Work Essentials

Organising flights, wrapping things up at home, saying goodbye to friends and family. It’s a big ask to move for work. Thankfully, moving to Dublin is relatively straightforward. This brief guide looks at immigration requirements, assessing your new salary and opening a bank account, registering for tax and social security, and transferring your qualifications.

Immigration Requirements

The legal requirements for living and working in Ireland differ for people from different countries. EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens are entitled to move to the Republic of Ireland and work here without a visa or employment permit. People from further afield may need a visa and will require an employment permit before they can take up work. Because Northern Ireland is part of the UK, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU (‘Brexit’) would make the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland an external border of the European Union. However, the Irish and UK governments and the President of the European Council have stated that t

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Recognising your qualifications

Your qualifications from home may not be immediately recognised by Irish employers and educational institutions. Looking for work is difficult enough without being thwarted by incompatible qualifications, so it’s important that employers can understand your hard-won credentials. Thankfully, there’s a process in place to help you compare your qualifications with the Irish equivalent. NARIC Ireland holds a database of over one thousand qualifications issued by institutions from around the world. Simply search the database, find your qualification and see how it compares to I

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Salaries

What can I earn in Dublin? A lot of factors will dictate what you will earn in Dublin, most of which come down to your personal circumstances: your industry, qualifications and experience. Figures from Eurostat show that salaries in Ireland are among the highest in Europe, despite a sharp reduction during the 2008-2013 recession. In November 2018 official figures indicated that the average wage in Ireland had increased by €1,188 over the past year. This brought the average wage in Ire

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Employment Law

You’ve moved to Dublin, settled into your new home and found a job. How can you be sure that you’re being treated fairly? Ireland’s employment law is transparent and applicable to all workplaces. Here are a few resources that will help you check that your boss is on the level. The Workplace Relations Commission The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is your one-stop-shop for your rights at work. It publishes a comprehensive Guide to Employme

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Tax and social security

You will need a Personal Public Service number (PPS number) to work in Ireland. It’s a unique reference number that helps you to access social welfare and public services. Irish Tax and Customs use this number to register you for income tax. Your PPS number will help you to access: All social welfare services Free Travel Pass for people over 66 years of age Public health services, including the medical card and the Drugs Payment Scheme Child immunisation Schemes run by the

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Unemployment benefits

You’ve moved all the way to Ireland to work. You’ve set yourself up, put the kids into school, and made a host of financial commitments – electricity bills, phone contracts and rental agreements. Then you lose your job. What do you do? It’s not the end of the road. Even if you are not an Irish citizen, you have rights and entitlements that can help you stay on your feet while you fix your situation. Staying in Ireland EEA & Swiss Nationals First of all, you can stay. If you are an EEA or Swiss national, you can stay in Ireland, unemployed and looking for work. Non-EEA nationals If you a non-EEA national, you can sta

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Bank Accounts and Tax

Your guide to setting up a bank account and becoming a tax payer in Ireland. You’ll need an Irish bank account to receive your pay. It isn’t difficult, but you will have to be in the country to do it – most Irish banks will want to speak to you in person before they open an account for you.

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