Many dream of moving abroad to live and work in Ireland. And you can on the Ireland Working Holiday Visa.

The Republic of Ireland is synonymous with many things. Irish pubs, Guinness, Riverdance, Waterford Crystal, leprechauns, kissing the Blarney Stone, the Cliffs of Moher, Yeats, many rock bands and good craic. Now you have the chance to experience all that Ireland has to offer on an Irish working holiday. With the working holiday visa available, plus being a member of the European Union, you could be living and working in Ireland in no time. Here’s how.

 

Difference between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

 

The island of Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the UK. If you want to live and work there check out a UK working holiday visa. This post is about the Republic of Ireland working holiday visa and the Republic has its own working holiday visa arrangements, separate to Northern Ireland. Read on.

 

The Ireland Working Holiday Authorisation

 

The Republic of Ireland is part of the European Union (EU), therefore, if you are from an EU member country you will be able to go to Ireland to live and work. Visit the offical EU website to get details on moving to Ireland if you are a European Union citizen.

If you aren’t from an EU country don’t worry, the Republic of Ireland has reciprocal working holiday arrangements with a number of counties.

• Argentina,
• Australia,
• Canada,
• Chile,
• Hong Kong,
• Japan,
• New Zealand,
• Republic of Korea,
• United States of America and
• Taiwan.

 

If you are from one of the mentioned countries and aged between 18 and 30 (sometimes 35) years you can apply for a working holiday authorisation (WHA). This will allow you to stay for up to one (1) year to live and work in Ireland.

 

How to Apply for the Ireland Working Holiday Authorisation

 

For full details on how and where to apply for the Working Holiday Authorisation go to www.inis.gov.ie. Or contact your nearest Embassy of Ireland in your home country. I suggest making these your first port of calls for your quest to live, work and play in Ireland. You will get the most updated information including the visa application cost.

 

What if I don’t qualify for The Working Holiday Authorisation

 

Don’t despair if you are outside the age range for a Working Holiday Authorisation as many travellers can still live work and play in Ireland. Most who are outside the age range look into what other visas might be available. Or possibly an Irish Passport if you have Irish ancestry. Some request to be transferred there for work. Many work on-line as digital nomads. And as mentioned before, if you are from an EU member country, you can live and work in Ireland. Here’s some inspiration if you are over 30 and don’t qualify for the working holiday visa.

 

How to Get to the Republic of Ireland

 

Ireland is an island so most visitors to her shores either fly or sail. Dublin International Airport greets many a plane from destinations all around the world. If looking for the best and cheapest airfare to Ireland, check out Skyscanner. You can also sail from the UK and some parts of Europe on one of the many ferry services that exist.

 

Things to Do When You Arrive in Ireland

 

When you arrive in Ireland, Immigration will stamp your passport after viewing your authorisation letter. Once through Immigration and before you can start to live work and play in Ireland there are a number of things to do. These things are particularly important if you intend to work in Ireland.

1. Register for your Irish Resident Permit (IRP). This registration fee currently costs €300. Registration occurs at the Garda National Immigration Bureau, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, or through local immigration offices for those outside Dublin. The registration lasts for one year and needs to be renewed if you will be staying longer in Ireland.
2. Apply for a PPS Number. This is like a social security or tax file number for tax purposes. Register for a PPS number in Ireland primarily through the MyWelfare website by creating a basic MyGovID account.
3. Open a bank account.
4. Find somewhere to live.
5. Find a job.
6. Purchase a mobile phone and/or sim.

Once you have these things done you can start doing what you came for – to live work and play in Ireland.

 

Where Will You Live in Ireland – Accommodation Options

 

Hostels can be a great place to start your working holiday in Ireland

 

Short-term Accommodation in Dublin

 

There is plenty of short-term accommodation available in Dublin and the rest of Ireland. It ranges from a bed in a hostel dorm room to small B&Bs to 5-star hotels. For your initial stay I would highly recommend you book a hostel bed or small hotel room for at least 1-2 weeks. I suggest booking closer to 2 weeks as by the time you get over jet lag, do some sightseeing, sort things and get your bearings, one week will be up. Booking a second week will just help you get everything sorted. Here are some hostel and budget hotel suggestions for your initial stay. These accommodation suggestions are in Dublin because most working holidays arrive and settle in Dublin for their Ireland Working Holiday.

 

Hostels in Dublin

Jacobs Inn Hostel, only 600m from the city centre.
The Apache Hostel in the Temple Bar area.
Generator Dublin, about 1.2km from the city centre and is great value if you measure it in terms of star rating, facilities and reviews.
Backpackers D1Hostel, only 450m from city centre.
The Times Hostel, College Street, only 500m from city centre.
Backpackers Citi Hostel, Dublin City Centre, 450m from centre.

 

Budget Hotels in Dublin

RIU Plaza The Gresham, Dublin is a 4 star hotel only 250m from the city centre.
Amberley House by the KeyCollections, 400m from centre, and includes breakfast.
Arcadia House B&B

If you would like a small apartment then check out Dublin Student Apartments and Dublin1 Apartments.For loads more accommodation options in Dublin and Ireland visit Booking.com for a hotel room.

 

Long-term Accommodation in Dublin and Ireland

 

Many travellers set up home in Dublin as Dublin offers the most work opportunities. However, there are other major towns you could live in. Cork is the second largest town in Ireland with Kilkenny, Waterford, Limerick and Galway popular places.

Once you decide where to live be prepared to view properties with lots of other people. Finding somewhere to live is one of the hardest things to do as the rental market, particularly in Dublin is tough. Expect to pay between €500-600 on rent, and you’ll need to put down a month’s rent as deposit. You can search websites for housing on sites like DAFT.ie.

 

Work Available in Ireland for Working Holiday Makers?

 

Enjoy a Guinness after a long day’s work

 

Work is big part of your Irish working holiday. After all, you will mingle with Irish people and discover working life in Ireland. There is a variety of work available for the working holiday maker to Ireland, here are some popular working holiday jobs.

 

Hospitality and Tourism Jobs in Ireland

 

There are plenty of jobs on offer in this area. Different types of positions available are for chefs, cooks and wait staff in the cafes, restaurants and hotels. Bar staff are also needed to work in the pubs. Hours of work can vary and can be shift work to ensure staff are available morning, evening and over night to cater to tourists needs. Expect to receive around €12 per hour for working as a housekeeping assistant to around €15 per hour as a chef. Hostels often employ travellers to work in all areas of their operations so when you arrive ask at the hostel or hotel you are staying at if they are seeking staff. For more on finding work in a hostel read my post Hostel Jobs.

 

Finance Jobs in Ireland

 

The Republic of Ireland is part of the European Union and in terms of wholesale Financial services it is the 4th largest provider and has more than 400 financial institutions. This is great news if your background is in finance and you have qualifications as an accountant or in finance. Even if you don’t, the finance area requires administrators and other office administration staff. Most work can be found in Dublin but there are opportunities in other major towns of Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny and Waterford. Working hours are usually standard office hours of 9am-5.30pm. Don’t forget to bring some corporate clothes to wear.

 

Au Pair and Nanny Jobs in Ireland

 

With or without qualifications you could find a child care position. They can range from being a live-in nanny (which takes care of finding a job and accommodation in the one go) to working in a child care centre. Positions can be found all around Ireland.

 

Sales and Customer Service Jobs

 

If you have an outgoing personality, are a confident communicator and have great customer service skills then there are many work opportunities to undertake such work in a variety of sales and customer service fields. From industries such as media, to retail, to IT, to pharmaceuticals, to banking jobs are available. Most positions are target-driven, demanding and highly competitive so if you like working in such an environment then this type of work might be for you.

 

IT Sector Jobs In Ireland

 

The It sector is thriving in Ireland. In fact Ireland has the second highest concentration of ICT multinationals in the world, apart from Silicon Valley that is. Ireland has many tech headquarters which are on the lookout for IT professionals. So if you are a App Developer, Software Developer or Tester, UX Designer or Technical Support, this is good news. Most find a position in Dublin, Waterford, Galway or Cork. Hours of work are usually 9am-5.30pm but can be longer if projects require it. You could even see yourself working from home which means you could live anywhere in Ireland.

 

Nursing Jobs in Ireland

 

Overseas nurses are in demand to fill positions. To practice nursing you will need to be registered with the An Bord Atlantis, The Irish Nursing Board. Once you are registered you can find a position.

 

Busking in Ireland

 

Ireland is well known for the musicians it has produced. Many of them have started busking on the streets of Dublin or other areas in Dublin. If you have a talent, singing, playing an instrument, juggling, etc. you might want to consider busking on your Irish working holiday.

 

Other Jobs in Ireland

 

Ireland has many industries where you could find work. So what you do now you can most likely do in Ireland. However, it might depend on how long you are staying in Ireland. If only going on a working holiday you might want to try something different to what you do at home.

There are different ways to find work from walking the streets and dropping off your CV to different establishments to registering with employment agencies. A very good option is to look on-line at sites like Jobs.ie, IrishJobs.ie, Recruit Ireland and Monster.ie etc.

 

Become a Digital Nomad in Ireland

 

Ireland is becoming a popular digital nomad destination. There are coliving and coworking spaces available and great wifi making it a popular place to work online and travel. There are many jobs digital nomads do, read my post how to become a digital + 18 digital nomad jobs.

 

What to See and Do in Ireland

 

Playing and travelling around Ireland is my favourite part of a working holiday in Ireland. There is plenty to see and do in Ireland and you will probably have it in your mind already what things you want to see and do. Most visitors start in Dublin and here are my suggestions to get you started. If you are looking to purchase a ticket into museums or need some inspiration, check out GetYourGuide. They have plenty of options to help you discover Ireland.

 

READ MORE:
1 month Ireland Itinerary
7 day Ireland Itinerary
16 Best Places to Visit in Ireland

 

Are You Ready to Live and Work Abroad in Ireland?

 

So there you have it, an overview of how you can live work and play in Ireland on a working holiday visa in Ireland. Once you get the legalities sorted, found a place to live and got yourself a job, then you can get on with what you came for, to experience Ireland and all that it has to offer. If you have been to Ireland on a working holiday or are planning one, I’d love to hear your experiences or answer your questions in the comments following.