Ireland is a wonderful country with friendly locals, a rich history and culture, and lots of great outdoor spaces. It’s a popular destination for a weekend break, but if you go there and fall in love, you might decide that you want to move there. It’s a brilliant place for expats and you’ll get a warm welcome from the locals.

But moving to another country isn’t a decision you should take lightly and there are a lot of things you need to organize before you go. So, if you are planning a move to Ireland, these are some of the key steps you need to take. 

Check The Visa Requirements

Firstly, you’ll need to check the visa requirements for moving to Ireland. You might not need one to get into the country in the first place, but anybody that wants to stay for more than 3 months needs a long-stay visa. Once you have that visa, you can move out there and then start making plans for the future. 

If you decide that you want to stay permanently, you should consider eventually applying for citizenship so you don’t have to keep extending your visa. You will need to be in the country for 5 years before you apply for your Irish citizenship, but the process is quite simple. Even though you don’t need to think about this right away, you should be prepared for the citizenship process before you move. 

Set Up A Bank Account 

Before you can live in a country full-time, you need a bank account over there. Get this set up right away so when it comes to finding a place to live etc, you’re ready to make payments. You don’t necessarily have to be a resident to open a bank account, so you can get this sorted before you go. However, certain banks will ask you to provide proof of address in Ireland while others will allow you to use details from back home, so check with the individual banks. 

Find Somewhere To Live

There are plenty of great places to live in Ireland and accommodation is readily available. You can easily find furnished and unfurnished properties, so you don’t necessarily need to bring everything with you. There are lots of great cities but Dublin is always a great place to stay because there’s a lot going on and it has great job opportunities and transport links. 

Arrange For The Move 

Now that you have everything else in order, it’s time to start arranging for the move. Make sure that you budget for moving your belongings, especially if you are taking all of your furniture with you. It’s best to hire an international moving company to handle things for you, so you can fly out and then meet them there. This makes life so much easier for you and you can be sure that all of your belongings will be safe. 

Follow these basic steps and you can get everything in order for your big move to Ireland. All that’s left to do now is start your new adventure.  

Photo by Kelly Lacy from Pexels