Moving to Dublin as a Brit: no visa, no stamp, but a few jobs to do first

If you hold a British passport, you can move to Dublin tomorrow without asking anyone's permission.

The short version

• British citizens don't need a visa, residence permit or employment permit to live, work, study or retire in Ireland, thanks to the Common Travel Area (CTA) [1][2].
• That's a UK–Ireland arrangement, not EU free movement, so Brexit didn't end it. There's no 90/180-day rule for Brits in Ireland.
• Your first real job is a PPS number, which you can only apply for once you're living here [4].
• A partner or child who isn't British or Irish has no CTA rights. They apply before travelling, and you'll need to show a few years of decent income [2][3].
• Swap your UK driving licence through the NDLS once you're resident, and register to vote: you can vote in Irish general and local elections [1][2].

The Common Travel Area: what it gives you

The CTA goes back decades before either country joined the EU. Both governments have written it down in a 2019 memorandum, and the UK government's guidance (updated 1 January 2026) spells out what a British citizen gets in Ireland [2]:

Two things the CTA doesn't give you. You can't vote in European Parliament elections without EU citizenship [1], and presidential elections and referendums are for Irish citizens only. And it only covers British and Irish citizens, not their non-British family members [2].

So the honest answer to "which visa do I need?" is none. You don't pick a "route" the way you would for Canada or Australia. Work, study, retirement and remote work all look the same at the border: a British passport and a reason to be here, and nobody stamps it. Remote workers for a UK employer are free to come too, though the tax and PRSI side needs sorting (see our guide to working for a UK employer from Dublin).

What if you moved before 2021?

If you were living in Ireland legally before 1 January 2021, you and your family also have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement [1]. For most Brits this changes little, because the CTA already covers them. It matters more for non-British family members who were here with you then.

Ireland is still in the EU

Moving to Dublin doesn't give you EU free movement. If you fancy a long stint in Spain or France later, the 90/180-day rule applies to you as a British citizen. Ireland isn't in Schengen, so days in Dublin don't count towards the 90.

The one big exception is Irish citizenship. If a parent was born on the island of Ireland, you may already be Irish. If a grandparent was, you may be able to join the Foreign Births Register. Ireland allows dual citizenship, so you don't have to give up your British passport [1]. Our guide to Irish citizenship for Brits has the detail.

Bringing a partner or children who aren't British

This is where moving to Dublin stops being simple. Non-British, non-Irish family members aren't covered by the CTA and fall under Irish immigration rules [2]. Irish Immigration has a dedicated scheme for joining a UK national who came to live in Ireland after 31 December 2020 [3].

Who can apply:

• A spouse, civil partner or de facto partner (de facto partners need at least two years of living together)
• Dependent children of you or your partner
• Dependent parents aged 66 or over, who have to show real dependency

What the British partner (the "sponsor") must show, in brief [3]:

• you live in Ireland, or intend to, and can support the family without public funds
• you've earned more than the Working Family Payment threshold in each of the past three years, with at least EUR 20,000 (about £16,700) a year of assessable income for a couple without children, and more for larger families or dependent parents
• three years of tax returns, recent payslips or accounts, six months of certified bank statements and proof of suitable accommodation

And the family member needs:

• to apply from outside Ireland, before travelling
• private medical insurance for a year from an insurer authorised by the Health Insurance Authority, including private hospital cover
• police certificates for every country they've lived in over the past five years
• a passport valid for at least 12 months

Pound conversions here use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002), rounded.

Depending on nationality, they apply for either a preclearance letter or a long stay "D" Join Family (UK National) visa. Both are valid for six months. The application fee is EUR 60 (about £50), or EUR 100 (about £83) for a multiple-entry visa [3]. On arrival they register at an immigration registration office and get 12 months' permission at first, which is then renewed. Children under 16 don't need to register.

Don't book a one-way ferry for the family before the paperwork is through. You can't switch from visitor to resident from inside Ireland [3]. If your partner is already settled in the UK, it's often worth applying from there well ahead of the move.

Your first weeks: what to do, in order

1. Find somewhere to live. It's the hardest bit of moving to Dublin, and you'll need an address for almost everything else. See our guide to renting in Dublin.
2. Get a PPS number. It's your Personal Public Service number, seven digits and one or two letters, used for tax, social welfare, the medical card and driving licences [4]. You apply on MyWelfare.ie with a basic MyGovID account and then attend an in-person appointment. Brits can prove identity with a current passport, and need proof of address no older than three months, such as a tenancy agreement or bank statement. You can't apply before you've moved [4].
3. Register with Revenue. Once you have a PPS number and a job, set up Revenue's myAccount and register the job so you don't pay emergency tax. More in our guide to your PPS number, Revenue myAccount and your first weeks.
4. Open an Irish bank account. Your British passport and proof of address will usually do.
5. Find a GP and look at health insurance. If you're living here for at least a year you're treated as ordinarily resident and can use the public health system. GP visits are generally paid for unless you qualify for a medical card or GP visit card.
6. Swap your driving licence. Once you're resident you can't keep driving on a UK licence. Exchange it through the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), with a check code from the DVLA (or the DVA in Northern Ireland) [1].
7. Register to vote in Ireland, and keep your UK vote too if you want it (see below).

Loose ends back home in Blighty

Moving across the Irish Sea is still leaving the UK, and the taxman will want to know.

• Tell HMRC. Most people fill in a P85 if they're leaving work in the UK. Our guide to leaving the UK and telling HMRC covers it, and the Statutory Residence Test decides when you stop being UK resident.
• Double tax. The UK and Ireland have a double taxation agreement, so the same income shouldn't be taxed twice [1]. Ireland taxes on the calendar year, not April to April, which makes the year you move a bit of a faff. A tax adviser who knows both countries can check your case.
• The State Pension. Ireland is on DWP's list of countries where the UK State Pension still goes up every April [5].
• Votes for life. You can register as an overseas elector for UK general elections however long you've been away.
• Council tax, the TV licence and your GP. Cancel them or let them know you've gone.

Plenty of Brits in Dublin keep a foot in both camps, popping home for Christmas or a family Sunday roast on a cheap flight or the ferry from Holyhead. Getting your Irish life set up early just makes those trips less of a faff.

If you'd like to ask people who've already done the move, our community group for Brits in Ireland is here.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Ireland (reviewed 26 February 2026)
2. GOV.UK (Home Office): Common Travel Area guidance (updated 1 January 2026)
3. Irish Immigration Service: Joining your UK national family member
4. Citizens Information: Personal Public Service (PPS) number
5. GOV.UK (DWP): Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension

Keep reading

• The Common Travel Area: living and working in Ireland as a Brit
• Renting in Dublin
• Cost of living in Dublin vs London and the UK average
• Moving abroad checklist for Brits