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.
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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 →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 →Without an Irish no-claims history, car insurance quotes can look painful. A broker or comparison engine widens the pool of insurers willing to quote you. The same comparison engines also save time on broadband, mobile and energy switching once you're settled.
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 →Best for: Comparing broadband, energy, mobile and car insurance in one place
Ireland's best-known comparison engine. Particularly useful in your first months for picking a broadband and energy provider, and worth checking annually to see whether switching saves real money. Use it as a price floor before signing up to anything direct.
Visit Bonkers.ie →Best for: A second comparison opinion alongside Bonkers
Same idea as Bonkers — broadband, energy, mobile, insurance comparisons. Worth checking both because the prices and providers shown can differ slightly, especially on broadband bundles.
Visit Switcher.ie →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 →This list is short on purpose. We'll add a category when we find a provider we'd recommend even if we weren't earning anything from the link. Currently researching: mobile networks, broadband (direct, beyond the comparison engines), pension and investment platforms, and Irish-resident tax software. Used something not listed and would tell a friend about it? Tell us.
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