Ireland, topic by topic
Seven chapters that apply to everyone. Start at the beginning or jump to what you need.
Bureaucracy
Two documents run your life in Ireland — the PPS Number and the Irish Residence Permit — plus a citizenship clock that starts ticking the day you land.
Free PPS Number Read bureaucracy 02Banking
Opening an account is quick once you clear the classic chicken-and-egg problem — needing an address to bank, and a bank statement to prove an address.
22 chars Irish IBAN length Read banking 03Visas & Immigration
Non-EEA workers route through one of two salary-gated employment permits toward a Stamp 4; EU/EEA/Swiss citizens skip the system entirely.
€40,904 Critical Skills Permit floor Read visas & immigration 04Work
A payslip in Ireland is split three ways — PAYE, USC, and PRSI — and new arrivals often can’t access unemployment support until they clear a residence test.
€14.15/hr National minimum wage (age 20+) Read work 05Education
School is free and open to every child regardless of immigration status; college and childcare are where the real costs — and the real subsidy gaps — show up.
Free Primary & secondary (all children) Read education 06Housing
Ireland’s rental market is in a genuine, sustained supply crisis — expect competition for viewings, one month’s deposit as standard, and rent caps that vary sharply by zone.
~2,500 Homes available to rent nationally Read housing 07Cost of Living
Ireland runs noticeably more expensive than the EU average and comparably or more expensive than much of the US and UK on rent and groceries — but healthcare costs are capped in ways that soften the blow.
Top 3 Priciest EU capital for rent Read cost of livingSources & how current this is
Employment permit salary floors, rent-rule reforms, and welfare/tax bands have all moved in 2026 — figures here reflect the most recent official updates we could verify, but confirm live numbers on gov.ie, irishimmigration.ie or revenue.ie before you rely on them for an application.