I have posted here before, but infrequently and probably not in a while. I obtained my dual citizenship with Ireland in 2016. My wife, who is American and cannot get Irish Citizenship would also be affected by what ever will hit us. I am weighing costs. What does it cost to live in Dublin, or Cork, or out West near Sligo? I understand it would be a broad picture of what reality costs, but I have no idea. I would have to get a full time job and rent a 1 bedroom apt. Living in the USA is becoming very expensive, healthcare, housing, insurance (killing me). We will not be eligible for USA retirement until 2023 (age 63) at the earliest. So we would live and work in Ireland. Where do I start? If we move it would be in summer of 2018 when our 1 and only goes to college, probably here in the USA. My options would be to move in with my 85 year old mother (lives in San Jose, USA), who I like and really enjoys my and my wife company, move to Ireland and start fresh or figure something out in between. I know I would have to get a rental, get proof of renting to get healthcare, get a job and then there is my wife. What does she need to do? Lost and without answers. I read on the internets etc, seems like I will have to be "boots on the ground" and do research from Ireland. And it seems until you get to Ireland, all is up in the air until you visit the local Garda and state your intentions, and have a house and a job etc. Catch 22? Anyway, I appreciate any input and experiential help.
Bob Elliott
Hi Bob, good to hear from you again.
Your wife would most likely take the Stamp 4 immigration route. It should be pretty straightforward, and she should be able to work once that's approved. Other's have commented here on the forum about that, so if you do a couple of keyword searches, you should find the info you need.
Cost of living is so relative. Obviously location can have a big impact. Dublin rent vs Sligo rent would be significantly different. That's probably the one stand out difference, as a lot of day to day things would be much the same - groceries, petrol, utilities, etc. For rent prices, check daft.ie and myhome.ie for ideas of what it would cost you. This topic was discussed elsewhere on the forum too in the past. You'll find some useful info and links here.