The short answer
- No visa needed, but you need a permission to live here, usually sorted before you fly.
- Routes: a job with an employment permit, a course, a working holiday, an Irish spouse or partner, Irish roots, or retiring on your own means.
- On arrival: a landing stamp of up to 90 days, then register for your IRP card.
- Driving: Australians, New Zealanders and most Canadians swap their licence. Americans take the test.
Plan your move
Move planner
Your route to living in Ireland, and what to do first.
From ISD, Citizens Information, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the NDLS. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.
Your route
| Why you’re moving | Before you travel | Your stamp | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| A job | Your employer gets you an employment permit | Stamp 1 | Coming to work |
| Study | A full-time course on ISD’s list, and €10,000 a year to show | Stamp 2 | Coming to study |
| A working holiday | A Working Holiday Authorisation, applied for from home | Stamp 1 | Working holiday |
| Married to an Irish citizen | Nothing: no visa or preclearance | Stamp 4 | Stamp 4 |
| Unmarried Irish partner | Preclearance, after 2 years living together | Stamp 4 | Bringing family |
| Partner of a permit holder | Depends on their permit and how long they’ve been here | Varies | Bringing family |
| Retiring | Stamp 0 approval: €50,000 a year each, plus savings | Stamp 0 | Stamps explained |
Irish roots
- A parent born on the island of Ireland, and Irish when you were born: you’re already an Irish citizen. Apply for an Irish passport, and the immigration rules don’t apply to you.
- A grandparent born on the island of Ireland: register on the Foreign Births Register (€278, about 12 months), then get a passport. Until you’re registered, you’d need another permission to live here.
Your first weeks
- At the airport, an immigration officer decides whether to let you in and gives you a landing stamp of up to 90 days. Carry your permit, approval letter or college letter.
- Register with immigration before the stamp runs out, for your IRP card (€300, or no fee as an Irish citizen’s spouse).
- Get a PPS number to work and use public services.
- Sort your driving licence (below).
Your driving licence
| Licence from | In Ireland |
|---|---|
| Australia (any state or territory) | Exchange it for €65. Some exchanges give automatic-only, unless the licensing authority confirms a manual test |
| New Zealand | Exchange it for €65 |
| Canada | Exchange it for €65 if it’s from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario or Saskatchewan. Others take the test |
| United States | Can’t be exchanged. Drive on it for up to 12 months as a visitor, but once you live here: theory test, learner permit, 6 lessons (not 12) and the driving test |
Once you live in Ireland (the NDLS counts 185 days a year), you can’t drive on a licence from outside the EU. See the NDLS for the forms and the eyesight and medical reports.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
Do Americans need a visa to move to Ireland?
Not a visa, but a permission. US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens are visa-free, but to live here you need a basis like an employment permit, a course, a working holiday or an Irish spouse, sorted before you travel.
Can I come as a tourist and look for a job?
Not to stay on. Visitors generally can't switch to another permission from inside Ireland. Find the job first: the employment permit is granted before you travel.
I'm married to an Irish citizen. What do I do?
If you don't need a visa, you can travel to Ireland with your Irish spouse without a visa or preclearance, then register for Stamp 4, with no registration fee. Stamp 4 lets you work in any job.
My partner is Irish but we're not married. Can I come?
As a de facto partner, after at least 2 years living together, you apply for preclearance from outside Ireland before you come. You can't apply from inside Ireland as a visitor or on a working holiday.
My grandmother was Irish. Can I live in Ireland?
If she was born on the island of Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen through the Foreign Births Register: about 12 months and €278. If a parent was born in Ireland, you're Irish already.
Can I retire to Ireland?
Yes, if you're financially independent: an income of €50,000 a year each, savings for big costs, private health insurance and a police certificate. You apply for Stamp 0 before you come, and you can't work or claim State benefits.
Can I swap my driving licence?
Australian and New Zealand licences, and those from most Canadian provinces, can be exchanged for an Irish licence for €65. US licences can't: you can drive on yours for up to 12 months as a visitor, but once you live here you take the theory test, a learner permit, 6 lessons and the driving test.
What do I do when I land?
An immigration officer gives you a landing stamp of up to 90 days. Before it runs out, register with immigration for your IRP card, and get a PPS number to work.
Sources
All sources checked on 4 Oct 2026.
- Visa requirements for entering IrelandCitizens Information
- Spouse or civil partner of an Irish nationalImmigration Service Delivery
- I want to retire to IrelandImmigration Service Delivery
- Exchange my foreign driving licenceNational Driver Licence Service
- Working holidays in IrelandImmigration Service Delivery
- Registering a foreign birthDepartment of Foreign Affairs