The short answer
- No permission needed. No visa, residence permission, employment permit, registration or IRP card.
- Same terms as Irish citizens for work, study, healthcare, social welfare and social housing.
- Vote in Dáil and local elections, once registered.
- To do: get a PPS number, and swap your UK driving licence once you live here.
- Non-British partner or family? They need their own application, unless you lived here before 2021.
- Irish roots? You may already be Irish, or able to register.
See your checklist
British citizen checklist
Your rights here, and the few things you do need to do.
To register for the first time
From GOV.UK’s Common Travel Area guidance, Citizens Information, ISD and the NDLS. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.
Your rights under the Common Travel Area
The Common Travel Area is an arrangement between Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man that’s older than EU membership and doesn’t depend on it. In 2019, the two governments signed an agreement to keep it in all circumstances.
| As a British citizen in Ireland | |
|---|---|
| Living here | No visa, permission or registration, for as long as you like |
| Work | Employed or self-employed, with no employment permit |
| Healthcare | Public health services like an Irish resident, once you’re ordinarily resident |
| Social welfare | On the same basis as Irish citizens. UK residence counts for the habitual residence condition |
| Social housing | On the same basis as Irish citizens |
| Education | All levels, on the same terms as Irish citizens. Free undergraduate fees if you lived in the UK, EEA or Switzerland 3 of the last 5 years |
| Voting | Dáil and local elections. Not presidential or European elections, or referendums |
Your UK pension keeps being paid here, and National Insurance paid in the UK counts towards Irish pensions and other benefits.
The few things you do need to do
- PPS number. You need one to start work and use public services. Apply through MyWelfare with proof of identity and address.
- Driving licence. A UK licence is only valid here while you’re visiting. Once you live here (the NDLS counts 185 days a year), exchange it for an Irish one: €65, free at 70 or over. Online you need a Public Services Card, a verified MyGovID and a DVLA check code, and you post in your UK licence.
- Register to vote. Check you’re on the Register of Electors at checktheregister.ie, and register if you’re not.
- Healthcare. The HSE may ask you to prove you’re ordinarily resident: a lease or deeds, bank statements or bills from the last 12 months.
Partners and family who aren’t British, Irish or EU citizens
The Common Travel Area doesn’t cover family members who aren’t British or Irish. EU, EEA and Swiss family have their own rights to live here. For everyone else:
| You | Your family member |
|---|---|
| Lived here before 2021 | Covered by the Withdrawal Agreement: applies to ISD on Form EUTR 1 or 1A, like the family of EU citizens |
| Came in 2021 or later | Applies from outside Ireland for preclearance or a long stay D visa (€60), then registers here for an initial 12 months |
For the scheme from 2021, you sponsor your family member and must be self-sufficient: earning above the Working Family Payment rates in each of the last 3 years, and at least €20,000 a year for a couple without children. Your family member needs medical insurance and a police certificate, and can’t come as a visitor and apply from here.
Becoming Irish
Ireland allows dual citizenship, and many British citizens are entitled to Irish citizenship already.
- Born in Northern Ireland before 2005, or later to a British or Irish parent: you’re entitled to be Irish. Apply for an Irish passport.
- A parent born on the island of Ireland, an Irish citizen when you were born: you’re already Irish.
- A grandparent born on the island of Ireland: register on the Foreign Births Register.
- None of these: apply to naturalise after 5 years’ residence in the last 9. With no permission dates, you show your years here with documents like Employment Detail Summaries, bank statements and bills.
Travelling between Ireland and the UK
British and Irish citizens travel freely within the Common Travel Area. Arriving by air or sea, an immigration officer may ask where you’ve come from: showing your boarding card or proof of your name and nationality helps. Check with your airline or ferry company what ID it accepts.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
Do British citizens need a visa or permission to live in Ireland?
No. Under the Common Travel Area, British citizens can live, work and study in Ireland without a visa, residence permission or employment permit, and don't register with immigration or get an IRP card.
Did Brexit change my rights in Ireland?
No. The Common Travel Area is separate from EU law, and the Irish and British governments agreed in 2019 to keep it. What did change: non-British family members arriving from 2021 follow a separate scheme, and you can no longer drive here on a UK licence once you live here.
Can I drive in Ireland on my UK driving licence?
Only while you're visiting. Once you live here, exchange it for an Irish licence with the NDLS: €65, free at 70 or over. Online, you need a Public Services Card, a verified MyGovID and a DVLA check code. Some categories with UK national codes may not transfer.
Can British citizens vote in Ireland?
Yes, in Dáil (general) and local elections, if you're 18 or over, live here and are on the Register of Electors. Not in presidential or European elections, or referendums.
Can I use the public health service?
Yes, on the same basis as Irish residents, once the HSE accepts you're ordinarily resident: living here for a year, or intending to. If you get a UK state pension and don't work here or get an Irish contributory payment, you may get a medical card.
Can I get social welfare in Ireland?
Yes, on the same basis as Irish citizens, if you meet each scheme's rules. Time living in the UK counts for the habitual residence condition, though if you've only just moved, showing Ireland is your main centre of interest can take longer.
My partner isn't British, Irish or from the EU. Can they live here with me?
If you lived here before 2021, they're covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and apply to ISD on Form EUTR 1 or 1A. If you came in 2021 or later, they apply from outside Ireland for preclearance or a visa (€60), and you must show you're self-sufficient: at least €20,000 a year for a couple without children.
Do British students pay college fees in Ireland?
Undergraduates can get free fees if they lived in the UK, the EEA or Switzerland for 3 of the 5 years before the course. The student contribution, up to €2,500 a year, still applies.
Can I become an Irish citizen?
If you were born in Northern Ireland before 2005, or later to a British or Irish parent, you're entitled to be Irish. A parent born in Ireland means you're probably Irish already; a grandparent means registering on the Foreign Births Register. Otherwise, you can apply to naturalise after 5 years' residence in the last 9.
Sources
All sources checked on 4 Oct 2026.
- Common Travel Area guidanceGOV.UK
- Residence rights of UK citizensCitizens Information
- Right to voteCitizens Information
- Entitlement to public health servicesCitizens Information
- Joining your UK national family memberImmigration Service Delivery
- Exchange my foreign driving licenceNational Driver Licence Service
- Third-level student fees and chargesCitizens Information
- Common Travel AreaImmigration Service Delivery