How to retire to Ireland

Why you should retire to Ireland

There are probably already reasons why you are considering retiring to Ireland such as family ties, or maybe because it’s a good base for exploring the rest of Europe, or the fact that Ireland is less of a culture shock, especially with English being the main spoken language.

But, there are other good reasons why you should retire in Ireland; the Island of Ireland is widely covered by rural countryside, so is a great place to keep active if you love hiking, golf and many other outdoor activities. Although it does rain quite a lot, we don’t have weather extremities, and Ireland is a very safe country to live in. Overall, Ireland is a GREAT country to come to retire!

So, you’ve never lived in Ireland before? There will be certain conditions that will make getting permission to retire here easier. If you were born in Ireland, married to an Irish citizen, or have Irish parents/grandparents you probably already have your Irish passport, (if not you can find out more here) as you are entitled to Irish citizenship via descent. And you won’t need to worry about an Irish Visa. The same applies if you’re EU born or you’ve EU born parents. This will make moving to Ireland relatively easy. Also, UK citizens also have the right to move to Ireland without any conditions or restrictions.

Visas

But, if you are non-EAA (outside of the EU) you must apply first for an entry Visa to Ireland. Stay’s longer than 3 months require a Visa (permission to remain). But if you’re from the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand you do not need a Visa to enter the country, you will be given a Visit Visa upon entering the country which lasts for 90 days.

What makes getting a Visa easier

If you are in one of the countries that require a Visa, you should apply for your Visa before coming to Ireland. The Visa required is called a Stamp 0 Visa. You can come to Ireland on a Stamp 0 Visa for a short stay. Conditions for permission on Stamp 0:

You can come in on a Stamp 0 if you have relatives in Ireland that you are dependent on.
You will need to have a pension and/or financial resources behind you. The threshold is around €50,000 per person per year, you might also be required to show that you can access emergency funds if needs be (a good guide sum is the average price of a house in the US, $250,000).
You need to register with the local immigration officer on your arrival.

For more information on visas click HERE

Living in Ireland

Choosing where to live in Ireland should not be too difficult as Ireland is a small Island, but beware public transport links are not great in some locations. Dublin is the capital, but is quite expensive, especially for renting and purchasing a property. Go out a little further from the city to surrounding counties for better prices.

If you like the outdoors live you should consider living along the Wild Atlantic Way, (west coast Ireland) the scenery really is spectacular. And housing prices are much more reasonable.

Other points to keep in mind — healthcare is not free in Ireland, so you should take out insurance. And once you are over 66 years old you will be entitled to a free bus pass.

If you don’t feel comfortable filling out any of the Visa application forms, contact our immigration team they will be happy to take care of this for you.