Real’s Ultimate Guide for Re - locators

FÁILTE ROMHAT!

(WELCOME)

Ireland is a small country with an enormous amount to offer; full of a rich culture, diverse

artistic talent and lively people.

Dublin's Fair city!

To start, we will give you a brief ‘Real’ Introduction to our beautiful country, Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland has a population of 4.7 million people. In Ireland, we pride ourselves

in being a very diverse, welcoming country with a multitude of different nationalities living

and working here. We are an Island surrounded by the Irish and Atlantic Oceans making our

beaches some of the most spectacular in Europe. Along with our coastline, we have

hundreds of beautifully renowned scenic and historic sites.

Cliffs of Moher in the West of Ireland

It is an ideal location if you want to branch out and view what the rest of Europe has to offer. It is a perfect launching pad for travelling. In two hours, you could be in Barcelona, Rome in three hours, and for a short weekend away, the UK is hardly 45 minutes away.

By law, if you work full time in Ireland you are entitled to 20 days holiday. Most employers will also award extra vacation days the longer you are in employment. In Ireland, we have a strong work ethic along with an excellent education system. However, it is in our culture to enjoy the sweeter things in life. We have thousands of first - class restaurants with tasty Irish cuisine along with traditional and modern bars serving the finest beers and drinks.

Visa Requirements when moving to Ireland:

People from certain countries need a valid Irish entry visa before arriving in Ireland, whether

by air, sea or land. An Irish visa is a certificate placed on your passport or travel document to

indicate that you are authorized to land here in Ireland. On Arrival at the airport, you will

still be subject to immigration control at the point of entry even if you have a visa. You may

also need to register with the immigration authorities.

You do not need a visa to come to Ireland if you are a member of E.U.

You have to apply for the General Employment Permit New Application

If you are going to pay for the permit yourself you need to pay 1000euro by postal

order or cheque and include it in the application

You will fill out the form with your personal details, education and employment information

Employee also includes:

Passport sized photo with employee name printed on the back

Clear copies of passport pages showing photo, personal details and expiry date

Immigration stamp

Visa

The Visa Process

An application must be made on the prescribed form available on the Department of Jobs,

Enterprise and Innovation website. There are up to three stages in the passage of an employment

permit application:

1. Pre-check Stage:

If an application does not include required documentation the application is

‘rejected’ as incomplete. This is not a refusal – it merely requests the applicant to

make the necessary changes to complete the application. The applicant can

resubmit the corrected application and when the associated cheques/EFT payments

are recorded it is then placed in the processing queue.

2. Processing Stage: This stage is where the application is considered by a decision

maker, an official with decision making authority. The processor may request

additional information, if required, which should be returned within 28 days. The

processor will either grant an application or refuse it for specific reasons.

3. Appeal: Where an applicant wishes to appeal a refusal decision then he/she may do

so within 28 days on the prescribed Submission of a Decision for Review Form. The

appeal will be considered by a separate and more senior official. The refusal of an

application on appeal does not preclude the submission of a new application.

If an application is unsuccessful then 90% of the fee will be refunded. While the fee may be paid by a

third party, current policy restricts refunds to applicants only (e.g. if the applicant was an employee

and the employer paid the fee, then the refund will still issue to the employee).

The Critical Skills (and Green Card) Employment Permit is issued for 2 years and you

are not required to renew it. Instead you apply to your local immigration officer for a

Stamp 4 permission to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit. - NB: if a candidate entries the country on a holiday visa they are not allowed apply for this

visa, they must have a work visa already e.g. Stamp 1

Where to apply:

Employment Permits Section

Davitt House

65a Adelaide Road

Dublin 2

Ireland

The Irish Economy In 2008, the Irish economy was heavily affected by the Global-banking crisis. Many Irish people lost their jobs especially in the construction industry and the public sector. However, over the past two years the Irish economy has been improving and growing significantly. Unemployment has dropped to 7.6% with new jobs being generated especially in the IT and pharma/medical device industries.

An Overview of the Pharmaceutical/Device Market in Ireland Ireland’s Medical Device Industry has become one of the leading clusters for medical device products globally. Exports of medical devices and diagnostic products now represent 8% of Ireland's total merchandise exports. There are over 400 med tech companies here in Ireland

at the moment. It is rapidly expanding market with constant opportunities opening to Life

science professionals.

30 million people with diabetes use Irish made injectable

devices

33% of the world’s contact lenses

2nd largest exporter of exporter of

MedTech products in Europe

€12.6 billion in MedTech exports

annually

50% of ventilators used in acute

hospitals located worldwide

The Biopharmaceutical industry has made a capital investment of approximately $8 billion in new facilities in Ireland, most of which has come in the last 10 years. This represents close to the biggest wave of investment in new BioTech facilities anywhere in the world.

Regulatory aspect: Ireland has an exemplary compliance record with regulatory agencies,

including IMB, FDA and EMA. They work closely with companies to achieve trouble-free

compliance. Certification agencies in Ireland operate in accordance with European and

global standard procedures.

Research and Design: Ireland has a significant track record of clinical and academic research

excellence. The government has also committed €8 billion to research funding to further

bolster Ireland’s reputation as a growing hub for research and development.

*Corporations around the world highly regard and value professionals with experience in a

medical device or pharmaceutical company from Ireland. This is due to the extremely high

quality standards here along with the extensive training and education systems in place. *

9 of the top 10 world's

pharmaceutical companies

7th largest exporter of medicinal and pharmaceutical products in the world in 2014

39 billion in annual exports of pharma, bio and chemistry

prodcuts

75 + Pharmaceutical

companies operate in Ireland

33 FDA approved pharma and

biopharma plants

TAX IN IRELAND

This will give you a general idea about the Irish tax system with regards to the working professional taxpayer. Initially your first step will be obtaining your individual Personal Public Service Number (PPSN)

The PPSN is a unique identification number for all dealings with Public Service agencies, including Revenue, education, welfare and health services.

If you are working in Ireland for the first time, whether you are from Ireland or from abroad, you will need to obtain a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) in order to register for tax purposes.

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) issues PPSNs. In general, applications for PPSNs are made through the DSP’s network of PPS Number allocation centers, to whom application forms and proof of identity should be sent. More detailed information in relation to PPSNs, including

whether one has already been issued to you, where you might find your PPSN, how to apply for one,

is available on the DSP website.

Registering for Tax as an Employee

Once you have your PPSN and are starting work as an employee for the first time in Ireland, you must register with your Revenue office in your area. If you are starting work as an employee for the first time, you will need to complete a Form 12A and return it to your Revenue office. Revenue will then send you and your employer a Tax Credit Certificate so that correct deductions of income tax can be made from your salary.

The PAYE System

Under the PAYE system of deduction, your employer calculates and deducts the amount due for Income Tax, Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and the Universal Social Charge (USC) from your salary/wage payments each payday. The PAYE system ensures that the yearly amount you have to pay is collected evenly throughout the year. The income tax year runs on a calendar year basis, i.e. 1 January to 31 December. You will normally pay Income Tax from your first payday. The amount of Income Tax you pay depends on your level of income and the amount of your tax credits.

Tax Rates

Your income, up to a certain threshold (single person, married/civil partnership, etc.), is taxed at the standard rate of tax. Any income above this threshold is taxed at the higher rate of tax.

Tax Credits

Tax credits are credits that you get based on your personal circumstances, e.g. single person or married or in a civil partnership, and which are set against your income for the year. A tax credit reduces the tax you pay on your income. Some credits are fixed amounts, like the single or married person's/civil partnership credit; others depend on the amount you spend, like tuition fees. Certain tax credits are granted automatically such as the basic personal tax credit but others must be claimed by completing a specific claim form.

Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI)

Pay related social insurance (PRSI) contributions go to the Social Insurance Fund which helps pay for Social Welfare benefits and pensions. The amount of PRSI paid depends on your social insurance class, which in turn is determined by your earnings and the type of work you do. You can obtain full details of all PRSI rates from the Department of Social

Protection’s website.

The Universal Social Charge (USC)

USC is a tax payable on gross income, including benefits from your employer, but before deducting pension contributions.

This link below is fantastic – it will calculate your taxes due for you!

http://services.deloitte.ie/tc/

An example of the Form 12A

HOUSING IN IRELAND

You should arrange accommodation before you arrive in Ireland, even for the first few days

of your stay. Organize and book yourself into a hotel, B & B or a hostel in order to give

yourself time to look around and get to grips with the accommodation situation in the area

in which you plan to live.

Buying a House

Before you decide to buy

Find out what you can afford

It is important to evaluate all costs involved in buying a home, for example, mortgage costs, legal fees, registration of deeds and stamp duty. If you have calculated that you can afford to buy a property taking into account all of these costs, then you are ready to buy.

Get a solicitor

Conveyancing is the legal work involved in buying or selling property. Conveyancing charges can vary between solicitors, so it is worth contacting several solicitors to compare prices.

Find a property you like and can afford

Property websites, auctioneers and estate agents are the main ways of finding property for sale. There is a public register of auctioneers and estate agents on the website of the Property Services Regulatory Authority.

Sometimes individual sellers advertise their property themselves Newspapers may also have property supplements or publish advertisements for properties for

Get a survey

A seller is under no obligation to disclose defects in a property. You should get a survey of the property to find out if there are any defects before finalizing the purchase. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) is the professional body for chartered surveyors.

Getting mortgage approval

Very few people can buy a home without getting a mortgage. A mortgage is a long-term loan secured against the property you buy. This means if you do not repay your mortgage, you may lose your home.

There are different types of mortgages and different mortgage providers. Contact a number of different mortgage providers to find out who can offer you the best deal. More information on mortgages and choosing the best one for you is available from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

You can get mortgage approval in principle before you start to look for a property; this will let you know how much you have to spend. However, when you do find a property you like, you must get formal mortgage approval before you sign the contract for sale (see below). If you sign a contract for sale and subsequently do not get mortgage approval, you will lose your deposit and there may be other penalties.

To Note!

If you rent a property from a landlord, or share a house with others, it should be noted that tax relief is not available on the rent paid. If you buy a house you may have to pay Stamp Duty which is a tax based on the value of the property.

Local Property Tax

Local Property Tax (LPT), which was introduced in 2013, is a tax payable on the market value of residential properties in the State. A residential property is any building, which is used as, or is suitable for use as, a residence. As Local Property Tax is a self-assessed tax, the liable person must complete and submit the Return, calculate the liability and pay any tax due.

RENTING IN IRELAND

Details of minimum standards

General

For each apartment, flat or house being rented as a separate unit, the landlord must ensure that the rental property is in a proper state of structural repair. The Regulations require the landlord to maintain the property in a good state, inside and out. They specify that roofs, roofing tiles, slates, windows, floors, ceilings, walls, stairs, doors, skirting boards, tiles on any floor, ceiling and wall, gutters, down pipes, fittings, furnishings, gardens and common areas must be maintained in good condition and repair. They must not be defective due to dampness or otherwise.

The landlord must ensure that electricity or gas supplies are safe and in good repair, and that every room has adequate ventilation and both natural and artificial lighting.

Laundry, food preparation and food storage

Private landlords are required to provide access to:

A washing machine A clothes-dryer if the dwelling does not have a private garden or yard

They must also provide facilities for cooking and for the hygienic storage of food, to include the following:

4-ring hob with oven and grill Cooker hood or extractor fan Fridge and freezer, or a fridge-freezer Microwave oven Kitchen cupboards that are suitable and adequate for storing food Sink with mains water supply, hot water and draining area

For dwellings rented from local authorities and approved housing bodies, landlord is required to provide facilities for:

Installation of cooking equipment with provision, where necessary, for the safe and effective removal of fumes

Hygienic storage of food

Other requirements

All landlords must provide:

A sink with hot and cold water

A separate room, for the exclusive use of each rented unit, with a toilet, a washbasin and a fixed bath or shower with hot and cold water

A fixed heating appliance in each room, which is capable of providing effective heating and which the tenant can control

A fire blanket and smoke alarms Access to vermin-proof and pest-proof refuse storage facilities

In multi-unit buildings, the landlord must provide each unit with a mains-wired smoke alarm; a fire blanket; and an emergency evacuation plan. There must also be emergency lighting in common areas.

Damage to your possessions

It is important to note that your landlord's responsibilities (to keep the water pipes, for example, in good repair) do not normally cover you for any damage to your possessions (caused by burst pipes, for example) and the landlord's insurance policy is unlikely to cover your personal belongings.

Several insurance companies provide contents insurance for private tenants.

Here is an idea of the Renting statistics in Ireland now; May 2016

Rank City

Cost of

Living Index

Rent Index

Cost of

Living Plus Rent Index

Groceries Index

Restaurant Price Index

Local Purchasing

Power Index

1 Dublin 82.74 49.96 67.18 66.88 87.45 108.76

2 Cork 76.91 35.13 57.07 66.36 81.12 135.52

3 Galway 74.26 30.68 53.57 60.37 76.69 136.85

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-

living/country_result.jsp?country=Ireland

The link above will you give you a general idea of the cost of living in Ireland ^^^

Here are a few Renting Websites where you can grab the best deals

http://www.myhome.ie/rentals/ireland/house-to-rent

http://www.daft.ie/ireland/houses-for-rent/

http://www.rent.ie/

http://www.property.ie/property-to-let/ireland/

http://www.let.ie/

MOVING YOUR PET TO IRELAND

Your pet is going to need:

· E.U. Pet Passport.

· Microchip (should comply with ISO standards 11784 or 11785).

· Current Rabies Vaccination (or at least 21 days before entry).

· Tapeworm treatment (Echinococcus) (dog’s only) to be administered by your Private

Veterinary Practitioner (PVP your local Vet) between 24 hours and 120 hours before

scheduled arrival time into Ireland. Your PVP must enter into the E.U. Pet Passport the

treatment, sign and stamp

· Registered Airline or Registered/Approved Ferry.

The following Airlines are registered for entry into Ireland:

· Air Baltic ------Riga, Latvia. · Lufthansa Airlines --------Frankfurt, Germany.

· SAS Scandinavian Airlines ------Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

· Swiss International Airlines ----- Switzerland.

· Turkish Airlines ------------Turkey.

· Aer Lingus ----------Ireland.

· Iberia Airlines-------Spain.

· Iberia Express------Spain.

· British Airways-----U.K.

The following Ferries are registered / approved for entry into Ireland from France.

· Celtic Ferries.

· Brittany Ferries.

· Irish Ferries.

If you are travelling by Air when you arrive into Dublin Airport, collect your baggage from the

reclaim hall and then once you have cleared Agriculture and Customs you can make your way to

the cargo area (Airline staff will tell you where the cargo area is) to collect your pet. You will

have been issued with an AWB (Airway Bill) number from the Airline Company prior to

departure. Present yourself and your AWB to the clearing agent and pay the appropriate fee for

Customs clearance and you will be given your pet.

TRANSPORTATION IN IRELAND

Ireland’s size makes travelling the country very easy. So when you want to get around, it is

relatively easy depending on how you want to travel. Rental cars are incredibly cheap. Buses

run all over the country, as do trains. The longest you may be travelling non-stop here would

be around five hours, and that is from one end of the country to the other! The four major transport services in Ireland are;

1. Dublin Bus

2. Bus Eireann

3. Irish Rail

4. Luas

1. Dublin Bus is the biggest public transport provider in the Greater Dublin Area operating over 136 routes. Normal services run from 5.00am until midnight. The Nite-link service operates from midnight until 4.00am on Friday and Saturday nights. For further information about prices, payment methods, discount deal visit www.dublinbus.ie

2. Bus Éireann operates regional city-to-city, commuter towns, and intercity bus services throughout Ireland.

For detailed information on Bus Éireann, services see www.buseireann.ie

3. Irish Rail operates city and commuter services in Dublin and Cork as well as intercity services throughout Ireland.

To book tickets or to find out detailed information on Irish Rail services see www.irishrail.ie

4. Luas is Dublin’s tram service, operating two lines. The Luas Red Line links Tallaght/Saggart to Connolly/The Point. The Luas Green Line links Brides Glen/Sandyford to St. Stephen’s Green. Construction has commenced on Luas Cross City – Dublin’s newest light rail link. Extending the Green line from St. Stephen’s Green through the city centre creating interchange with the Red line at O’Connell St. It will then continue on the North side to connect with the railway line in Cabra to provide greater access to Dublin city centre.

This link has all the information you need when it comes to Irish Transportation - Journey Planner.

This Real Time Ireland App lets you check when your next Bus/ Train or Luas service is due!

Our Luas line

HEALTHCARE IN IRELAND Ireland's health care system is modern and reasonably efficient. It is also free, if you do not

count the taxes that pay for it all. Everyone resident in Ireland is entitled to free public

health coverage. The level of free coverage depends on your economic health - the poorer it

is, the higher your level of coverage. There are two categories of public health coverage.

Once you are resident in Ireland, you are automatically entitled to one or the other.

Both private and public healthcare are available in Ireland. The public healthcare system is

funded by general taxes. If you need immediate attention you will probably have to pay a

subsidized fee depending on age, income, disability etc., but you will be seen to and the cost

will be minor. Otherwise, if it is something that can wait, expect to go on a waiting list.

There are numerous private healthcare providers available where you can pay for with

services such as private rooms with no waiting lists.

Our emergency dial here for the police/ambulance or fire brigade is 112 or 999.

EDUCATION

Education is very highly valued in Ireland. Education is compulsory for children in Ireland

from the ages of six to 16 or until students have completed three years of second-level

education.

The Irish education system is made up of primary, second, third level and further education. State-funded education is available at all levels, unless you choose to send your child to a private institution. Pre-school education is usually provided by privately funded childcare facilities or providers.

Primary (first-level) education

Children do not have to attend school until the age of six but it is usual for children to begin school the September following their fourth birthday. Four-year-olds and five-year-olds are

Second-level education

Secondary schools are privately owned and managed. Second-level education consists of a three-year junior cycle followed by a two-year or three-year senior cycle depending on whether an optional Transition Year is taken following the Junior Certificate examination.

Students generally commence the junior cycle at the age of 12. The Junior Certificate, the first state set of examinations is taken after three years.

Transition Year follows the Junior Certificate examination. This year is free from formal examinations and allows students to experience a wide range of educational inputs, including work experience.

During their final two years in the senior cycle, students sit The Leaving Certificate examination. This exam is the main basis upon which places in universities, institutes of technology and colleges of education are allocated.

Third-level education

Third-level education is made up of a number of sectors. The university sector, the technological sector and the colleges of education, which are substantially funded by the State. In addition, there are a number of independent private colleges.

There are seven universities, which are autonomous and self-governing. They offer degree programmes at bachelor, masters and doctorate level.

Trinity College Campus in Dublin City

SETTING UP A BANK ACCOUNT IN IRELAND

Bank of Ireland - Dublin City Branch

We advise that you should check what options the different banks offer you and choose the one that is best for you. Banks and Building Societies offer similar banking services and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards. Bank charges can be high – check the costs before you open an account.

Credit Unions are also a good option and their charges are less than the banks. It may take up to 3 weeks before your bank account is set up and ready for use, therefore, you should have some ‘ready cash’ to keep you going until your account is ready for you to use.

To open a bank account in Ireland you must have:

2 forms of photo identification Proof of address in Ireland (a recent household bill for example ESB or Telephone

bill)

What forms of identification can be used?

A valid passport Driver’s Licence Age Card issued by the Gardaí

Here is a few of the most popular banks: Bank of Ireland Ulster Bank Bank A.I.B Permanent TSB

If you have any other questions regarding your relocation, the Real team here in Dublin would be more than happy to assist any of your queries. Do not hesitate to give us a call and we will help in any we can!