Population
≈600,000 (city); ≈1.5 million (greater Dublin)
AI city illustration · Artistic impressionWhat people learn after moving
Four things newcomers say matter most about life in Dublin
Languages
English; Irish is an official language and taught in schools
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
GMT (UTC+0); IST (UTC+1) in summer
AI city illustration · Artistic impressionCost of living in Dublin
Typical newcomer prices
EUROne-bed apartment, city centreEUR 1,900–2,500 / month
Leap card monthly cap≈EUR 96 / month (TFI 30-day)
Groceries, one personEUR 350–500 / month
Pint of GuinnessEUR 6.00–7.50
Health insurance (private, single)EUR 90–180 / month
Check your eligibility
Can you move to Ireland?
Pick your passport to see entry rules and the long-stay routes we have researched.
Pick your passport to see whether you can enter Ireland — and what it takes to stay.
Your move, in order
Getting set up in Ireland
1
Legal & IDHigh confidence
Critical Skills Employment Permit and IRP registration
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland's premium route: two years, no labour-market test for listed occupations, immediate family reunification, and a path to Stamp 4 (unrestricted work) after two years. Ireland raised every permit salary threshold on 1 March 2026, so any figure from an older guide will get an application refused.
2
DrivingMedium confidence
Exchanging your driving licence
Ireland exchanges licences from EU/EEA states and from a specific list of recognised countries. If your licence isn't on that list you must go through the full learner process — theory test, twelve mandatory lessons and a driving test — which takes months. Ireland drives on the left.
3
BankingMedium confidence
Opening an Irish bank account
Irish retail banking consolidated sharply after KBC and Ulster Bank exited, leaving AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB plus digital challengers. Traditional banks demand proof of Irish address; digital banks generally don't, which is why most newcomers open a Revolut or N26 account first and a pillar-bank account later.
4
HealthHigh confidence
Healthcare, GPs and private insurance
Ireland has public healthcare through the HSE, but unlike most of Western Europe, ordinary GP visits are not free for most working adults — you pay per visit. Medical cards for free care are means-tested and set at a low threshold. Most professionals therefore hold private health insurance, and many employers provide it.
5
TelecomMedium confidence
Getting an Irish mobile number
Three networks — Vodafone, Three and Eir — plus resellers running on them. Prepaid SIMs are sold in supermarkets and phone shops and can be set up on the spot. Because Ireland is in the EU, roaming from another EU SIM is free at no extra cost, which buys you time before committing.
6
TaxHigh confidence
PPS number, tax and the emergency tax trap
A Personal Public Service number is free and issued by the Department of Social Protection. Until you have one and have registered the job with Revenue, your employer must operate emergency tax, which withholds far more than you owe. Getting this right in week one is worth real money.
Each guide has verified costs, timelines, required documents, and the non-obvious gotchas — sourced from official government pages. Last verified July 2026.
Language
Essential English phrases
How's it going?Greetings
Said as a greeting — 'grand, yourself?' is the reply
Hello / how are you. Not an actual enquiry into your wellbeing.
GrandSocial
The most load-bearing word in Ireland
Fine, OK, good enough. 'I'm grand' declines an offer; 'that's grand' accepts one.
CraicSocial
crack — 'what's the craic?', 'it was great craic'
Fun, news, atmosphere, gossip — all at once. The central social concept.
Your man / your oneSocial
Used for someone whose name is unknown or irrelevant
That bloke / that woman. Not possessive; just a way of pointing verbally.
SoundSocial
'He's sound', 'sound, thanks'
Decent, reliable, good — and also 'thanks, that's fine'. High praise for a person.
The LuasDaily life
LOO-as — Irish for 'speed'
Dublin's tram, running Green and Red lines. The DART is the coastal rail line.
Leap cardDaily life
'Tag on with your Leap'
The transport card for bus, Luas and DART. Cheaper than cash fares and fare-capped.
PressDaily life
'It's in the press'
A cupboard. The 'hot press' is the airing cupboard — a fixture of Irish homes.
DeadlySocial
'That's deadly'
Excellent. Confusingly positive.
NagginFood
NAG-in
A small 200ml spirit bottle. A unit of measurement in Irish social life.
Culchie / JackeenSocial
CUL-chee / jack-EEN
Someone from outside Dublin / someone from Dublin. Traded as affectionate insults.
999 or 112Emergency
Either works
Emergency services — Garda, fire, ambulance.
Reading a list isn’t learning it. Globe Quest turns these into a trainer — hear each phrase spoken, drill them with spaced repetition, and get scored as you say them out loud.
Culture
What to know before you go
Solve housing before you solve anything else
CriticalDublin's rental market is the hardest part of moving here by a wide margin. Viewings draw queues, good listings vanish within hours, and landlords pick from dozens of applicants. Budget more than you expect, arrive with a deposit ready, and treat the first month as a full-time search.
Get your PPS number immediately
CriticalThe Personal Public Service number gates employment, tax, banking and health services. Without it you're taxed on an emergency basis, which takes a large bite of your first pay packets until it's sorted and reconciled.
Rounds are a genuine obligation
ImportantIn a group at the pub, everyone buys a round in turn. Skipping yours is noticed. If you don't want that much to drink, say so early rather than quietly dropping out of the rotation.
Register with immigration before your 90 days are up
CriticalNon-EEA nationals must register in person and get an IRP card. Appointment slots are the bottleneck, not the paperwork — book the moment you land, not when the deadline approaches.
Rain is a constant, not an event
Good to knowIt rarely pours but it's often drizzling, and the wind off the Irish Sea makes umbrellas useless. A hooded waterproof is the single most useful thing you can own here.
Understatement is the register
Good to know'Not too bad' is high praise. 'It's grand' can mean anything from delighted to quietly furious. Enthusiasm is fine but oversell lands poorly, and slagging — mutual mockery — is a sign of acceptance.
Work
Top industries & employers
Technology
Google, Meta, Microsoft, Stripe, Intercom, Workday
Nearly every US tech firm runs its EMEA headquarters here, clustered around Grand Canal Dock — 'Silicon Docks'.
Pharmaceuticals & medtech
Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, Medtronic
Ireland is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical exporters, with heavy manufacturing and regulatory-affairs demand.
Financial services
Citi, JPMorgan, BNY, Bank of Ireland, AIB
The IFSC concentrates fund administration, aircraft leasing and post-Brexit EU banking operations.
Professional services
Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, Accenture
All the big firms are here at scale, feeding off the multinational base.
Aircraft leasing
AerCap, Avolon, SMBC Aviation Capital
A genuine world-leading niche — a large share of the world's leased commercial aircraft is managed from Dublin.
Public sector & education
Trinity College, UCD, DCU, government departments
Stable employment and a research base that feeds the tech and pharma clusters.
Explore
Where to go in Dublin
Phoenix Park
Nature · North-west of the centre
One of Europe's largest enclosed city parks, with a free-roaming herd of fallow deer and the President's residence inside it.
Local tip: The deer congregate near the Papal Cross in the mornings. Rent a bike at the Parkgate Street entrance — the park is far too big to cover on foot.
Stoneybatter
Neighborhood · North inner city
Red-brick terraces, small bars and independent coffee, a short walk from the centre and much less touristed.
Local tip: Manor Street and Stoneybatter proper are where locals drink. It's the neighbourhood people move to when Temple Bar has worn them out.
Howth Cliff Walk
Nature · North coastal, end of the DART
A looped clifftop path around a fishing village headland, thirty minutes from the city on the DART.
Local tip: Do the purple route for the full loop and eat at the harbour afterwards. Go on a weekday — weekend DARTs to Howth are packed.
The Liberties
Culture · South inner city
Dublin's oldest quarter — the Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery and St Patrick's Cathedral within a few streets.
Local tip: Skip the Storehouse queue and do Teeling or Roe & Co instead; smaller, cheaper, and you'll actually talk to someone who works there.
Ranelagh & Rathmines
Neighborhood · South of the canal
Leafy Victorian suburbs full of restaurants, a twenty-minute walk or short Luas ride from town.
Local tip: Ranelagh village has the best concentration of good restaurants in Dublin outside the centre, and you can actually get a table midweek.
The Forty Foot, Sandycove
Hidden gemNature · South coastal
A rocky sea-bathing spot where Dubliners swim year-round, including Christmas morning.
Local tip: Locals swim here in January without wetsuits. Go in summer first, bring a flask, and don't underestimate how cold the Irish Sea is.
Safety
Emergency numbers in Dublin
999 or 112
Emergency services
1800 666 111
Garda Confidential Line (non-emergency crime information)
1800 700 700
HSE Live (health service information)
116 123
Samaritans
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