... regards weather. Parents the length and breath of the country will be losing sleep and WAtching gray hairs grow at the thought of having less options to keep the kiddos entertained with. Ireland does not exactly have a wealth of things to do indoors for kids. There are some indoor playgrounds, but those can be a bit costly, especially if you're paying for 2 or 3 kids. For example a local place in Cork is charging €7.50 per kid. That's over €22 if you've got 3 little ones with a bag full of energy to burn. There are some malls (not many outside of Dublin I ...

... concern. I fully expect it to be lost or damaged. Also some of the items shipped were in new condition, though had indeed been owned for more than six months (we began preparing for the move a year ago and purchased some shoes, a carseat, and other personal items at that time). All are out of Box, no packaging, and had been used briefly. Here's hoping we don't have too many issues. Would be nice for ANY part of this move to go smoothly. We shipped our goods mid-July. I do intend to battle the $500 "change of country" delivery charge after it arrives, ...

You should apply now to take the theory test. Online requires you to have a PC - not a mac; and not a phone. I did not have a PC - so I took it in person. I would apply straight away as the WAiting time is very long to get a test time. I downloaded the official app for my phone - and did a test a day for months on end. One time Fee. I passed with 100% (I suggest using their app bc they upgrade the questions; do not use a free one) I just started my driving lessons this week. You cannot ask for a WAiver of the time or 12 lessons requirements until y ...

@countydonegal, Thanks, John. I am not ready to apply for Stamp 0 or hire an accountant yet but wondering if you know what types of income are accepted by INIS towards the 50,000 minimum? E.g. I heard in the past that income generated by internet businesses is not counted. Also, the rules mention the term "net income" for the 50,000 minimum but not sure what that term means. Is that take-home income after taxes or other withholdings? Also, if income is paid off-shore e.g. in the US, does that income count or does the e.g. social security check have to be direct deposited into an Irish bank account? If income is denominated in USD or other foreign currency, what exchange rate does INIS assume? Sorry for all the questions. Happy to reach out to the accountant you recommend but not sure if they would give me any information without asking for a consulting Fee. Appreciate all your Feedback to date. Thanks, Kevin.

Bigjo You will have to move over first to meet the criteria, even for Credit Unions these days. Its not a problem I still have a UK account registered at my Daughters that handles some standing order commitments there. Check what your bank (UK) charges for ATM withdrawals in € and work the best WAy of sorting that. My Halifax account WAs great when it charged £0.50 per transaction but it now charges a set Fee + a % which makes it terrible for transfers. You will also have to sort out the pension payments once you have opened an Irish account.

Hi Liam, That's not terrible, especially since it looks like a one-time Fee rather than a per item charge. I did some more research on the website and it looks like you have to order in-store to have the items delivered, you can't just buy online. I WAs hoping to just buy online and have the items delivered to save a trip into a Dublin. But I guess a 2 hr drive to Dublin is no different than the 2 hr drive we currently have to make to our local IKEA in the US. Looking at a move in April so trying to get our ducks in a row.

... it and both of our names). The process WAs quick and easy, about 15 minutes, and thanks to being married to an Irish citizen, I did not have to pay the 300Euros Fee. I got the G/4 stamp in my passport, good for one year and it allows me to work (though I am a semi-retired professor, I may do some consulting and other odd jobs). The Immigration Officer (who may have been the Garda Sergant, and WAs quite friendly) took my photo and prints from my index fingers and that WAs that. This WAs all quite different than the long, expensive and painful process of gett ...

... Things that "keep me up at night" which I will be searching the forum for discussions of (if anyone WAnts to link me to good threads Feel free!): - I've been looking for studios or roommates on rent.ie and daft.ie but won't really be able to get to much into it until I arrive. I am having my two cats flown out to me (using a pet relocator) after I've secured an apartment. Wondering how much trouble I will have finding pet friendly apartments? Lots of these website don't even have a search filter for "pet friendly". - Airlines - I'm a big fan of accumula ...

... works, in that you transfer the money to them, and they send it onto your Irish bank account. But all the signups and transfers happen through an app on my iphone. I am even able to login to my bank via the app so the transfer from my bank's point of view is that I am sending a payment online. The transfer rate is about 3-4% better than what the bank gives me, and the Fee is $10 rather than $35 from my bank. I'm happy with it. Convenient, cheap, secure. If you WAnt to try it out, if you use this link, you will get a discount, and if enough of you use it, I ...

If you think you might ever WAnt to return to live in the US on your own then you should definitely apply for US citizenship as that would be a sure guarantee you could. If you think you would only go back to the US with your spouse then the decision to become a USC is not so clearcut as you have a ticket back into the US by virtue of marriage to a US citizen . Before deciding, you should be aware that living as a US citizen outside of the US can be burdensome and costly in time and or Fees, and heaven help you if you fail to file the correct form and the IR ...