How long does it typically take to move to Ireland from the US?

For most households, 3–6 months from decision to arrival is realistic. Employer-sponsored routes such as the Critical Skills Employment Permit can move faster once a job offer is in place; Stamp 0 and family-based routes usually need more lead time for documentation and evidence gathering.

Can I keep working for my US employer after moving to Ireland?

Often yes, but it changes your immigration and tax picture. Some households move on Stamp 0 as US-employed remote workers; others formalise the arrangement through their employer's Irish entity or a professional-employer arrangement. This is a decision to make with immigration and tax counsel — SettleDone coordinates that conversation, we do not replace it.

Where do most Americans move in Ireland?

Dublin remains the most common landing point for professional and founder households because of employment density and international schools. Cork, Galway and Limerick are increasingly common for families and remote workers who want a lower cost of living, and the west coast draws US retirees on Stamp 0.

Do I need Irish citizenship, and can I get it through descent?

Most Americans move without pursuing citizenship. If you have an Irish-born grandparent, you may already be entitled to Irish citizenship by descent through Foreign Births Registration — which changes your entire immigration picture. This is worth checking early and independently.

How is SettleDone different from a relocation agency or immigration lawyer?

SettleDone is a single point of coordination across the whole move — immigration, housing, schools, tax, arrival — working alongside independent Irish and US professionals. A relocation agency typically covers logistics only, and an immigration lawyer handles permissions only. Neither is designed to hold the full picture on your behalf.

What does a move like this usually cost, end to end?

Beyond SettleDone's coordination fee, the largest variables are housing (deposits and first months of rent or purchase costs), shipping and vehicles, school fees where applicable, and professional fees for immigration and tax counsel. Your written proposal sets out the coordination scope; your Discovery Call is where we sketch the realistic overall picture for your situation.

Guide · Ireland from the US

Moving to Ireland from the US, coordinated end to end.

A practical guide for US households and founders relocating to Ireland — the immigration routes that usually apply, how housing, schools and tax connect, and how SettleDone holds the whole picture on your behalf while independent professionals do the regulated work.

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Start here

What actually makes a US-to-Ireland move complex.

The hard part of moving to Ireland from the US is rarely a single step. It is that the steps depend on each other. Your immigration route shapes where and how you can work. Your work situation shapes your tax posture in both countries. Housing decisions depend on schools; schools depend on your intended city; your intended city depends on the immigration route and the employment picture.

Handled in isolation — one lawyer, one relocation agency, one buying agent, one CPA — the sequencing is what fails. SettleDone exists to hold the sequencing on your behalf, so each specialist does their best work at the right moment.

Immigration routes

The US-to-Ireland routes that apply to most households.

There are more permission types than the five below, but this covers the routes most US households actually use. SettleDone coordinates the process; the legal advice comes from independent Irish immigration counsel we work alongside.

Critical Skills Employment Permit
Skilled professionals with an Irish job offer in an eligible role.
A two-year permit for roles on Ireland's Critical Skills Occupations List (typically technology, engineering, healthcare and senior finance). Comes with an immediate route to family reunification and a defined path to Stamp 4 permission after two years.
General Employment Permit
Employees in roles that fall outside the Critical Skills list.
A more common employer-sponsored route, subject to a Labour Market Needs Test and salary thresholds. Renewable, and eventually convertible to longer-term permission, but slower to family reunification than Critical Skills.
Stamp 0 (Independent means / retired persons)
US citizens with independent income who intend to live in Ireland without working locally.
A time-limited, conditional permission that requires evidence of stable annual income, sufficient capital and comprehensive private health insurance. Commonly used by retirees and by US professionals working remotely for a US employer.
Stamp 4 (via family, spouse or long residence)
US citizens joining an Irish or EU-resident family member, or reaching long-residence thresholds.
Broadest permission short of citizenship — allows work without a separate employment permit. The route in depends on the underlying relationship or residence history and needs to be evidenced carefully.
Start-up Entrepreneur / Investor programmes
Founders establishing a high-potential Irish business, or high-net-worth investors.
Highly conditional programmes with specific capital, business-plan and job-creation requirements. Suitable only for a narrow set of profiles, and always assessed alongside independent immigration counsel.

Not sure which route fits

Ninety per cent of the answer comes from thirty minutes of conversation.

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The workstreams

What we actually coordinate across a US-to-Ireland move.

Immigration and permission
Confirming the right route for your household, coordinating documentation with independent immigration counsel, and sequencing applications so nothing blocks arrival dates.
Housing — rental or purchase
Long-lease rental across Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick, short-term serviced options for the first weeks, and coordination with buying agents when the plan is to purchase within 12–24 months.
Schools and family
Understanding the Irish school system, matching the right schools to your area and children's stage, and managing applications, waitlists and enrolment paperwork.
US-side wind-down
Sequencing the US departure — lease or property handover, vehicle sale or shipping, US banking, credit posture, and coordination with your US CPA on the year of the move.
Irish tax and financial setup
PPS number, opening Irish bank accounts, understanding Irish tax residency and remittance basis where relevant, and connecting you to Irish tax advisers when your situation needs written advice.
Arrival and settling in
Utilities, health insurance, GP registration, driving licence conversion, mobile and broadband — the everyday setup that decides whether the first three months feel controlled or chaotic.

Timeline

A realistic sequence, not a promise.

3–6 months out
Decide the route
Confirm which immigration route fits your household, agree the destination city and neighbourhood shortlist, and start any employer-sponsored permit process. Begin US-side conversations with your CPA and, if selling, your realtor.
2–3 months out
Housing and schools
Run the Irish rental search in earnest, secure short-term accommodation for arrival, and submit school applications where possible. Line up PPS-number appointments and open Irish bank accounts on your first Ireland visit if you have one.
Arrival month
Land properly, not just physically
Move into your permanent or bridge home, register with immigration on arrival where required, set up utilities, health cover and GP, and finalise school enrolment and start dates.
First 90 days
Settle the system
Convert your US driving licence where eligible, tie off remaining US administration, complete Irish tax registration where required, and adjust the plan honestly based on what you now know about the area and daily life.

Honest boundaries

What SettleDone does — and does not — do.

We do
Coordinate every part of the move as one plan, with one point of contact.
We do not
Give US or Irish immigration, tax or legal advice — that comes from qualified independent professionals we work alongside.
We do
Introduce and manage vetted Irish providers on your behalf — solicitors, tax advisers, buying agents, movers, schools consultants.
We do not
Guarantee an outcome that depends on a third party (a permit approval, a school place, a specific rental).
We do
Keep the sequencing right so US-side and Ireland-side workstreams do not block one another.
We do not
Replace your US CPA, your Irish solicitor or your immigration lawyer. We coordinate them; we do not substitute for them.

Ways to work with us

Ways to work with us on a US-to-Ireland move

From a first conversation to a fully managed move.

Common questions

Moving to Ireland from the US — frequently asked.

For most households, 3–6 months from decision to arrival is realistic. Employer-sponsored routes such as the Critical Skills Employment Permit can move faster once a job offer is in place; Stamp 0 and family-based routes usually need more lead time for documentation and evidence gathering.

Next step

Let's map your US-to-Ireland move properly.

A complimentary 30-minute Discovery Call. No obligation. A clear recommendation of the right next step.

Book a Discovery Call See how it works

Moving to Ireland from the US, coordinated end to end.

What actually makes a US-to-Ireland move complex.

The US-to-Ireland routes that apply to most households.

Critical Skills Employment Permit

General Employment Permit

Stamp 0 (Independent means / retired persons)

Stamp 4 (via family, spouse or long residence)

Start-up Entrepreneur / Investor programmes

What we actually coordinate across a US-to-Ireland move.

Immigration and permission

Housing — rental or purchase

Schools and family

US-side wind-down

Irish tax and financial setup

Arrival and settling in

A realistic sequence, not a promise.

Decide the route

Housing and schools

Land properly, not just physically

Settle the system

What SettleDone does — and does not — do.

From a first conversation to a fully managed move.

Discovery Call

Relocation & Expansion Blueprint

Personal Relocation

Family Relocation

Founder Relocation & Business Setup

Moving to Ireland from the US — frequently asked.

Let's map your US-to-Ireland move properly.