Ireland Moving Checklist

Right to live and work

• Confirm what permission you'll arrive on (EU free movement, work permit, EU Treaty Rights, Stamp 4, etc.)
• Start any visa or permit application 3–6 months out
• Passport valid 12+ months past arrival

Money

• Save 3 months of Irish living costs before you go
• Open Revolut, Wise or N26 for day-one spending
• For large transfers, compare Wise, OFX + Currencies Direct (banks lose 2–4%)
• Tell your home bank you're moving — avoids card freezes

Housing

• Pick the single biggest constraint — budget, commute, schools, family — and design around it
• Browse Daft.ie + MyHome.ie for two weeks before you move so you know real prices
• Book temporary accommodation for the first 2–4 weeks — never sign a long lease from photos
• If school-age kids: check enrolment cut-offs (popular schools fill 6–12 months ahead)

Logistics

• Decide what you ship vs. sell — import duties + shipping often beat a fresh start
• Pet: vaccinations + passport / health cert 21+ days out
• Car: budget VRT (13–36% of value) within 30 days of arrival
• Pre-read: cost-of-living + a city profile on settle.ie before you commit

Documents — bring originals + 3 photocopies of each

• Passport, birth cert, marriage / civil partnership cert, driver's licence
• Qualifications, employer + landlord references
• Last 6 months of bank statements, proof of address
• Vaccination records, vet records

Week 1

• Irish SIM or eSIM (3, Vodafone, EIR, Tesco Mobile, or Lyca Mobile for cheap international calls)
• If your permission requires Immigration Service Delivery registration, book it immediately — slots are scarce

First month

• Apply for PPS at mywelfare.ie — proof of address required, takes 2–6 weeks
• Open an Irish bank account (AIB, BOI, PTSB, Revolut Ireland, N26) — needs PPS + proof of address
• Give employer your IBAN
• Set up direct debits

Healthcare (start week 1, finish month 2)

• Decide: public, private (VHI / Laya / Irish Life Health), or both
• If private: get the same plan name quoted at all three providers — same cover, different prices
• Register with a GP — 6–12 week waitlist, so start week one
• Apply for medical card or GP-visit card if eligible (medicalcard.ie)

Long-term housing (months 1–3)

• Find a place on Daft.ie or MyHome.ie
• Viewings: bank statement, employer reference, ID, 1 month's rent as deposit
• Confirm landlord registers the tenancy with the RTB (rtb.ie) — protects your deposit
• Set up utilities in your name — electricity, gas, broadband

Driving (if you'll be driving)

• EU licences fully valid; UK + recognised states swap directly within 12 months at NDLS; others take the Irish theory + practical test
• Buying a car: tax + insure + NCT before driving — expect higher year-one premiums

Reassess and lock in

• After 3–6 months, honestly: is your location working? Visit 2–3 alternatives before re-signing
• Review your lease 60 days before renewal — RPZ rules cap most urban rent increases
• Buying: 10% deposit, mortgage approval-in-principle 3–6 months ahead, always solicitor + survey + BER

Tax and healthcare

• Register on Revenue's myAccount (revenue.ie/myaccount)
• Review tax credits — single, married, one-earner, dependants, rent all change your bracket
• File by 31 October — Form 12 (PAYE) or Form 11 (self-employed / non-PAYE)
• Renew or shop health insurance annually — switch in the December–February window. Dental cover is separate.

Build a life

• Sign up for one regular weekly thing — GAA, sports club, Meetup, volunteer slot, language exchange
• Plan a return trip home around months 3–6 — homesickness peaks then

Long-term immigration and leaving

• If your permission needs renewal, diary it 8–12 weeks early
• At 5 years legal residency: check long-term residence, Stamp 4 or citizenship eligibility
• PRSI counts toward State Pension after 10 contribution years
• If you ever leave: tell Revenue you've stopped being tax-resident, keep your PPS — it's yours for life