@countydonegalThank you, John. It must be exciting, selling your home and committing to the move. I take it you have received an affirmative on your application? My plan is to do as you have done, try some short-term rentals in Areas of interest and ultimately decide on some permanency somewhere. In your case, the Galway Area is a good choice to begin your adventure. Thanks for the clarification of various matters. I think I have a fairly good handle on matters now. Best of luck with your move. Please let me know how things go after you get there. Doug

... trying to get a kid into school for the first time age 4/5. There's a ridiculous WAiting list system that most schools have, whereby kids are registered at birth, and by the time they're school age, they may no longer even be living in the Area. Try the links on this page for info If you click through to individual schools, you'll see some have pretty good parent survey info, as well as some school inspection reports. The data might be a little old in some cases, but it's still useful. Meeting people locally is a good WAy to get looped in. Or there may ...

... for going back to the US at some point are not as stringent, but something you should research ahead of time also. 3. Buyer representation isn't very prevalent in the Irish property scene, however a number of realtors, or buyers agents as they appear to be referred to in Ireland, are popping up. I'd recommend getting in touch with a few, looking for references, finding out if they operate in your desired Area etc. Typically they charge a percentage of the home purchase price, so plan accordingly. 4. where to buy is primarily a personal decision. Are you l ...

... a decision we don't WAnt to rush, but at the same time we are keen to go - so a dilema for us to resolve. My line of work is Project Management, and i've worked across many sectors (IT/Data/Healthcare/Software/Engine Diagnstics), so i'm not tied to one Area. There are plenty of PM jobs in Dublin but that doesn't interest me - the whole idea is to have a quality of life. My wife is a Palliative Care Nurse (Macmillan) but i'd think a change of career is what she's after. If i can support us both then great, but that'll impact the mortgage application i gues ...

@elliejorgan official line on that here unofficial... how would they know if you continued working for a short period of time? During COVID, I personally know of many people who have moved to the EU/US, and worked while on vacation. Don't people do this all the time even before COVID? e.g. you take a vacay to Mexico, and bring your laptop. I'm not advocating for breaking the rules, but seems like there's a bit of grey Area/leeway here. On the other hand, many have posted on this forum that they get a Stamp 4 within days of arrival. Best wishes with your move.

Thank you Liam! Yes - I have friends still in the Dublin Area and whenever I post something about living in Lucan, they always make a joke about confusing the two. Looking forward to researching and reading as we go 🙂

Hello everyone, Just wondering if anyone can give me any info on how the current pandemic might affect the visa renewal process? (not in the Dublin Area in this case so it's the guards in charge.) It seems a bit risky WAlking into a garda station, WAiting around with other applicants sitting nearby etc. Have they changed anything? (e.g., booking an appointment in advance so there's only one person at a time or even moved some of the process online?) I've looked on all the official websites and there's no update whatsoever from previous years. Strangely. ...

Hey guys! We're planning to move to Dublin in a few months and I WAnt to know how should I choose the neighbourhood & the elementary school for my 8-years-old son. In the UK, a kid has priority for a seat if he's living in the school neighbourhood. Is it the same in Ireland? I'm not sure how to choose the school & the Area to find an apartment.

Hi Megan - I'm so distressed for you reading about your experience. We left Chicago at the end of July and our container arrived end August, but took almost 2 weeks to be cleared through customs because they are so busy. I found it stressful enough WAiting the 5 weeks without my or any of the kids' stuff so i can well imagine how you must be feeling. It really shouldn't be this difficult. We had a great experience, and i write this not to rub your nose in it but because it may be useful for others who may be reading this and planning a move! We used Pickens ...

... a 12-hour journey across the Atlantic. I thus broke up travel plans, as follows: Domestic: United Airlines charged $125 pet fee to book flight, nonstop, from SMF>EWR. Motel 6 offers pet-friendly lodging near EWR. International: Delta booked my cat, in-cabin, and provided dimensions for pet carrier as required for the air CRAFT type. I returned to my reservations and found NOTHING about my cat, etc. When I called Delta, a note had been added to my reservation that NO IN-CABIN travel allowed for my cat. Cancelled entire reservation, with promise to write ...