Living in Ireland has a lot to offer. It’s a beautiful country with stunning landscapes, friendly people, and a thriving culture. Whether you enjoy nature, music, or job opportunities, there are plenty of benefits to living here. Ireland also has a very diverse landscape, where you can choose to live in a vibrant city like Dublin and Cork or choose to live in rural Ireland like Kerry. Whatever your preference, there’s a perfect town for everyone!
Ireland is now full of job opportunities and the employment rate is at an all-time high. Some of the most sought-after professions include IT, healthcare, and engineering. Googling how to move to Ireland and work can take you down a rabbit hole nobody wants to go down! Luckily for you, we have 5 easy steps to make the process smoother.
Please note that these steps are laid out assuming you don’t have a job offer and are looking to move to Ireland. If you have a job offer already, but are just looking to move, contact your employer on their best practices. You’ll be doing the same step, but just necessarily in this order.
Work in Ireland
Yes, we might be a bit biased when choosing this as your first step but it does take time to learn a new language and starting this as early as possible will make all the following steps a lot easier.
The most sought-after jobs right now actually require English to work for health and safety concerns from your employer or even compliance requirements. For example, in healthcare, you’ll need at least a B2 on the CEFR scale in English proficiency to be able to work Ireland.
IELTS, TOEIC and ETAPP are examples of test that are accepted in Ireland. Contact us today for exam preparation lessons and start your journey in the right direction.
Please note: EU passport holders do not require visas in Ireland.
Something that you should do pretty much straight away is check out the right visa to go for. There’s no one-size-fits-all visa. Research for the best option for you based on your country of origin and type of job. It can be a little crazy. The best foot forward is to get help from experts.
We highly recommend Work Permit Solutions. They are experts for Ireland specially and due to their AI solutions, will help you to get the most affordable options for the move! A move like this can rack up some bills, so getting help will actually save you money.
To give you a quick breakdown, common options include:
Speaking English? Know that a visa is available for you? Great! Now it’s time to start looking for job opportunities in Ireland.
There are several ways you can look for jobs in Ireland. You can use job search websites, connect with Irish recruitment agencies, or explore opportunities through your network.
If you have an international network, it’s always good to start there. The Irish are always willing to help and being friendly isn’t just a stereotype. However, getting in the door of any company in Ireland is a lot easier when you get introduced through a mutual friend. If your network isn’t great, Work Permit Solutions can help introduce you to the right recruitment agencies.
The right recruitment agency does depend on your job as a lot of them can be industry-specific. However, if you are looking for somewhere to start, Hays Ireland is one of the biggest agencies in Ireland (if not the biggest) and always have jobs they are looking to recruit for!
An employment offer can be crucial for visa applications, so once you have secured a job, you’ll receive a letter of acceptance. Keep in mind that they may need to demonstrate that the position could not be filled by a qualified Irish or EU/EEA/Swiss national, which is a requirement for some work visas.
Once you have a job offer, apply for the relevant work visa or permit. At this point, your employer, your recruitment agency, and visa administrator are all in to help you make the move, so don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask for help! You will need to provide all necessary documents and pay any associated fees, so asking the experts is vital at this stage.
After getting the visa, plan your relocation to Ireland, including finding accommodation, setting up a bank account, and understanding the local tax and social security systems. Finding accommodation is hard at the moment in Ireland, especially while overseas. Some of the larger employers in Ireland are happy to put you up in a hotel for a month while you look for accommodation in-country. Again, Ireland is about connections, so it may be easier to get accommodation while here. Daft.ie is the main site where you can check out rentals and houses to buy.
Disclaimer: It’s essential to check the most up-to-date requirements and guidelines on the official website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) or consult with the nearest Irish embassy or consulate, as visa and work permit requirements can change over time.
We hope that this blog has given you a little more insight into moving to Ireland! It has been one of our top queries from our learners, so we wanted to share it with everyone. If you have any questions on it, we are more than happy to help! Best of luck and safe journey.
