The Expat Astrologer

Helping you move and travel based on your astrology

Challenges

Unexpected Costs To Account For As An Expat Moving To Ireland

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Moving to Ireland? Here are some of the unexpected costs you need to account for as an expat planning to live abroad in Ireland.When you make the decision to move overseas, I think most think it is an easy enough decision to make. Do you have a job to go to? That is probably the one consideration most people would think of before moving abroad. But the real question you need to ask yourself before you move to a new country is: Will I be able to afford living in a new country for the long term?

People often make the mistake of assuming because salaries sound better overseas, that they will be making tons of cash when finally move there. Converting to your home country currency is probably the worst mistake you can make because you are then basing that new salary off cost of living back at home without fully realising what the cost of living is like in the country you intend on living. Read this post for better insight on cost of living between Ireland and South Africa.

More to the point about money and budgets is that there are always going to be unexpected costs that seem to creep up when you move overseas. You are in a new country, and you want to explore, but it might be helpful if you have enough saved before you move over to account for some of those unexpected costs that you don’t often think about in the excitement of starting a new adventure.

  1. The cost of visas, work permits, and being legally allowed to stay in the country long term.

Depending on how you are able to enter the country to either work or live abroad, there may be costs associated to obtaining the necessary visa. It’s a good idea to check in advance of you arriving what those costs could be, since they will probably be in the foreign currency.

Certain work permits in Ireland cost money as well. In most cases this may be paid for by your employer but it is good information to be familiar with in case the onus falls on your shoulders to settle.

In Ireland, as an expat with a non-EU passport, you are required to register for a GNIB card within 90 days of arriving in the country. The cost associated with this immigration registration card is EUR300. If you arrive in the country before getting employment sorted out, you will need to pay for this card twice. The first time to notify them that you are intending on staying in the country, and the second to update your employment status. If you are like me, that means that you could pay EUR600 in your first year.

2. Finding a place to rent and deposits.

If you are looking for a rental as an expat, there are certain cases where you may have to pay more than a full month as a deposit to secure a good spot. We have heard of friends who were required to pay a double deposit. Because good rentals in the city of Dublin are quite costly, the difference between be able to secure a place to rent and having to let it go, may come down to who can pay the upfront payment right then and there. Finding a place to rent that is pet-friendly carries additional challenges, read this post for how we managed to find our place.

3. Additional custom costs to shipping your home overseas.

This is another hidden cost that people sometimes don’t account for. You could decide to send some things over from home to your new home abroad. What you might not realise is that you pay a fee to move it overseas, but then depending on its destination, you will pay a customs fee to bring it into the new country. If you can, find out what that cost will be beforehand (a good shipping company should be able to give you an estimate) so that it is not a heavy surprise when you get to the other side. It may also help you decide what is worth sending over, and what is maybe better off leaving behind.

4. Getting a car is not just about buying the wheels.

You are legally required to have car insurance if you own a vehicle. Because you are entering into a new country, you will need to show your car insurance history from back home. If there is a gap in payments (i.e you cancel your car insurance before you move over) there is a risk that you may need to pay a heavier premium/penalty. Furthermore, certain countries are allowed to swop out their drivers license for an Irish one, South Africa is one of those countries that are accepted. However you have to do this within the first year of your arrival, and your home country’s drivers license needs to still be valid. The cost to swop out your drivers license is EUR55.

5.  The cost of medical aid.

If you wish to take out medical aid in Ireland, the biggest difference here is that the premiums are paid upfront for the year. Unlike in South Africa where the premiums are deducted off monthly, you need to have the full payment for the full year, ready upfront. This could be quite a big lump sum depending on what package you intend on taking out.

For more info on living abroad, and moving to Ireland, you can find all these kinds of posts here on the blog.

LOOKING TO MOVE TO IRELAND, WHAT INFORMATION WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COVER IN THE NEXT POST ABOUT LIVING ABROAD?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Moving to Ireland? Here are some of the unexpected costs you need to account for as an expat planning to live abroad in Ireland.

Top 10 things to sort out when you arrive in Ireland (as an expat)

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the top 10 things you should get sorted as soon as you move over to Ireland as an expat.The best part of living abroad is the realization that you can never get away from admin and paperwork. Some things change and some things stay the same, but no matter where you live, there will always be admin and paperwork! The bonus fun fact is that it is going to be slightly different wherever you plan on living. The paper work also seems to increase depending on if you are married/single; if you need a visa to live or work in a place and if you plan on one day seeking permanent residency in a particular foreign country.

Basically you can not avoid getting sucked into an admin paper trail, so I thought that I would outline some of the basic things you, as an expat in Ireland, should try get sorted within the first few weeks of your arrival. This list is a culmination of our experience and is purely based off our own experience and unique situation to moving to Ireland from South Africa. If you are looking to chat more about how you can move to Ireland, feel free to contact me, and if its technical info you need about your own situation, Citizen Information can also be a great resource.

Disclosure: this information is also based on the fact that you have legally arrived in Ireland and that you are legally allowed to enter the country and live/work here. If you want to read more about how we moved to Ireland, maybe start with this post and then come back here.

Top 10 things you need to sort out as an expat moving to Ireland

[bctt tweet=”Top 10 things you need to sort out as an expat moving to Ireland” username=”Thisisus_living”]

  1. First things first, you need to find a place to stay – I recommend trying to do this while you are actually in the country, although you can most certainly check the various rental sites online. I just found that good spots go quite quickly, so you want to be able to give them a call, or meet/view the place quickly. This post is a great resource for anyone looking for a pet friendly rental in Dublin. Key to getting a rental sorted, means that you can get a proof of address in Ireland. I had hoped that the rental agreement itself could be used as a form of proof of address – but the bank however would not accept this as proof of address. You will probably sign up for utilities like gas/electricity/TV/Wifi any ways, and these can be used as proof of address. If you are married, try set up these accounts where both of you have a name on these utilities (or one has TV and the other has electricity account). A proof of address is going to be a valuable piece of paper you will need to set up other things while you live here in Ireland.
  2. If you are a non-EU passport holder, when you went go through immigration at the airport, they will give you a card with information on setting up an appointment for your GNIB card. This is basically an immigration card that shows you are legally allowed to work/live in Ireland. It is essential you make this booking within 90 days of your arrival. Over certain times of the year, appointments book up months in advance – so the first day you arrive in the country, you should go online and set your GNIB appointment. Make sure you give yourself time to get this sorted. (Note: it will cost EUR300 for this card; so bring cash or card to pay for this at your appointment). Depending on if you plan on working or living in Ireland, you will need to bring with you all the necessary documentation – this should be outlined on their website.
  3. If you are like me, and plan on bringing over your phone from your home country to use here in Ireland, check that your phone is unlocked before you leave home. In South Africa, most phones are unlocked, but Americans that have come to Ireland often find out too late that their phone is locked, making it impossible to switch to an Irish sim card. I recommend going and getting your first sim card for your phone at carphone warehouse – they offer sales and specials for all service providers here in Ireland. You can get a pay as you go SIM, or a contract – depending on what you are looking for.
  4. When you first arrive in Ireland, you might be relying on public transport for a while, until you have a car. I strongly recommend that you sign up for a leap card – it costs EUR5 for the card and you can top up from your phone (Andriod only) or at the luas or train stations. Leap cards can be used on Dublin buses, Luas and the DART, you will also need a leap card to be able to register to use Dublin Bikes (it costs further EUR25 per year to be registered to Dublin Bikes). The rates for all these public transport services are cheaper if you use a leap card than if you pay cash – so it is well worth it!
  5. Before you arrive in Ireland, I hope you will look at if you need a work permit, and which one you can apply for. This really will help ease the stress if you know this before you arrive. If you are not sure, then read this post on finding a job and applying for a work permit in Ireland.
  6. Key to getting GNIB cards and work permits, is keeping track of when your passport expires. It might sound like an obvious one, but I recently got my work permit, and my permit is only valid till when my passport expires. I will need to get a new passport and then go back and update it with my work permit details thereafter, these costs all add up at the end of the day.
  7. If you are planning on working or earning a salary here in Ireland, then you will need to open up a bank account. This is a bit different to back home, you have to book an appointment at the local bank, and go in with your passport, and proof of address. I had to use a utility account as proof of address, because AIB would not accept my rental agreement.
  8. Once you have a bank account and a work permit, then you need to set up an appoint with social services to get a PPS number. You only need a PPS number if you are planning on claiming welfare, or if you are paying taxes (i.e working).
  9. After getting your PPS number, you need to go online and register your pps number with MyGov.ie to avoid paying maximum tax. You need to do this BEFORE you start getting your paycheck.
  10. If you plan on buying a car/ driving in Ireland. You are allowed to swop your South African drivers out for an Irish drivers license. All you need to do is fill some forms, go for an eye test, and then make an appointment. You will need to hand over your current, valid South African drivers license. It takes 3 weeks – 3 months to get your Irish drivers license back. The cost to get this sorted is EUR55.

So there you have it, the top 10 things you should get sorted as soon as you move over to Ireland as an expat.

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Top 10 things you need to sort out as an expat moving to Ireland

The Best Ways to Find a Pet-Friendly Rental in Dublin

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Although it is super tricky to find a rental that is pet friendly, it is possible. Here are the considerations you should have when looking for a pet-friendly rental in Dublin, Ireland.Lately I have been getting a few emails from people looking to move to Ireland with their pets. The number one question they ask is how easy is it to find a place to live with your pet. In the sage words of Nelson Mandela, it always seems impossible until it is done. Although I am sure he never meant it for moving to a new country with your pet. Although it is super tricky to find a rental that is pet friendly, it is possible. I tried to list a few of the considerations you should have when looking for a pet-friendly rental in Dublin.

While moving your pet over to Ireland can be relatively easy to do (no quarantine definitely helps, but read my post on all you need to know about moving your pet to Ireland f you need help with this.). The trick is once you are over here; it is a bit of a stress finding accommodation for the whole family, fur babies included.

[bctt tweet=”Here are some ways to find a pet-friendly rental in Dublin.” username=”Thisisus_living”]

If you can – divide and conquer. 

We didn’t want to kennel Jack while we looked for a place to stay, so my husband moved over a few weeks before we did to find a pet-friendly place.

Search online, but try do it while you are in Ireland.

We looked online, on www.daft.ie, to find a place to rent in Dublin. I think we were lucky, given the time we moved over and that my husband was available to meet at any time of the day. We found a place within 10days, and were able to move into the place 4 days later. I do think that was a bit of luck and the fact that the place we found was empty already helped move the process along quicker than expected.

Narrow down the search, by looking for what you need.

It is better to look while one of you is here; this is because places go so quickly. When you are looking for places online, try advanced search settings by looking for places that are privately managed by the landlord and not a rental agent. This is because a landlord can make a decision on the spot on whether he/she is happy to allow pets – a rental agent will need to sign this off with the owner, and it is far easier for that person to say no if they haven’t met you. Search for places that have a garden or small outside area. You will also find it more likely to find a pet friendly lace in a house, versus a flat. I guess this might also come down to what kind of pet you have, but a flat doesn’t just mean what the owner allows – you also need to factor in what the body corporate of that block of flats allow.

Be available to act fast.

You will need to act fast, if you see a place that ticks all your boxes, be available to go see the place and make a decision right there. One of the deciding factors to how we were able to secure the home we live in now, was that Rob was able to draw the deposit and offer it right then and then.

Be prepared to pay a bit more.

If you can, you might have to budget a bit more, in some cases I have heard of people offering a double deposit to secure a home for themselves and their pet. Depending on where you want to live, rental prices in Dublin are quite pricey. We chose to find a place that was closer to the city, and central to public transport because we don’t own a car and we also wanted to experience living in a city versus outer areas which are more similar to the suburbs we had back in South Africa. We ended up with a place that is a bit older and with basic furnishings than what we hoped, but it’s central and close to bus, train and luas (tram) so it’s the perfect lock up and go for us. We are super lucky that our landlords are really nice, and they allowed us to keep Jack with us which was the most important thing!

HOW DID YOU FIND PET FRIENDLY PLACE TO RENT IN YOUR TOWN?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

PIN THIS AND READ LATER:

Although it is super tricky to find a rental that is pet friendly, it is possible. Here are the considerations you should have when looking for a pet-friendly rental in Dublin, Ireland.

Although it is super tricky to find a rental that is pet friendly, it is possible. Here are the considerations you should have when looking for a pet-friendly rental in Dublin, Ireland.