Whether moving to Ireland for work, to be with family, to retire or simply for adventure, living the life of the Irish will be a fascinating journey. You will be enthralled by ancient myths and legends. Diverse landscapes are breathtaking, from lunar landscapes and ocean shorelines to the lakelands. Cities are vibrant and cosmopolitan, and the lifestyle relaxing. Newcomers to Ireland will be captivated by the Irish reputation for “craic”, the word for friendliness and humour.
There are about 5,000 Canadians living in Ireland according to The Canadian Embassy in Dublin. Canadians do not need a visa to visit Ireland. If you are expecting to work in Ireland, be sure to check with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, for information about employment requirements.
Work permits are required in some cases. A Green Card permit is needed for some designated categories. Check out requirements for spouses, partners or dependents of holders of employment permits.
Where you decide to live, and whether you will rent or buy, will be the biggest decisions to make when moving to Ireland. A number of factors come into play:
There is a great range of locations from which to choose.
A good source of information about best places to live is provided by the Irish Times, where residents were asked to describe the advantages of living in different parts of the country. The following locations were top rated:
Wherever the eventual residence, newcomers to Ireland will be sure to enjoy the scenery, neighbors, and superb facilities.
Be prepared for new customs, laws, lifestyles, and costs. Here are some of the more obvious things to consider:
Accessing the Irish education system is not simple, but the Ministry of Education and Science provides extensive useful information
Before you know it, you will be considering yourself lucky to have landed in Ireland.
In planning your move to Ireland, there are many useful on-line resources in addition to the ones already mentioned. Here are a few to get you started:
http://www.irishcanadiansociety.net/
http://www.internations.org/ireland-expats/canadians
http://www.discoverireland.com/ca-en/