Hello Liam,

Thank you for creating this community, it is absolutely amazing and filled with so much information.

I am an American and will be getting married to an Irish Citizen.

My question is, if it will be an easier process to get married here in the States? Or to go by the book and get married in Ireland?

Hello Liam,

This website is absolutely amazing and filled with so much information.

I am an American Citizen about to get married to an Irish Citizen. He has been living here in the States for 10 year and my question is, if it is easier to get married in the States and then move to Ireland or if we should go by the book and get married there? 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer questions and providing the research.

-Yvette

Hi Yvette,

Thanks for the introduction (times 2 🙂 ).

It really doesn't matter where you get married, once it is recognized as a legal marriage. No matter where you get married, you'll still have to go and prove that the marriage is not for the purpose of getting residency in Ireland. The usual supporting paperwork, relationship history details, etc will be required. 

To give you some personal context, I was married in the US, and my American spouse had no problems moving to Ireland, nor had she any problems getting Irish citizenship.

Thanks for joining us here. I hope you'll pop back as things come up. Feel free to start your own topics as needs be. 

Liam

Hi Jamie, and welcome to the site

There are restrictions on who is eligible for public services in Ireland. I recommend you read through the information on welfare.ie here  http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Moving-to-or-from-Ireland.aspx

I'm not sure a month is sufficient to get everything in line to figure out if you want to live in any place. But possibly with enough planning ahead of time, you'll have a good idea. There can be a lot of bureaucracy to overcome when you first move, so be prepared to wait a bit longer than that. 

Also keep in mind, that even if you qualify for social services in Ireland, that does not mean that you automatically qualify throughout the EU.

Best of luck with it!

liam 

Thx for the reply. I shouldn't have mentioned the welfare to confuse the situation. It's half tongue in cheek - ONLY if I stay in Ireland would I investigate that - so that would be far down the line. The info that's most pertinent and timely is in regards to establishing my finances i.e. banking and retirement investments with Irish firms as well as establishing my health services. I haven't found specific info pertaining to that with consideration to my circumstances. Would also like to find out what I may accomplish from US before I head over in a few weeks. Thanks!

Jamie, are you planning on taking out private medical insurance, or relying on state provided healthcare? If private, you should certainly explore your options now. hia.ie is a great resource. 

Regarding finances, a bank account being in place ahead of time is a huge help. BOI have a program in place to allow you to open one from overseas. 

The issue of investments is a little more complicated e.g. are you planning to bring 401k funds, do you want to set up a retirement account in Ireland etc... There are plenty of investment companies. None that I personally recommend, but one of the major ones is Irish Life. I'd recommend you read this info also,  http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/pensions/personal_retirement_savings_accounts.html

I don't need proof of residence to open a bank acct? Or even to establish state provided healthcare? Again, getting inconclusive/conflicting info in my own research. I do have the dual citizenship and Irish passport already.

My current insurance will cover me through the end of the year. I'm prepared to stay in Ireland as long as needed to sort it out. Just not clear how long that might take. reside a full year? Guess I'll find out.

My current financial advisor firm won't handle my acct if I no longer reside in the US so will need to find a suitable option. But technically I still reside in US but am traveling long term. It's a little tricky (to me at least...uncharted territory) and I'm officially 'Red Tape Averse'!

BOI have an option to open an account from overseas  https://irelandmoveclub.com/wonderful-banking-improvements-moving-ireland/

Not so sure about healthcare, but I'm pretty certain that to take out a policy from an Irish company, you will need proof of residency.

Hi Liam:  my partner and I are set on moving to Ireland  (Rosguill Peninsula) early 2018. We are both US citizens.  Probably going to buy a house and live there at least a year, then decide from there.  Neither of us will work, so no need for employment-related visas, and banking / money issues seem moot since everything's over the internet/via credit cards these days and I have several credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.

On the subject of a visa: our plan is simply to come into the Republic on 3 month tourist visas, and leave/reenter the Republic every 11 weeks or so, essentially restarting the tourist visa.  Unless I miss my guess, this should be as easy as flying back to the States for a week or so, the returning to Ireland.  Once the UK completes Brexit, it will be even easier; simply drive to Belfast.

Seems too easy, in fact, but I can't find anything in my research that indicates it's not doable.  Thoughts?

Hey Ken,

You know I receive this question numerous times per year. In fact, I receive it for both the US and Ireland - how many times can you enter the country within one year as a tourist. Neither for the US or Ireland can I find definitive information. The only thing that I can find is that you can re-enter more than once per year, and it is at the discretion of the officer who is handling your entry, as to whether you will be allowed. I'm sure they track people who they think are engaged in any kind of suspicious/criminal activity, but I'm wondering do they often track people who try to get around the residency laws by doing this. I can't advise you either way really. 

Buying a house is a big commitment, especially with an uncertain future in Ireland. Even after the year, you will not have any rights to stay. Have you researched the Stamp 0 process?

Welcome to the site! Liam