Moving to Ireland?

Ireland is an attractive location to move to for several reasons – friendly locals, a rich culture and stunning scenery, to name a few. Those working in the animation sector may also be drawn here thanks to a fast-paced industry and the resulting demand for talent. Whether you plan on moving to Ireland to work with Lighthouse Studios or not, there are several areas you may wish to consider.

Visa requirements for moving to Ireland

Whether or not you need a visa to move to Ireland will depend on the country your passport/travel document was issued in. It will also depend on the purpose of your move.

Who needs a visa?

If your passport/travel document is from a member country of the European Economic Area (EEA), the European Union (EU), the Common Travel Area (between Ireland and the UK) or Switzerland, then you do not need a visa to live and work in Ireland. This is because Ireland is part of the European single market which allows its citizens to move, work and live freely in another member country. As long as you have a valid passport or travel document then you can move unrestricted for 90 days, after which time you may be asked to prove that you can support yourself, and any dependants, financially, in order to be able to stay.

Not all citizens from outside the EEA/EU or Switzerland will need a visa to move to Ireland. However, there may still be a requirement for these citizens to gain permission to work. A Brazilian citizen, for example, does not need a visa to work in Ireland but must gain immigration permission to do so. This must be arranged prior to travel and will only be granted with a valid employment contract or job offer. Meanwhile, a Colombian citizen must obtain both permission to work and an employment visa.

To check whether or not you are likely to need permission from immigration and/or an employment visa to move to Ireland, then Inis.gov.ie will allow you to check.

Registering for tax and social insurance

If you are moving to Ireland with the intention of working here for an employer based in Ireland, then you will need to register for tax and social security. This means you need to obtain an identification number for such purposes. In Ireland, we call this your Personal Public Service Number, also known as a PPS number or a PPSN.

To get your PPS number, you will need to attend a face to face interview once you have arrived in Ireland. This should be arranged in the county that you intend to live in. If you are coming to live and work in Kilkenny, then this appointment will be at the Kilkenny Intreo Centre on the Hebron Road. The appointment can be made online. However, you will need to register with Mygovid.ie, for which you need an email address, after which you can make the appointment via Mywelfare.ie. You can also call your specific Intreo centre and make the appointment that way, though registering with Mygovid.ie and Mywelfare.ie is a good idea anyway, as you can manage many of your personal affairs through here.

For your appointment, you will need proof of address in Ireland (such as a rental agreement), proof of identity (such as your passport) and the reason why you need a PPS number. If you have a contract of employment, bring it with you, and make sure it has been signed by your employer. If you come to work at Lighthouse, you can request this letter from our HR department.

The PAYE system

In Ireland, if you are an employee, you may have a portion of your salary deducted to account for income tax, Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and Universal Social Charge (USC). This system is called the Pay As You Earn system (PAYE).

The standard rate of income tax for a single person (not married or in a civil partnership) is 20%. In 2022, the cut-off point for this tax rate is €36,800 per year. If you earn over this amount, you will pay 40% on the remainder. The cut-off point is higher for married couples and civil partners. This rate is €45,800 for a couple with one income. If the couple is in receipt of two incomes, this will be increased by either the amount that the lower-paid spouse earns, or up to €73,600.

You will also receive tax credits which reduce the amount of tax that you must pay. In Ireland, if you are an employee, you will be entitled to an employee tax credit of €1,700. You will also be entitled to a tax credit based on your personal circumstances (i.e. whether you are single or married).

For more information, please see here.

Deloitte also has an online tax calculator, where you can get an idea of how much tax you may be liable to pay. Please note that this calculator is independent to Revenue, the Irish tax collection agency. It therefore does not take every situation into account. You can access that here.

Opening a bank account

In general, Irish employers will require you to open an Irish bank account so that your salary can be paid to you after your PAYE has been deducted. You don’t necessarily need to have a PPS number already to do so. You will however need to have something which proves your address is what you say it is, as well as a proof of identity.

There are many different banks in Ireland, such as Allied Irish Banks (AIB) and Bank of Ireland (BoI). Kilkenny has both an AIB bank and a Bank of Ireland, as well as many other options. You might wish to use a comparison website, such as Bonkers.ie, to compare different current accounts and ensure you are getting the best deal, as fees can vary a lot.

Healthcare

In Ireland the public healthcare is funded primarily through taxation. However, that does not mean that all medical care is completely free. To visit a GP in Ireland can cost between €50-€80 and there are also fees (though the rates may be subsidised) for things such as hospital stays and prescriptions. Depending on your income and your individual circumstances you may be eligible for a Medical Card or a GP Visit Card. A Medical Card allows you to access the full range of healthcare services for free, while a GP Visit Card will mean you don’t need to pay the GP visit fee. Not all GPs or healthcare providers are registered to accept patients under these schemes, however.

If you are from the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you should apply for a European Health Insurance Card. This may allow you to be reimbursed for certain medical treatment when you move back to your home country, though this is dependent on your usual circumstances.

When you join Lighthouse, we can provide you with a list of the local healthcare services. We also provide a number of benefits, such as discounted health insurance and an Employee Assistance Programme.  We can help you settle in by providing details on local amenities, sport and leisure activities, restaurants, bars and much more. You can also join a local library. Membership is free to everyone. You will find more details here: https://www.librariesireland.ie/

If you’re currently considering your next move, then check out our Careers page to see what roles we are currently recruiting for!