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8 Things To Know About Ireland Before You Move Over

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With the ease of restrictions, and Ireland finally coming out of a lockdown, the usual questions about moving over to Ireland have been popping back into my inbox. I thought I would slowly start adding back some content around expat life in Ireland again. Hopefully this info will help people who are looking to make the move, as some things you you need to know before you make the big decision to immigrate to Ireland.

1. Secure a job before moving over

We might have an ease in restrictions but the pandemic and effects of it are still unfolding. Many, many people have been living on government subsidies after losing their jobs for over a year. I have been saying this one long before there was a global pandemic – but if you are looking to move over, please secure a job with a work permit before you come over. Now is not the time to come over and then look for a job.

This luxury of job hunting here is really only for those with UK/EU passports – South African passport holders need a work permit first. However with the pandemic and loss of jobs, there are a lot more people looking for employment here, more than ever before. Also its worth noting that there is currently a backlog of 90k people waiting on receiving their Irish passports. The bureaucracy and paper admin of being an expat has just lengthened and delayed, be prepared that these things may take longer than normal.

If you do need a work permit, then check that your job/skill is not on the recently updated ineligible for work permits list. This is unfortunately a said reality for some expats – some jobs are not eligible for work permits, meaning they are jobs only available to people who have Irish/EU/UK passports. Professions like hair dressing, fitness instructors, book-keepers are on this list.

2. The housing crisis is dire right now.

Pre-2020, rent was expensive and hard to find. Pet friendly rentals are like unicorns – incredibly hard to find. Now that construction was paused for a short while, means that there is a heavy delay on building new homes. This means the rental market is even tougher to navigate. If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy a house here, due to the housing crisis, its a definite sellers market here – house prices are ramping up.

3. Consider your costs for transport.

Most people want to live closer to work, to save on the commute, however some opt to move out into the country where rental prices are a bit lower. The reality is yes, there is public transport here, but its not as great as other places. I find people who have experienced public transport in the UK are dismally disappointed but Irish Public Transport. Sure its set up OK in the city, and there are trains and busses available in neighbouring commuter towns – but its long, sparse and can turn out quick expensive. I guess the one benefit of working from home for over a year, there is a definite shift in perspective with companies leaning into creating work from home policies etc. So perhaps you find a job, get a work permit, and are able to move to the countryside and work from home. That would make things a lot easier for sure. Buying a car is generally OK, its doable, but car insurances as an expat is absolutely mental. I wrote a post all about our experience of buying a car. Most families either don’t own a car at all, or opt to one car in the household. Its not like in SA where everyone that can drive in the house owns a car.

4. Eating and drinking out is expensive

OK so pubs are still closed, outdoor eating is only opening up in a few weeks – but when eating out is something you are used to doing, you may find when you live here that this is a bit of luxury. I like to bring this up because I think its really important for you to try match the lifestyle you have, don’t sell yourself short by saying you are going to cut back and sacrifice to move over to Ireland, because changing your whole lifestyle to make it work is hard. If you are the kind of family that is used to travelling, taking holidays, eating out weekly, etc. – then you want to make sure that your new budget here is able to at least try maintain some of that here. I wrote a post about things to budget for, which gives you an idea on some of the costs to live here.

5. Health care is not free

A common misconception is that Ireland is the same as the UK, we do not have the NHS here. You will need to consider GP visits, dental costs, etc. Depending on the type of stamp you have when you arrive, you may be required to hold private health insurance, which is really pricey here.

6. Education might be ‘free’ but childcare is very expensive!

This is going into unchartered waters for us, as we haven’t had to consider education or schooling yet for Riley. We are however paying 1000 euro for creche fees, per month. A lot of South African families looking to move over, first look at private schooling. I guess there is a perception that private is better? Like I said, we haven’t thought that far ahead yet, but its likely that we will look into sending Riley to local, public school. I think depends on the area that you are, but some of the best schools in Dublin, are actually public schools – the schooling issue is a crisis too though – there are seriously crazy waitlists. I had to secure creche for Riley my first week of maternity leave, 10 months before it was needed! I know of one person who secured creche for her baby and she is not due till later this year! The school year starts in September and ends end of June – so that is another factor you will need to consider. Once we go through this issue ourselves, I will share more on this.

7. Litter is a serious problem.

Maybe its because Dublin is a city, and cities are generally quite messy, or perhaps because there are public gardens, public areas, walking pavements – but OMG, the litter here is UNREAL. Sure its green, and beautiful too, but if you look closely, there is ALWAYS way too much litter.

8. Bureaucracy – it takes ages

I know this is similar to point 1 – but its worth noting that things are confusing, setting up appointments, getting a job offer, applications for work permits, visa requirements, applying for Irish Residency Cards, setting up a PPS number, taxes, opening up a bank account, swopping your drivers license, heck even figuring out your groceries – then you throw in new challenges like mandatory quarantines, covid tests, restrictions, uncertainty, nevermind the feckin weather – its mentally a long game. And you need to be prepared that most of it is sorted out slowly, frustratingly slowly and almost all of it you are figuring out on your own. Being aware of this before you move, helps, but also prepare to unlock a whole new appreciation for patience – because you are going to need a bucket load of it.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU DIDN’T REALISE BEFORE MOVING TO IRELAND THAT OTHERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF?

With love from Ireland,

~Meg~

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How to buy a car in Ireland: Useful tips for expats

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How to buy a car in Ireland: useful tips for expats to consider before they buy a car

Buying a car in Ireland as an Expat

We finally caved and bought a car this year, so I thought I would share some useful tips for other expats looking to buy a car here in Ireland. When we first moved over, we were quite keen to keep to public transport and walking/cycling for as long as possible. Buying a car and owning a car is such an expensive thing, and since we lived close to public transport – we wanted to avoid the added expense of owning a car. It not just the cost of buying a car, but then that car would need parking, and road tax, and insurance. Living in the city of Dublin you don’t need a car really, and it is not like South Africa where every person in the household needs to own a car. But well, then we moved a little but out of the city, and my work is situated in a tricky spot when it comes to direct public transport from home to work – it involves 3 bus connections and the route would boggle your mind. To get to work, I really need to go almost into the city, then back out again. Dublin transport, it might be better than what we are used to, but it ain’t great. The routes are currently being relooked – but for the minute, it made sense for us to consider getting some wheels and a bit more flexibility. Because lets be honest, owning a car has some pro’s too. Like now we can do bigger day trips out into the country, I can get to work in 20 minutes, and it means when this baby eventually arrives – I wont need to take a bus and a tram and walk to the hospital to deliver!

I think for a lot of expats, buying a car is a bit of a daunting task. And in truth, there were a few obstacles we had to overcome to be able to get a car. Some people come over and automatically replicate the life they had back home – big house in the country, with two cars – done and sorted. Perhaps that is a good way to get all that admin sorted out in the beginning, but if you are like us, and trying to make some life changes with the move (for one, not getting into further debt!) then you might hold off on buying all the things the minute you first arrive.

Like I said, we only bought a car in May this year – 2,5 years after we arrived in Dublin. And yes, like everything, we made a few mistakes… so here is a post that might help you avoid some of the traps we fell into. Also, some tips on what to look out for if you are wanting to buy a second hand car in Ireland, as an expat.

The three main things you need to buy a car in Ireland as an Expat:

1. Money

Money makes the world go round, so yes, money is needed to buy a car, but you also need money to maintain a car. We decided on paying cash for a second hand car, instead of opting for a new car with monthly installments. When we first moved over and looked at the price of second hand cars, we naively thought they seemed cheap. Like you can get a very old second hand car for under €1000 – bargain! What we didn’t realise (or account for) is that a cheap car, often means that the insurance will be more expensive. In some cases, some insurance companies will not insure very old cars. And as you will come to find out, as an expat – it might be hard to find an insurance company that is willing to insure you in the first place. So we quickly realised that we needed to spend a bit more money, to get a newer car, and pay less on insurance. This meant that we needed some time to save up to buy a car.

Aside from buying a car and insurance, you will also need money to pay for road tax and NCT (which is a roadworthy test). Road tax is calculated based on the year and make of your car – so its worth researching this before you buy a certain type of car. NCT costs €55 – cars under 4 years do not need an NCT. If your car is between 4 – 9 years old, then you need to get an NCT done ever two years. Cars that are over 10 years old need to do this every year. So another good reason to get a newer car.

2. Drivers License

Top tip, come over with a valid drivers license – don’t let it expire! If you are coming over with a South African drivers license, you can drive with your SA license for up to one year. However, if you are planning on buying a car, it would be a good idea to exchange your driver’s license as soon as you can. This is because a lot of insurance companies look at irish drivers license history – so the sooner you have this, the better.

Exchanging your drivers license is fairly straightforward, I wrote a post that goes into all the details, read it here.

3. Insurance

Another major learning we learnt too late was that if you are like us, and cancel your car insurance back home – your no claims bonus expires after 1 year. Because we waited and bought a car after 2.5 years, our no claims bonus basically expired and was deemed no longer relevant. This meant we were penalised in the car insurance rate we could get. Some insurance companies will not even accept a no claims bonus if it is outside of the EU… so we really had our work cut out for us in terms of finding an insurance company willing to not charge us a ridiculous amount on car insurance. This is where a newer car model does help a bit, but still, car insurance here in Ireland is really crazy expensive. Prepare yourself, save as much as you can, and shop around with lots of insurance companies before you buy the car. This is very key top tip – do not buy a car until you know you can get insurance for it.

What to look out for when looking at buying a car in Ireland, as an expat:

All of the below are areas that can help keep the cost of car insurance down, and so its a good idea to consider these points when looking at buying a second hand car in Ireland as an expat.

  • NCT: As I mentioned above, try find a car that is under 10 years old. This will mean that you only need to get an NCT done on it every two years. We chose a second hand car that was six years old, but also it had recently past its NCT and was valid till 2021, meaning that it was one less thing to worry about straight after buying a car.
  • Road Tax: If you have the vehicle registration number then its a good idea to check how much road tax you will be paying. Road tax is an annual cost that will need to be accounted for, and is based on engine capacity and CO2 emissions of the car. You can check your road tax rate before you buy a car here. You can renew road tax online fairly easily, here.
  • Year of the Car: Another good reason to get a car under 10 years is that most car insurance companies will not insure a car that is over 10 years old.
  • Make of the car: Certain types of cars are more easier to insure and cheaper to finance or buy.
  • Size of the engine: The bigger the engine size, the greater the road tax and car insurance will be.
  • Other things to look out:
    • If possible, check how many previous owners the car has had, especially if you plan to buy a second had car from a private person.
    • Also, check the mileage on the car – I think this is fairly universal where ever you are in the world.
    • Check if the car is from Ireland or Northern Ireland – as a car from Northern Ireland means you are buying a car from UK and will need to pay vehicle registration tax on that car. You can check this here.
    • Private sale vs dealership – a lot of people are hesitant to buy a car privately, and yes, there is a bigger risk if that person is with holding information about the car history. Buying from a dealership is always going to cost a bit more, but there are added benefits of buying a car with a service plan, which could save you money in the long run. We found our car by looking at donedeal.ie.

WOULD YOU BUY A CAR IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

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

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How to buy a car in Ireland: useful tips for expats to consider before they buy a second hand car in Ireland

All you need to know about renting a houseboat in Ireland

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Renting a houseboat in Ireland has been on our wish list for a while, and I am so happy that this was the year we finally got to do it! I decided to write a post all about houseboating in Ireland because a lot of followers on Instagram reached out with questions - and honestly, it was one of the best holidays we have done.

Renting a houseboat in Ireland has been on our wish list for a while, and I am so happy that this was the year we finally got to do it! I decided to write a post all about houseboating in Ireland because a lot of followers on Instagram reached out with questions – and honestly, it was one of the best holidays we have done. When most people think of visiting Ireland, they often think of the popular spots along the coast; Wild Atlantic Way, Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, Dublin – what most people don’t consider is the midlands of Ireland. The midlands is the heart of Ireland, and it has many rivers and mountains, and there are truly magical places to explore within the middle of Ireland.

Firstly, where can you hire the house boat?

There are various marinas along the Shannon river. The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland and runs from from Limerick, all the way up to Northern Ireland. We hired the houseboat from Carrick-on-Shannon in county Leitrim. The company we used was called Shannon River Cruises. Once we had our dates sorted, they came back with various rental options through various companies. The one we chose was called Locaboat. The reason we went with Locaboat was for the type of houseboat they offered us (it was a nice size for two people; with a bathroom and kitchen); plus they offered the best rate to allow us to bring Jack (35 euro, where other places charged 100 euro).

How did we get there? Where did we park?

So most of you know that we don’t own a car, so there were a few options for getting to Carrick-on-Shannon. We looked at taking the train there (which is easy enough), however since we went away for 4 nights, and wanted to bring all our food (and Rob’s beer) plus the rest of our gear – taking the train felt like a bit of a hack to be honest. So we opted for renting a car. A nice tip for renting cars in Ireland is the cheapest rental we have found is to rent a small van, so that is what we did. It meant that we could transport all the things we needed and wanted with us, plus there is free parking at Carrick-on-Shannon which was safe for us to leave the rental while we were on the boat. When we rent cars, we always use Enterprise, they just seem to be the most affordable, plus their deposit is on 250 euro, which is the cheapest we have found. You can read more about renting a car in Ireland here.

How long can you hire the boat for?

You can rent a houseboat for 3 nights, or longer. We chose to rent one for 4 nights and it was perfect, possibly could have stayed longer! Remember that the houseboat doesn’t go very fast, so depending on where you want to travel along the Shannon river you will need a few days to get there and then some time to get back to drop off the boat afterwards. *Just a note that we could only pick up the boat after 2pm; and you need to drop off the boat at 9am the final day.

How much does it cost?

To be honest, it is a bit more than what we would usually budget for a weekend away in an airbnb, but you are paying a bit extra for the unique experience. Remember that it is not only the cost of the rental, and the deposit you will need to account for. You will also need to pay for the fuel you use (we spent 100 euro for 4 nights but this was because we travelled quite far in the end), cost for bring a pet (35 euro), your food and drinks (a lot of the places we stopped along the way were small towns and not a lot of stores or restaurants were open over Easter weekend so it was handy we brought our own food), plus locks and showers etc. Locks cost 1,50 each, and the number of locks you go through will depends on your route. There were shower facilities at some of the stops, and for these you can use a ‘smart card’ which we bought when we got the houseboat, it is loaded with credits and each access to the shower costs 2 credits.

What time of year can you rent a houseboat?

Houseboat renting season is from March to October. We rented over Easter weekend in April, and it was a bit of a gamble in terms of the weather that time of year. The rental company said the weekend before us had ice on the boat in the mornings, however we were blessed with unusually sunny weather. I can imagine that in the middle of Summer it might actually be too hot, because the houseboats don’t have very large windows or aircon.

Do you get training or need a license to drive the houseboat?

This was a hot question most people asked on Instagram – and the answer is, we did a short training on the boat with an instructor where they showed us how to drive the boat, and follow the markings. We had to drive the boat out of the marina, under a bridge and back – and that was it. No license is needed to drive the houseboat! To be honest it was a bit nerve wracking at first, when you are out there on your own, but the houseboat doesn’t move very fast and as long as you follow the guidelines they give you – it is relatively fool-proof.

What about locks?

As I said before, it costs 1.50 to open the lock. Some locks further north of Carrick-on-Shannon are automatic locks where you use your smart card to open them. Others are manned locks, and you have to call the lock keeper in some cases when you arrive at a lock to open up. Once the lock is open and the traffic light is green, you drive the boat through. The lock opens on the one side and is closed on the other side. Once you are in the lock, you hand your ropes to the lock keeper. They have a hook where you give some of the rope to them, whilst you hold the end of the rope – the lock keeper then ties the rope to the side to secure the boat. Once the ropes are secure, they will close the open side so now you are in the middle of the lock – they then raise or lower the water depending on the side you are planning to exit. It is such a cool experience! The first few times there were soggy wet ropes, and awkward clumsy passing to the lock keeper but they were all so helpful and patient with us and by the end of it, we were pros! *Note there maybe bridges you might need to get lifted (at a cost) but that was the other handy thing about our boat, it was small enough to fit under all the bridges we travelled under.

How do you park the boat?

One of the rules about houseboating is that the boat needs to be moored (parked) before sunset. You cannot travel on the rivers after dark. So you will need to plan your route carefully so that you are not stuck between marinas at sunset. Also some stops are small, so they fill up pretty quickly, On our first stop, we arrived just before sunset to find the dock was full. This was when we learnt that you are allowed to tie up to another boat if the dock is full – we met a seasoned couple who let us attach to their boat and that was incredibly helpful for us to know! Most of the mooring stations are parallel making it easy to drive the boat into a spot. Once you find a spot, you will need one person to drive, and one person to handle getting off the boat and securing the ropes to secure the boat to the side – usually a rope at the front and back on the one side. We also learnt to travel during the morning, and park in the afternoon instead of the evening, it meant we got a good spot, and could relax on the boat or explore the town before sunset each evening.

What are the facilities like on the boat and at the marinas?

Think of it like glamping. You have a bathroom on the boat, and a basic kitchen, but for the most part, it is a little like camping, just you get a proper bed to sleep in. The shower facilities on the boat were somewhat lacking, so we used the facilities at the stops – however these were sometimes a bit of a a hit and miss. At some stops the water was cold, or the facilities were out of order. The toilets were public and free, and surprisingly well looked after. If you prefer luxury holidays, this might not be the kind of holiday for you, however if you are a regular camper – this will be like luxury for you!

What should you bring?

Lifejackets, linen and towels are provided, along with basic kitchen equipment (plus oven/stove and fridge). It is a good idea to bring sunglasses and caps for the glare – it might not be super hot but can still be sunny. Try pack all the food, water and drinks you may need as some of the stops don’t have stores along the way. We brought our kindles and books to read plus our bluetooth speaker for music, but we should have also brought a pack of cards or games to play in the evening.

So, what was our route?

We headed south from carrick on shannon for a few days, our furthest stop was just before Athlone, and then we turned back and traveled a bit North on the last day before returning the houseboat. We stopped at Dromod our first night. There is a great pub which we enjoyed a few sunset drinks but the food menu looked good too. Then we stopped at Lecarrow the second night, which I found to be such a beautiful spot. There is a dolmen which you can walk to from the dock, as well as a small grocery store and pub. On day three we started travelling back, but took a detour along the Camlin river and stopped at Richmond which is the start of the Royal Canal. There was a nice pub, which I am told does a great sunday lunch, we unfortunately thought they did dinner too but the kitchen closed at 3pm. On our last day we travelled past Carrick-on-Shannon and headed north on the Boyle river stopping at Cootehall. It was a 45 minute drive back to Carrick-on-Shannon early in the morning to drop the boat off by 9am.

HAVE YOU RENTED A HOUSEBOAT? WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

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

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Renting a houseboat in Ireland has been on our wish list for a while, and I am so happy that this was the year we finally got to do it! I decided to write a post all about houseboating in Ireland because a lot of followers on Instagram reached out with questions - and honestly, it was one of the best holidays we have done.

What you need to know to convert your drivers licence in Ireland

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What you need to know to convert your foreign drivers licence to an irish drivers license in Ireland

Last week I shared on Instagram how  I was able to take my foreign drivers license in and exchange it for an Irish drivers license. I had a few questions from some of my followers, that I thought it might be helpful to create this blog post for anyone relocating to Ireland and looking to do the same thing.

STEP ONE: ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO EXCHANGE YOUR FOREIGN DRIVERS LICENSE.

First you should check to see if you are eligible to exchange your foreign drivers license for an Irish drivers license. South Africa is one of the listed countries that are able to convert your South African drivers license to an Irish drivers license. You can check here to see what other countries are eligible. If you do not have a driver’s licence from one of these listed countries, then you will need to apply for an Irish drivers licence by completing the full Irish driver licensing procedure (i,e learners test, drivers test etc).

You also need to be permanently residing in Ireland for at least 185 days of each year.  When you first move over, you don’t need to convert your foreign drivers license straight away, you can use it for the first 12 months. Thereafter you will need to convert it to an irish drivers license. Since I have actually used my drivers in a while, I was able to convert my South African drivers license nearly 2,5 years after I arrived in Ireland.

You will need an Irish PPS number to be able to make the exchange. A PPS number is basically like a social security or ID number that is used for tax purposes and social benefits.

Your foreign drivers license must not have expired. The below info was taken directly from the NDLS website:

  • If your licence has expired by less than one year or does not have a category start date you will need to provide an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the relevant licensing authority. 
  • If you do not have your most recent driving licence in your possession, you will need to present an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the appropriate licensing authority and must complete the lost or stolen licence declaration on the application form and have it witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána.

STEP TWO: BOOK AN APPONTMEN AT THE NDLS

To exchange your driving licence for an Irish one, you need to make an appointment at the NDLS, which you can do online. I tried to make an appointment booking online however it wasn’t picking up my PPS number, so I ended up going in and waiting in line. When you arrive at the NDLS you can register that you are here for an exchange, you will be given a number and estimated waiting time. I went on a random Tuesday morning, and waited an hour and half before my name was called. I suggest you try book online, as this will save you time.

STEP THREE: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING TO THE APPOINTMENT

  • Your foreign driving licence
  • Photographic ID
  • Proof of your residency entitlement (GNIB and Work Permit)
  • Evidence of your PPS Number
  • Proof of address
  • Completed Eyesight Report Form D502 (I went to Spec Savers and paid EUR20 for the eye test to be done there; you can also ask your GP)
  • Completed Medical Report Form (if applicable)
  • Completed Driving licence application Form D401
  • It cost EUR55 to do the exchange.

Make sure you fill in all the forms in advance and bring all the necessary documents (originals!) with you. At the appointment, they will check your documentation, make copies, take your photograph and ask for your digital signature. They will also get you to sign a form that states they have taken your foreign drivers license from you. 

You will be given a receipt, and you will need to wait for your new irish drivers license to be posted to you. Because they need to contact the original licensing authority, this process can take up to 2/3 months. During this time you won’t be able to drive a car.

ARE YOU LOOKING TO RELOCATE TO IRELAND? WHAT INFORMATION WOULD YOU FIND HELPFUL FOR ME TO SHARE HERE ON THE BLOG?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~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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what you need to know to exchange your foreign drivers license for an irish drivers license in ireland.