Living in Ireland
Non-Irish Living in Ireland
Non-Irish nationals account for 11.6% of the population from 2016 figures. An excellent source for local information is www.irelandstats.com.
Also, the HSE provide useful public information https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs/overseas-candidates/living-and-working-in-ireland.html
No matter what your nationality is, there is bound to be a group of your nationality that will provide information, experiences and advice so spend some time on search engines!
Diversity in Ireland
In April 2016, there were 535,475 non-Irish nationals living in Ireland, a 1.6 per cent decrease on the 2011 figure (544,357). The proportion of the population who were non-Irish nationals has also fallen from 12.2 per cent in 2011 to 11.6 per cent in 2016. This fall in non-Irish nationals can in part be explained by the rise in the number of those with dual Irish nationality, who are classified as Irish in the census.
Persons with dual-Irish nationality increased by 87.4 per cent to 104,784 persons in 2016. The largest proportion was Irish-American, which accounted for 16.8 per cent of all dual nationalities, followed by Irish-UK (14.7%) and Irish-Polish (8.8%).
Just 12 countries, each with over 10,000 residents, accounted for 73.6 per cent of all non-Irish nationals in 2016. In the next category 32 countries with between 1,001 and 10,000 residents accounted for a further 19.7 per cent of the total, with the remaining percentage made up of persons from 156 different countries.
Census of Population 2016 – Profile 7 Migration and Diversity
Infographics source; (www.cso.ie)
Legal Right to Work in Ireland
Generally, if you are an EEA or Swiss citizen; you should be eligible to work in Ireland. Some restrictions may apply - the Irish government provide information on the official website CitizensInformation.ie
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are eligible to legally work in Ireland.
Poland represents the largest non-Irish nationality group living in Ireland with 131,736 people according to the 2016 Census figures.
This includes nearly 10,000 people which hold dual nationality indicating a growth trend of settlement of Polish people in Ireland where the values of family and friendship are strongly aligned within both communities.
Immigration Information Tech/Life Ireland, a new national initiative to brand Ireland as a top destination to pursue a career in technology shares the following public information from April 20, 2016:
EU Citizens
For EU citizens, living and working in Ireland is extremely simple. As the EU encourages movement of workers between countries, you’ll find a range of services to support you in your move.
EEA and Switzerland
The European Economic Area (EEA) was established in 1994 to enable free movement of people, goods and services between the 28 member states in the EU as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Although Switzerland has not joined the EEA, as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), it has a number of agreements that allow it to participate.
The Irish Health Service Executive or HSE is the national body for all things medical. The following links provide details for overseas candidates on Living and Working in Ireland and more…
https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs/overseas-candidates/living-and-working-in-ireland.html
and
https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs/overseas-candidates/
Non-EU/EEA Applicants
Moving and Staying
You won’t need a visa or employment permit if you’re moving to Ireland from the EEA or Switzerland, however you will need to have a valid passport/ID card. You can stay up to 90 days in Ireland with no restrictions, and after that, the restrictions are minimal. To stay in Ireland over 90 days you’ll need to:
- Be employed, or be self-employed
- Have enough funds and sickness insurance to support yourself and any dependents
- Be enrolled as a student or a trainee
- Be a family member of an EU citizen in one of the above categories
- If you are a UK citizen, these restrictions don’t apply.
It’s a good idea to keep a record of your residence in Ireland by registering with your country’s embassy in Ireland when you arrive. After 5 years in Ireland, you’ll have a right to permanent residence.
Bringing your Family/Dependents
You’re entitled to bring your family to Ireland with you. Your family is defined as your spouse/civil partner, children under 21 years (or older if dependent), your parents and your parents-in-law. As of 2015, same-sex spouses and civil partners are recognised in Ireland. If your family members are also from the EEA or Switzerland, no further action is required.
If your family members are from outside the EEA or Switzerland, they can still come with you but they will need to apply for residence cards and may also require entry visas. They will also need to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), but as family members of an EU/EEA citizen, there will be no charge for this registration.