2. It doesn’t matter why you left or how long you’re gone for, it’s always good to come home. As the Irish
employment market is growing again, now is the perfect time to come back to Ireland for good.
Between 2008 and 2014, 132,000 people returned to Ireland, and employers are currently working to bring
even more back. They are actively looking to the Irish diaspora to fill skilled roles being created through a
combination of continued Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) and renewed growth in indigenous businesses.
There was a net jobs increase of 33,000 in Ireland in 2014 with the 2015 figure expected to exceed 40,000.
Thesenewjobsaren’tlimitedtothetechnologyandscienceindustries-thoughtheyareseeingalotofgrowth.
TheIDAestimatingthat forevery10jobscreatedthroughFDI,another7aregeneratedinthewidereconomy.
That’swhywecreatedthisguidetohelpyouwiththepracticaltaskofmakingthemovehome.Everything
from finding the perfect job to getting your children into school here is covered in these pages. Starting
with what you need to do before you leave.
Coming home for good
Before you leave
You don’t necessarily have to have a job or a place to live ready for you before you leave but it’s best to
start the research and planning process early. Even if that’s just browsing job boards or accomodation
listings.
When you start your journey home, there are a few vital things you need to make sure come with you
on the plane:
• Details of your qualifications obtained overseas.
• One or two references from landlords.
• CV and employment details.
• Records of tax/insurance contributions while abroad.
• Driver’s license and details of your insurance cover.
• Copies of your bank account statements and utility bills from your travels as well as proof of
residence.
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3. Finding a job
With the possibility of telephone, or video, interviews there is no reason not to start the process of securing a
new job before you take the plunge and move back. Whether you start right away or wait until you’re settled
back home, there are a few steps to take to secure that perfect job.
Prepare your CV, Online Profile
UpdateyourLinkedInprofileandCVtoincludeareferencetoanyworkexperienceyouhavegainedwhileyou
were away - even if it doesn’t fit with your career goals. Gaps in your CV can be a red flag for some employers
while many prefer to hire people with plenty of varied experience. Your travels will make you a more attractive
hire so make sure its covered on your CV.
References
If you plan to include an overseas employer as a reference it’s important to discuss it with them before you
leave - you don’t want them to be confused when they get a phone call from Ireland out of the blue. At a
minimum, get a letter on headed paper from HR outlining the dates you worked for the company.
Find a job
Talk to contacts, former colleagues and friends at home about your plans, they may be able to refer you to
a potential employer. Do some research and find a recruitment consultant who specialises in your industry.
Browse job boards and follow companies you’d like to work for on social media to stay up to date on potential
opportunities. Send your CV with a cover letter to your dream employers, even if they don’t have any roles
advertised. When you do, send it to the team leader or manager you would be working for - not to HR - they
will know their needs better than anyone.
Interviews
Make sure your location and availability for interview are very clear from the beginning. Be prepared to do
some travelling to secure the job - while some interview stages can be conducted remotely, many employers
will want to meet you in person before making a final hiring decision.
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4. Travelling home
If you book your flights as far ahead as possible and are flexible with your dates, you can get a good deal
on that big flight home. Use planning tools such as Skyscanner, Kayak and Google Flights to help start the
process.
To keep on top of changes in flight prices, use a flight tracking service such as yapta, which alerts you when
a flight you are interested in drops in price or when it has reached your price threshold. You can also sign up
for the airline’s email distribution lists to be informed of any flight sales coming up.
The best time for bargains is usually January but flash sales can occur at any time. Avoid flying on school
holidays as the prices will be higher. The time of day you book can make a difference - a midweek flight after
midnight is cheaper compared to a Saturday afternoon.
Packing
One factor many people don’t consider until the last minute, and often find stressful, is packing. The best
way to avoid that stress is to plan your packing early and to be as practical as possible in deciding what you
need and what you don’t.
• Prepare and organise your house before you pack.Arrange packing supplies in advance – bubble wrap,
wrapping paper, tape rolls, packing foam etc.
• Start packing 2-3 boxes a day weeks before your moving date. This will keep you from becoming
overwhelmed. Start with the items that you don’t need immediately like extra bedding and off-season
clothing etc.
• Employ a three pronged approach: ship, store or sell. If you use the items daily or almost daily then they
can be shipped. If the item is too heavy, or you can’t remember the last time you used it, then sell.
• Remember that bulky and impersonal items such as furniture can be replaced while appliances may not
work with different voltage levels.
Preparing a checklist will keep you on top of the packing process. It will help you assess the cost of shipping
and force you to limit yourself.An inventory list will remind you what you did with items and where you stored
them. Furthermore, it will help you keep on top of things once you arrive home.
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5. Accommodation
Once you’re ready to make the move, you will need to arrange somewhere to live. A lot of this process can
be started while you are away.
Renting
Rental costs have eased since the Celtic Tiger, but renting in Ireland is still a major financial consideration.
It is more expensive in the cities, particularly in Dublin, so commuter regions may be a better bet.According
to this CSO survey, the average rent on a two-bed apartment in Dublin is around €1200 p/m while Cork
(€800p/m) and Galway (€750p/m) are cheaper if you are choosing a location based on cost of living.
Just make sure you’ve done your research and set a realistic budget for where you’d like to live. Use
services like Daft or MyHome to identify options and reach out to landlords. Make sure you have one or two
references from previous landlords, including your overseas accommodation, as many landlords will require
both references and proof of employment.
To refresh your memory on tenant and landlord rights take a look at threshold.ie.
Mortgages and Borrowing
Before you consider buying a house, remember that most banks will only lend once you have been working
for 6 months in permanent employment. Proving you can meet the monthly repayments and the deposit is
the next step. Deposit conditions in Ireland may also have changed since you were away.
InDublin,thedepositforfirst-timebuyersis10percentforpropertiesunder€220,000androughly15percent
over, while 20 percent is the going rate for those who have already purchased a property in Ireland before.
Non-resident purchases of properties have a higher deposit rate of up to 40 percent and a higher rate of
interest.
Borrowing guidelines have also changed. Borrowing is restricted to less than three and half times your
income for roughly four out of five borrowers due to income multiple limits that were introduced recently by
the Central Bank.
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6. Tax
Taxation is another area that may have changed since you left. Income tax is broken into the following
brackets at the moment; Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Pay-Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and a Universal
Social Charge (USC) with rates based on your circumstances. For example, a single person on €50,000 a
year you will now take home €2,951 a month, while a married couple with a total income of €80,000 will take
home €5086. If you own property you will have to pay property tax at a rate of .18% up to valuations of €1
million.
You can calculate your potential take home pay using this Irish Times calculator.
Note: You may also have tax to claim back in the country you are moving from. You can use a third party
service provider such as Taxback.com or do it yourself. Taxback.com charges a fee for providing this service
so make sure you are comfortable with this first before you begin the process.
PPS number
You probably already have, and are quite familiar with, your PPS (personal public service) number. If not, old
payslips, P45s or P60s are a good place to start before contacting your local Social Welfare office. If you or
your partner need to apply for a PPS number you will need to bring the following documentation with you:
• Current valid passport or national identity card
• Evidence of Birth / Work / Unemployment / Residency /Tax Liability / Education from your country of
origin.
• Evidence of address in Ireland
The process usually takes about two weeks so if you can, try to get this completed before you start
employment. If you start new employment without a PPS number, you will be taxed on an emergency rate
until your tax details are confirmed. The rate of emergency tax is generally equivalent to the highest tax rate
- currently 42%.
If your children were born outside of Ireland they will not be automatically assigned a PPS number. In this
case you will need to apply at a PPS Number allocation centre. One of the parents/guardians will need a
PPS number for this.
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7. Banking and Finances
If you don’t have a bank account in Ireland, it will be easier to open one when you get here because you will
need proof ofresidenceandproofofidentification.Rememberthatyoucan’tusethesamedocument asproof
of both your identity and your address. These are minimum requirements and the bank can look for further
information from you.
As a rule of thumb, you can prove your identity with any of the following:
• Valid passport or current Irish driving licence
• NationalAge Card (issued byAn Garda Síochána)
• An identification form with a photo signed by a Garda
And the following as evidence of your address:
• Current utility bill (e.g a gas, electricity, telephone or mobile phone bill)
• Adocument issued by a Government department that shows your address
• You can also provide a letter from your employer or licensed employment agency
If you open an account that pays interest on your money, you also need to supply your PPS number.
Transferring your finances home
Whentransferringsavingsorcurrentaccountbalancefromaninternationalbankitisimportanttoconsiderthe
benefitsandcostsofdifferenttransferoptions.Feesforinternationaltransactionscanbeexpensivesodoyour
research and a call to the international bank is vital. You can use the banks themselves but transfer operators
such as Western Union and Currency Fair tend to be quicker.
As ofAugust 2015, coming home from places like the US, UK orAustralia means exchange rates are in your
favour.At the time of writing, the Euro is nearly on par with the dollar, with €1 costing just over $1 - so $5,000
in savings converts to over €4,500. Similarly, the Euro is currently performing poorly against Sterling - £5,000
in savings will convert to over €7,000. Obviously these figures are subject to change, you will find up to date
rates on XE.com.
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8. Health Insurance
Public
Access to the public healthcare system gives you free admittance to hospitals with a nightly fee of €75,
and allows you access to A&E units for a fee of €100. Being an ordinary resident of Ireland, which may
require providing proof such as evidence of mortgage or rent, qualifies you for the public healthcare
system.
The starting point for the cost of a visit to the GP is around €50, but as of July 2015, visits to registered
GPs are free for under-6s.
The ownership of a medical card entitles its holder to a number of free benefits, including public
hospital services, dental services and GP visits. To find out whether or not you qualify for a medical
card visit citizensinformation.ie.
Private
If you have overseas health insurance, find out which hospitals will accept this coverage – it’s unlikely
to be every single one. Many Irish employers provide employees with private health insurance. Discuss
with your employer the options before moving.
IfyouoptforprivatehealthcareanddonothaveaHealthcareplanfromoneoftheinsurancecompanies,
you must pay the full costs of treatment. If opting for private health insurance, you have four options in
Ireland: Aviva, Glohealth, VHI and Laya. When assessing which to choose, consider both the policies
on offer and the length of the waiting period quoted.
Anyone over the age of 34 who lives outside of the state on 1st May 2015 and moves to live in
Ireland will have 9 months to purchase inpatient private health insurance. You can avoid the late
entry loadings applied to premiums after this point by offering copies of bank statements opened while
abroad, evidence of accommodations or bills while abroad to the insurer.
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9. Education
Primary Schools
Primary schools in Ireland consist of state-funded primary schools, special schools and private junior
schools. The majority of primary schools are state-funded so the fees are covered. However, there
are a number of ‘voluntary contributions’ to fund extra resources or activities. A full list of state-funded
primary schools in Ireland can be found here, where you can filter by your own area.
If you have children who will be attending school in Ireland, you should bring school reports and
references from their previous schools.
Bear in mind that you may not be able to enrol your child in your school of choice. State schools
give priority based on proximity. Private schools are limited to bigger cities like Dublin and Cork and
competition for places can be very high.
It would be worth looking at other options such as Gaelscoileanna and multi-denominational schools,
which have their own admissions policies too.
If possible, plan to return before the school year starts to avoid delaying your child’s start date.
Secondary Schools
Selecting the right secondary school for your child’s needs will require some preparation. It is important
to consult teachers and other parents to find out about the enrolment policy and how much of a fit the
school will be. Such research will facilitate smooth enrolment and transition.
For both primary and secondary level schools it is a good idea to contact schools before arriving to
get on a waiting list. This is a much more common situation these days so most schools will be able to
provide clear information on the process for returning families. Variables such as age and siblings or
relatives who have attended the same school can fast track students on the wait-list, but every school
is different so don’t expect your child to walk into your old school because of your history as a student.
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10. Driving Licence
If you left Ireland before 2013 you may notice a few changes to the process of acquiring your driving licence.
The Learner Permit
If you are driving for the first time you will need to apply for a learner permit. For this you will need to bring
a D201 Learner Permit application form, a €35 fee and a NDLS Eyesight report form D502, dated within a
month of the application, to your local NDLS centre.You will also need to complete a driver theory test, which
does require some preparation. The driver theory certification is valid for two years.
If you still have an old provisional license (or expired learner permit), you can renew it for a fee of €35 as long
as it’s less than 5 years since it expired. You will need a D201 Learner Permit application form and a fee of
€35. If it’s been out of date for 5 years or more you will have to start the driving licence process all over again.
Anyone driving on a Learner Permit is required to display ‘L’plates on the vehicle and be accompanied by a
fully qualified driver.
Full Driving licence
The major difference to the driver test is the introduction of Essential Driver Training (EDT). This includes
mandatory completion of 12 one-hour lessons that must be completed before taking your test. You will also
need a logbook that must be filled in by you and your instructor over the course of these lessons. More
information about the EDT syllabus can be found on rsa.ie.
Once you have passed your driving test, you will need to pay the relevant fee to get your licence and will be
required to display ‘N’/ ‘Novice’ plates on any car you drive for a period of two years.
If you have a full licence from a recognised country, you can drive with it as normal. If your full licence is not
from a recognised country you will need to go through the full process starting with a learner permit.
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11. Finally... Culture shock
Returning home can lead to ‘reverse culture shock’ as a lot may have changed since you left. Your life
stage and outlook may not be in sync with old friends and family who may be married with children or
at a different career level. It will take time to adapt to your new normal, but it will also be worthwhile.
Returning home to put down roots in your own community is rewarding and once you find your feet you
will remember just why you came home.
Online communities can help with the transition. Meetup.com for example has many communities
in Ireland devoted to coping with the feeling of unrest upon returning. Such groups will give you the
perfect outlet for sharing your stories with those who share your passion as well as a source for advice
on settling back in. There are some organisations devoted to helping you achieve a smooth transition
such as the Ireland move club.
For more information, consult the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website or the Irish Times
Generation Emigration forum.
About Cpl
Cpl Resources plc. is a global provider of recruitment, staffing and outsourcing services, with 36
offices worldwide. Our job is to find the best candidates for our clients and to find the best jobs for our
candidates.
As Ireland’s largest recruitment agency we recruit across a wide variety of industries and functions
including:
• Administration
• Banking
• Construction
• Customer Support
• Engineering
• Finance
• HR
• ICT
• Marketing
• Retail
• Sales
• Science
12. Your Coming Home Checklist
On the plane
…… Passport
…… Tickets
…… Essential clothes & belongings
Job Search
…… Update your CV
…… Secure references from overseas employers
…… Update LinkedIn & Social Media
…… Contact former colleagues
…… Contact RecruitmentAgency
Booking Flights
…… Identify ideal arrival date
…… Track prices
…… Book early
Packing
…… Arrange supplies
…… Tidy rooms in preparation:
…… Kitchen
…… Living room(s)
…… Bedroom(s)
…… Bathroom(s)
…… Split items into keep/leave
…… Split keep items into ship/carry
…… Pack:
…… Kitchen
…… Living room(s)
…… Bedroom(s)
…… Bathroom(s)
…… Write shipping inventory
…… Arrange Shipping
Tax
…… Find PPS number
…… Calculate likely take home pay
Accomodation
…… References from overseas landlord
…… Identify ideal location
…… Research local rents
…… Set Budget
…… Browse available accomodation
…… Contact landlords
Banking
…… For account set up:
…… Photo ID
…… Proof ofAddress
…… Transferring funds:
…… Research bank fees
…… Check exchange rate
Healthcare
…… Check hospitals with current insurer
…… Identify your health insurance needs
…… Check with Irish providers
…… Review Under 6 GP scheme for registered GPs
Schools
…… Research schools options
…… Contact desired schools
…… Check waiting list criteria and admission policies
…… Set potential enrollment date
Driving Licence
…… Check licence validity
…… Renew expired Licence
…… Apply for Learner Permit with form & ID
…… Fit ‘L’ Plates
…… Theory test preparation
…… Take 12 Lessons
…… Take test
…… Fit ‘N’ Plates for 2 years
