Moving to Ireland from the US, Canada or the UK

For people with an Irish job offer, retirees with a strong pension, and anyone with an Irish grandparent. How each route works, the 2026 salary figures, and why UK citizens need no visa at all.

Ireland is English-speaking, in the EU, and allows dual citizenship. For many Americans and Canadians, the fastest way in is not a visa at all. If you have an Irish-born grandparent, you may be able to become an Irish citizen first and move as one. For everyone else, Ireland’s main routes are work permits tied to an Irish job, and a permission for retirees with a high income.

UK citizens: no visa needed

British citizens do not need an employment permit or any other immigration permission to live or work in Ireland. This comes from the Common Travel Area, a long-standing arrangement between the UK and Ireland. If you hold a UK passport, you can skip the routes below.

The main ways in for US and Canadian citizens

US and Canadian citizens do not need an entry visa for Ireland. For a long stay, you get your permission first, then register for an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) after you arrive. Registration costs EUR 300.

Citizenship through an Irish grandparent (Foreign Births Register). If a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, you may be able to register as an Irish citizen. There is no language test and no need to live in Ireland. Once registered, you are an EU citizen and can live and work in Ireland, the rest of the EU, and the UK. Read our full guide to Irish citizenship through a grandparent.

Critical Skills Employment Permit. This fits graduates and experienced professionals with a job offer of at least two years. Since 1 March 2026, the minimum salary is EUR 40,904 for a job on the Critical Skills Occupations List if you hold a relevant degree. For any other eligible job, it is EUR 68,911. The permit fee is EUR 1,000. Your spouse, partner and children can join you straight away. After two years, you can apply for Stamp 4, which lets you work without a permit.

General Employment Permit. This fits workers with an Irish job offer who do not qualify for Critical Skills. The standard minimum salary is EUR 36,605. Your employer usually has to advertise the job first to show it cannot fill it locally. The first permit usually lasts two years and costs EUR 1,000. Spouses and partners of General Employment Permit holders need their own permit to work.

Stamp 0 for people of independent means. This fits retirees with a large, secure passive income, such as a pension or investments. The official figure is EUR 50,000 a year per person. You also need access to a lump sum for major expenses and private medical insurance. You cannot work on Stamp 0. Some of the details, such as the figure for couples, come only from secondary sources, so confirm them with Immigration Service Delivery.

Working holiday for Canadians. Ireland is a partner in International Experience Canada, so young Canadians can apply for Ireland’s own working holiday visa. Check Ireland’s terms for age and length.

See every route below for the student route and more.

Money and the path to citizenship

Salary thresholds will rise again. The Department of Enterprise plans yearly increases from 2027, but the 2027 figures are not yet published.

Ireland’s naturalisation rule is clear. You need five years (1,825 days) of reckonable residence in the last nine years, including one continuous year just before you apply. Time on a work permit (Stamp 1) and Stamp 4 counts. Time on Stamp 0 may not count: the official stamps page does not list it as reckonable. Student time on Stamp 2 does not count. There is no language test.

US citizens keep filing US tax returns on worldwide income while living in Ireland. Becoming an Irish tax resident can make your pension and investment income taxable in Ireland too. Speak to a tax adviser before you move.

Timeline and your first 90 days

1. Secure your permission before you travel. Your employer, or you, applies online for an employment permit at least 12 weeks before your start date. Stamp 0 applicants apply to Immigration Service Delivery and receive a Conditional Letter of Offer.
2. Travel to Ireland. US and Canadian citizens need no entry visa.
3. Register for your IRP. Register with Immigration Service Delivery after you arrive and pay the EUR 300 fee.
4. Plan your renewals. Critical Skills holders move to Stamp 4 after two years. Stamp 0 holders renew each year if they still meet the money test.

What catches people out

• Ireland is not in Schengen. Days in Ireland do not count toward the Schengen 90-in-180 limit, and Irish residence does not give you Schengen rights. Ireland also does not operate the EU’s Entry/Exit System.
• The first employer matters. Critical Skills holders are expected to stay with their first employer for at least nine months.
• Remote work does not fit these routes. Employment permits need an Irish employer, and Stamp 0 does not allow work.
• The grandparent route can be faster than any visa. If you have an Irish-born grandparent, check that route first.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm each requirement with the Department of Enterprise or Immigration Service Delivery before you apply.