Hi,
I'm new here. My name is Libbie. I have only very recently found this site. It's both helpful and good looking! I plan to apply for permission to stay in Ireland as a retiree. I followed the links on the government website but it doesn't say what documents I need. It says it will tell me after my first contact with them.
I don't plan to go to Ireland until December. Can someone with experience please tell me how soon I should send the first contact email requesting an appointment in Waterford? More importantly, what documents do I need? Bank statements? Proof of health insurance? Passport, etc. Anything else? I'm a U.S. citizen.
Thanks for any information you can send me.
Liam pointed me toward this page http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Stamp%200
where this information is found for those of us who are retired and would like to live in Ireland:
Persons of independent means
For persons of independent means, the financial threshold is generally considered to be €50,000 per person per annum, plus the person must have access to a lump sum of money to cover any unforeseen major expenses. This should be equivalent to, for example, the price of a dwelling in the State.
Financial documentation should be presented in tabular form and converted into Euros, clearly showing all income and expenditure on a monthly basis.
This must be certified by an Irish accountancy firm who have the expert knowledge to interpret the format of the overseas banking / accountancy documentation.
Each application is dealt with on a case by case basis.
It's the "accountancy firm" that stumps me!
I think you need to find a "chartered accountant", which is equivalent to what we would call a CPA in America.
Here's a link that may be helpful:
https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Find-a-Firm#firm
The financial threshold seems awfully high to me, especially since it applies to individuals, meaning a couple needs 2x the 50,000. It also seems it has to be guaranteed pension income, not investment income. That's harder and harder to achieve since so few US jobs provide actual pensions but rather 401ks that rely on investment income.
I hope you can work something out! I'm fortunate to have Irish citizenship so these difficult rules don't apply to me, but I do think Ireland could stand to reevaluate these policies. There are a lot of Americans who would love to move over and spend their retirement money in Ireland...
Thanks Jean! I agree, the threshold seems very high. I can easily live on much less than $50,000 a year -- have been doing that for a long time! Thanks for translating "chartered accountant."
My late husband obtained Irish citizenship but was never well enough to consider a move to Ireland. I wish that would help me somehow, but I'm assured it won't.
Hi Libbie--I'm new here as well. Hubby (who is retired) and I (not retired yet; still waiting for a few yrs) have been kicking around the idea of leaving the U.S. for a variety of reasons. Ireland was one of our top spots but I completely agree with you--€50,000 per person per annum, plus the person must have access to a lump sum of money to cover any unforeseen major expenses, is a LOT of money and prices us right out of the idea. I realize the cost of living in Ireland is more than the U.S. but requiring over 100K plus essentially the cost of a dwelling is unreasonable. This guarantees that only the wealthiest retirees could consider making the move.
Perhaps there is a little hope:
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/new-visa-deal-ireland-america
Thanks for sharing that @kevincallaghan Let's hope they figure out something beneficial for both sets of citizens.
On a side note...WOW! their comment section is like the wild west over there at IC. Lot's of nasty, petty, name-calling!