Public services and online portals

Key authorities

• Department of Social Protection (DSP): PPS number, Public Services Card, social welfare payments, statement of your PRSI contributions. Its local offices are called Intreo (employment and benefits). Online services on MyWelfare.
• Revenue (Revenue Commissioners): taxes, registration of your employment, local property tax (LPT), VAT. myAccount for individuals, ROS for businesses (sheets IE-IMPOTS-TOUS-001, IE-IMPOTS-TOUS-002 and IE-ENTREPRISE-TOUS-001).
• Immigration Service Delivery (ISD, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration): for you (as a European, Swiss or British citizen), only for the members of your family who do not hold the nationality of one of these countries (sheet IE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).
• Health Service Executive (HSE): public healthcare, medical card, GP visit card (sheet IE-SANTE-TOUS-001).
• Department of Education and Youth: school rules and school calendar; enrolment is done directly with each school. Tusla (the Child and Family Agency) monitors school attendance (sheet IE-ECOLE-TOUS-001).
• National Driver Licence Service (NDLS): driving licence, exchange of a foreign licence.
• Councils (local authorities): electoral register, social housing, planning; they also adjust the LPT rate.
• Companies Registration Office (CRO): companies and business names. Local Enterprise Offices (31 offices): support for people starting a business.
• Citizens Information: free public information service, by phone on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 20:00) or at its local centres. Handy when you do not know who to contact.

Online services

• MyGovID, basic account: an email address is all you need. It lets you book your appointment for the PPS number, request your PRSI statement or apply on JobsIreland.ie.
• Verified MyGovID: you need a PPS number, a Public Services Card and a mobile number verified by the DSP (code by text message at each login). It is required to apply online for the National Childcare Scheme (childcare support) or for a driving licence. It is also used to pay the LPT, access your tax account, apply for a student grant, register on the electoral register…
• The Public Services Card is usually issued when you are given your PPS number. Otherwise, you get it at an identity registration appointment (SAFE registration, about 15 minutes) in a PSC centre, often your Intreo office. The MyGovID app lets you do this remotely, but only with a valid Irish passport.
• myAccount (Revenue): register your first job, claim your tax credits, declare small additional income.
• voter.ie: registering on the electoral register and updating your address.

In what order

1. Arrive with your ID card or passport. Ireland is not in the Schengen area: documents are checked on arrival.
2. Find accommodation and proof of address (lease, bill, certificate from your host): you need it for the PPS number and to open a bank account.
3. Create your basic MyGovID and request your PPS number on MyWelfare, then go to the appointment (sheet IE-NIF-TOUS-001).
4. Have your mobile number verified at the appointment (remember to bring it) so you can then move to the verified MyGovID.
5. Register on myAccount and register your first job before your first pay.
6. Choose a general practitioner and check your HSE entitlements (sheet IE-SANTE-TOUS-001).
7. Children: contact the schools and, for little ones, approved crèches (sheets IE-ECOLE-TOUS-001 and IE-ECOLE-TOUS-002).
8. Car: register an imported vehicle within 30 days and pay the VRT (vehicle registration tax) at an NCTS centre (vehicle testing), by appointment booked within 7 days of the car's arrival. Your European licence remains valid as long as it is in date.
9. Register on the electoral register of your council (on voter.ie).

Common pitfalls

• The address – PPS – bank circle. Without proof of address, no PPS number; without a PPS number, neither myAccount nor verified MyGovID. Quickly get a document in your name.
• Paying emergency tax because your first job is not registered on myAccount.
• Thinking everything can be done online. The PPS number and the Public Services Card require an in-person visit for most foreigners.
• Forgetting the VRT. An imported vehicle must be registered in Ireland even if it is exempt; otherwise a fine and seizure are possible. You need your PPS number and the foreign registration certificate.
• Looking for a prefecture. There is no equivalent: each administration manages its own area, and European citizens do not have to register as residents.

What changes by country of origin

• EU and EEA citizens: no visa or formal residence application; beyond 3 months, your right to stay depends on your situation (work, studies, or resources and health insurance: sheet IE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). You vote in local and European elections. Your driving licence is valid as it is as long as it is in date; you can exchange it for an Irish licence (€65), at the latest 10 years after it expires.
• Swiss citizens: the same absence of a visa and of a formal residence application, on the same conditions as Europeans beyond 3 months. The Swiss licence is among the licences that can be exchanged; once you are resident (at least 185 days a year), Citizens Information invites you to exchange it or to start the process for the Irish licence.
• British citizens (Scots included): you live and work without conditions thanks to the Common Travel Area. You also vote in Irish general elections. Once settled, you can no longer drive with your British licence: you must exchange it.
• Irish citizens returning: you probably already have a PPS number; the MyGovID app can issue you a Public Services Card remotely if you have a valid Irish passport.