A short list of the providers most newcomers end up using — banking, health insurance, car insurance, broadband and international transfers. We've kept it deliberately small. If a category isn't here, it's because we don't have a provider we'd genuinely recommend yet.
How we're funded: some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only list providers we'd recommend regardless. Read the full funding and editorial policy.
A digital account is the practical first step — most newcomers open Wise or Revolut before they arrive, then add a traditional Irish bank once they have proof of address. All three options below give you a working IBAN you can use for salary, rent and bills from day one.
Best for: Receiving your first salary before your Irish bank account is open
A multi-currency account with a real Irish IBAN you can open before arriving. Useful as a bridge in your first weeks while a traditional bank verifies your proof of address. Also one of the cheapest options for international transfers.
Visit Wise →Best for: A working account in your first week, no Irish address required
The most-used digital bank among new arrivals in Ireland. Account opens from your passport in minutes — the standard workaround when traditional banks are still asking for proof of address. Card and Apple/Google Pay work immediately.
Visit Revolut →Best for: Online-only banking with a true Irish IBAN
A licensed European bank rather than a fintech — same convenience as Revolut, but it issues a German IBAN that's accepted by Irish employers and landlords. Useful if you want a single bank-style account rather than running a fintech alongside a traditional bank.
Visit N26 →Best for: Savers and frequent travellers who want a local Irish IBAN and real interest
A Dutch-licensed European bank (deposits protected to €100,000) that can issue a local Irish IBAN and pays up to 2.01% on instant-access savings, credited weekly. Strong on budgeting — split money across multiple sub-account IBANs — plus travel perks (in-app eSIM, fee-free spending abroad) and a tree planted for every €100 you spend. Free plan available; the richer features sit on paid plans from €3.99/month.
Visit bunq →Irish current accounts pay close to nothing in interest. Once you have a cash buffer in place, a dedicated savings product is worth having — whether instant-access for your emergency fund or a fixed-term deposit for money you won't need for a year or more.
Best for: Higher interest on fixed-term savings from European banks
A deposit marketplace that gives access to fixed-term savings accounts from 30+ banks across Europe — all managed through a single online account. Rates on 1-, 2- and 5-year deposits consistently beat what Irish high-street banks offer. Deposits are protected to €100,000 per bank under EU deposit guarantee law, the same framework that covers AIB and Bank of Ireland. Takes around 10–15 minutes to open.
Visit Raisin →Public healthcare in Ireland is universal but slow for non-urgent care. Most settled residents add private cover for faster consultant access and elective procedures. The market is essentially three providers — comparing all three on like-for-like cover is worth 30 minutes of your time before you sign up.
Best for: Broadest hospital and consultant network
Ireland's largest health insurer and the default for people who want their cover accepted everywhere. Premium plans are pricey but the breadth of network is unmatched. Worth getting a VHI quote even if you end up choosing someone else, just to anchor the comparison.
Visit VHI Healthcare →Best for: Family and couple plans
Often the cheapest of the three for family combinations and corporate group schemes. Good digital app, decent network. The mid-tier plans are where Laya tends to undercut VHI on similar cover.
Visit Laya Healthcare →Best for: A third quote to keep the other two honest
The smallest of the three Irish health insurers. Worth quoting alongside VHI and Laya — sometimes wins on niche cover (mental health, maternity, specific therapies). Always get all three quotes before renewing.
Visit Irish Life Health →Pay-as-you-go is the right starting point for almost every newcomer — no contract, no credit check, working number in minutes. The MVNOs (using Three, Vodafone or Eir's networks underneath) consistently undercut the big-three pricing on the bundles most people actually use.
Best for: Pay-as-you-go SIMs and cheap international calls
An MVNO running on Three's network — the same coverage and 5G as Three, but the PAYG bundles start around €5/month and the international call rates undercut every Irish carrier. The default pick for newcomers who'll be calling family back home regularly.
Visit Lyca Mobile →Best for: Mobile data the moment you land, before you pick up an Irish SIM
A travel eSIM from the team behind NordVPN. Buy an Ireland data plan before you fly, scan a QR code, and you have working data the moment you land — no physical SIM and no roaming bill. Treat it as a bridge for your first few days, not a replacement: once you're settled a PAYG Irish SIM is cheaper and gives you a local number. Needs an eSIM-capable phone (iPhone XS or newer, most recent Android flagships).
Visit Saily →Without an Irish no-claims history, car insurance quotes can look painful. A broker widens the pool of insurers willing to quote you in one go, instead of filling in the same form on a dozen insurer sites. For energy and broadband, the regulator's free CRU price-comparison tool is the unbiased reference before you sign up direct.
Best for: Car insurance with no Irish no-claims history
A broker rather than an insurer — Chill quotes you against multiple Irish insurers in one go. Useful for new arrivals because some insurers refuse to quote drivers without Irish no-claims, but a broker can route you to the ones that will.
Visit Chill Insurance →High-street banks tend to use marked-up exchange rates and fixed fees for international payments. For larger one-off transfers — a deposit, salary repatriation, moving savings across — a specialist usually saves you 1–3% compared with your bank.
Best for: Larger one-off transfers (deposit, salary, savings)
A specialist FX provider with a dedicated dealer for amounts above about €5,000. Beats high-street bank rates by 1–3% on a typical transfer. Slower to set up than Wise but better economics on the larger amounts that matter when you're actually moving your money.
Visit Currencies Direct →Best for: Fast online and in-app transfers across 100+ currencies
Best known for its exchange-rate data, XE also moves money — over 100 currencies, no transfer fee on most routes, and same- or next-day delivery on the major ones. The app-led counterpart to Currencies Direct: better suited to smaller or recurring transfers (moving savings in tranches, paying a foreign mortgage) where you'd rather set the payment up yourself than go through a dealer.
Visit XE Money Transfer →This is a shortlist, not a full directory. If you've used a provider that worked well for you as a newcomer — broadband, a pension or investment platform, tax software, anything — let us know. Reader tips are how the list grows.
Three phases. Every task. In the order you need to do them — including when to set up each of the services above. Free to download.
Free. No spam. One-click unsubscribe.
The checklist is on its way. Look for an email from Settle News — it has the download link. Add us to your contacts so future updates don't end up in spam.