How long does the Garda application process take?
Months rather than weeks. In the 2026 competition applications closed in early June, Stage 1 results came out in August, and Stage 2 interviews started after that, with the medical and vetting still to come. Plan around it rather than assuming a quick answer.
When is the next Garda recruitment competition?
The 2026 campaign is closed and running through its stages. New campaigns are announced on publicjobs, which is where applications are taken. There is no rolling recruitment, so the only way in is to apply while a competition is open.

Before you apply

Everything on this page comes from official sources and was checked in 2026. Entry rules, closing dates and selection stages still change from one competition to the next, and sometimes overnight. Before you apply, read the official version yourself. That is the one that counts.

Garda pay scale → All the other jobs →