Moving to Ireland

Non-EEA workers usually need an Irish employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, then an entry visa if required, registration with immigration, and an Irish Residence Permit. Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen Area. Processing figures below reflect current DETE queue positions or ISD timelines — not guaranteed end-to-end times.

Average gross pay is about €46,305 median gross annual earnings (CSO 2025). Minimum wage: €14.15/hour (national minimum wage from 1 January 2026). Indicative monthly costs in our dataset include rent (~€1,741/month).

Private rentals are competitive in Dublin and other cities; the rents below are official RTB averages across all registered tenancies, so asking rents for new lets are usually higher.

Ireland taxes employment income through PAYE with two main bands for single filers, plus employee PRSI and Universal Social Charge (USC). Standard VAT is 23%, with reduced rates of 13.5% and 9% on specified goods and services.

Long-term residency, family reunification, and Irish citizenship rules published by Immigration Service Delivery and Citizens Information — including employment-permit timelines, registration charges, and naturalisation fees.

After your permit is approved, register for a tax ID, banking, and healthcare — the checklist further down covers the full sequence.