Just Landed in Ireland? Your First 7 Days

Prepaid SIMs are cheap, need no local ID, and 4G/5G coverage is strong across the cities though genuinely patchy in rural areas and the west. eSIMs are widely supported on all the major networks, so you can be connected before you land. Home broadband is generally fast in urban areas, with fibre widely available.

Typical cost: Around 15 to 20 euro per month for an unlimited or high-data prepaid plan; GoMo (around 15 to 16 euro for unlimited data on the eir network) and 48 (on the Three network) are consistently the cheapest.

Ireland uses the euro and is almost entirely cashless in daily life; contactless and Apple/Google Pay are accepted nearly everywhere, from buses to coffee shops. You will typically need a PPS number and proof of an Irish address to open a full traditional bank account, which is why most newcomers start with a digital bank.

Opening an account: The main traditional banks are AIB and Bank of Ireland; both generally require proof of an Irish address and usually a PPS number, and appointments can take time. Revolut and N26 are enormously popular with newcomers and can be opened from your phone in minutes with just a passport, each giving you an IBAN suitable for salary, rent, and bills. Many people run Revolut as their everyday account and add AIB or Bank of Ireland later.

Cash: Largely cashless. Cards and phone payments cover coffee, groceries, buses (via Leap Card top-ups), and nearly all purchases; cash is only really needed for the occasional small pub, rural shop, market stall, or older taxi. Carrying 30 to 50 euro is plenty for a normal week.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and optional. Around 10 to 15 percent in sit-down restaurants if service was good is normal; there is no tipping in pubs, and taxi and cafe tips are just a matter of rounding up. Since the Tips Act came in, service charges must legally be passed to staff, so check your bill before adding more.

There is no mandatory general address-registration for the population as there is in some European countries; EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can live and work in Ireland freely without registering an address. However, non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals intending to stay longer than 90 days have a separate and firm legal obligation: they must register their immigration permission and obtain an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. This is your proof of the right to remain and is required to reopen a bank account issue, renew permissions, or re-enter the country smoothly.

Where: Registration for those living in Dublin is handled by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) through the online Freephone appointment and registration system in Burgh Quay; outside Dublin, you register in person at your local Garda (police) immigration office or Garda station.

Dublin has an extensive bus network, the Luas tram (Red and Green lines), and the DART and commuter rail along the coast and into the suburbs; get a TFI Leap Card for the cheapest fares plus automatic daily and weekly spending caps. Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford rely mainly on buses. Intercity travel runs on Irish Rail and Bus Eireann coaches, and driving is on the left.

From the airport: Dublin Airport to the city centre: the Airlink 700, Dublin Express, and Aircoach buses run frequently for around 7 to 12 euro and take 30 to 45 minutes; a taxi costs roughly 25 to 35 euro. There is no train or metro at the airport, though the long-promised MetroLink is still in planning. Cork and Shannon airports also connect to their cities by bus and taxi.

Housing is the single hardest part of settling in Ireland, with a severe supply shortage and fast-moving listings, especially in Dublin, Cork, and Galway. Most people search on Daft.ie and Rent.ie and act within hours, sometimes minutes, of a listing appearing. Expect stiff competition, viewings with crowds of applicants, and requests for references and proof of income.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat in central Dublin runs roughly 1,750 to 2,700 euro per month, with a wide gap between areas; a room in a shared house is often 800 to 1,300 euro. New tenancies typically cost more than existing ones for the same property. Cork and Galway are somewhat cheaper but still tight and competitive.

Deposit norm: Deposits are typically one month's rent, paid alongside the first month upfront. Under the Residential Tenancies Act a landlord cannot lawfully demand more than one month's rent as a deposit plus one month's rent in advance. Register any dispute with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), and never pay a deposit before viewing the property in person.

Ireland has a public system run by the HSE, but it is not free at the point of use for most residents; GP visits and prescriptions carry fees unless you qualify for a Medical Card or GP Visit Card, both of which are means-tested. Public hospital waiting lists for non-urgent care can be long, which pushes many people toward private insurance.

How to access it: Register with a local GP (family doctor) as your first point of contact; a standard private GP visit costs around 50 to 70 euro, and you usually pay per visit. Prescriptions are charged at the pharmacy, though there is a monthly cap under the Drugs Payment Scheme. For emergencies, go to a hospital Emergency Department or call 112 or 999; note that an ED visit without a GP referral carries a statutory charge of around 100 euro.

Insurance: Many residents buy private health insurance (VHI, Laya Healthcare, or Irish Life Health) to skip public waiting lists and cover private or semi-private hospital care. Employers often provide it as a benefit; otherwise expect to pay GP and specialist fees out of pocket until you qualify for a Medical Card. Compare policies on the Health Insurance Authority's official comparison tool.

• Small talk is a national sport; chatting about the weather or the match with a stranger, shopkeeper, or taxi driver is normal and friendly, not intrusive.
• Buying rounds in the pub is a genuine social contract; if others buy you a drink, buy one back when it is your turn, and never skip out on your round.
• Self-deprecation and 'slagging' (light teasing) are signs of affection; taking gentle mockery in good humour and giving a bit back signals that you fit in.
• Say 'thanks', 'thanks a million', or 'cheers' generously, and give a wave of the hand to drivers who let you pass; casual politeness is expected everywhere.
• Punctuality matters for work and appointments, but social plans are looser; 'we'll grab a pint sometime' is warm intent rather than a fixed commitment.
• Queuing is respected, and pushing in is one of the fastest ways to annoy people; wait your turn at the bar, the bus stop, and the shop.
• Understatement is the norm; 'not too bad' can mean genuinely good, and loud self-promotion tends to land poorly.

• 'Grand', 'sound', and 'craic' are everywhere; 'grand' usually just means fine or okay rather than impressive, 'sound' means reliable or good, and 'the craic' means fun or good times.
• The weather is genuinely changeable and often wet; carry a rain jacket year-round, expect four seasons in a day, and do not over-trust the forecast.
• Bureaucracy moves slowly and a relaxed 'ah I'll sort it' may mean later rather than now; follow up politely and keep your own records.
• Alcohol is deeply woven into socialising, so be ready to navigate a pub-centric culture and know it is completely fine to order a soft drink or a non-alcoholic pint.
• Directness about money and salaries is less common than in some cultures; people can be cagey about pay and rent, so tread lightly.