Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland solicitor

Updated 4 March 2024

What you will need to do before applying for admission

Please note Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland solicitors are exempt from sitting the SQE assessments and qualifying work experience requirements.

Create a mySRA account and add your jurisdictions

• Create a mySRA account and tell us you are a qualified lawyer.
• You do this in the 'My profile' section under 'Jurisdiction'. Please click 'add jurisdiction', select your professional title, and add the date you qualified. This automatically tells us you do not need to have qualifying work experience.

Checking your character and suitability and applying for admission

• We check your suitability as part of your admission application. However, you can also get it checked early if you have any areas of concern.
• Before you apply for admission, you must do your screening and have your results.
• When applying for admission, you will choose ‘Solicitors Qualifying Examination route' on the form.
• You will be asked to upload a copy of a certificate of good standing from all jurisdictions where you hold a legal professional qualification and have been admitted. The certificate(s) must be less than three months old (we recommend that the date of issue is no longer than two months on the date you make your application) and confirm:
  • your date of admission
  • that you are in good standing
  • that you have not been subject to any disciplinary proceedings
  • that there are not any pending disciplinary proceedings against you
  • that you are currently entitled to practise.

Take a look at what we check or find out how to apply for screening

Find out how to apply for admission, see Admission forms and fees.

Applying for a practising certificate

Once you have chosen your admission date, you can apply for a practising certificate. Find out how to apply.