The first week sets the pace for everything that follows, because two of the slowest processes in Ireland, the PPS number and immigration registration, both start with an online booking that you can make on day one. Get those in the queue, get a phone and a travel card, and start the property search, and the rest of the month will run smoothly. This guide is a day-by-day plan; adjust it to your own arrival day. Figures are correct as of September 2026.
Day 1: the airport and the basics
If you are a non-EEA national, the immigration officer will stamp your passport with a landing stamp. Read it: it gives you permission to stay and tells you to register with Immigration Service Delivery within 90 days. Keep every document you showed at the border; you will show them again at registration.
Day 2: apply for your PPS number
You cannot be paid correctly, register with Revenue, open most bank accounts or apply for a GP visit card without a Personal Public Service number, and you can only apply once you are in Ireland. Log into MyWelfare.ie with your MyGovID, fill in the application, upload your documents and book an in-person appointment at a PPS Number Allocation Centre. You need:
- Your passport (EU citizens can use a national identity card).
- Proof of address dated within three months. For a new arrival this can be an official letter confirming your address from your hotel, hostel or landlord, or a household bill with a note from the bill holder.
- Evidence of why you need the number, such as a job offer or a college acceptance letter.
Your number is not issued at the appointment; the Department runs further checks and posts it to you afterwards, and it does not publish a processing time. Take the earliest appointment you can get, anywhere you can reach.
Day 3: book immigration registration
Non-EEA nationals aged 16 and over must register and get an Irish Residence Permit. Log into the ISD customer portal, book an appointment at the registration office at Burgh Quay in Dublin, and gather the documents listed for your permission type. Appointments are normally available within two to three weeks, and the permit costs €300, paid by card. Your IRP card is posted to you after the appointment, so make sure you will have a stable address by then or use your employer's address if they allow it.
Days 3 to 7: find somewhere to live
Start viewing immediately. The rental market moves in hours, not days, and a good listing on Daft.ie can have dozens of enquiries by lunchtime. Set up alerts for your target areas, respond within minutes, and bring a folder to every viewing with:
| Item | Why |
| Passport or ID | Landlords must verify who they are renting to |
| Employment contract or offer letter | Proof you can pay |
| Recent payslips or bank statements | Proof of income and savings |
| Reference from a previous landlord | Reassurance for the agent |
| Employer or character reference | Useful if you have never rented before |
Know the rules before you hand over money. A deposit cannot exceed one month's rent, and advance rent cannot exceed one month. Never pay a deposit without having viewed the property in person and met the landlord or a licensed agent; read our guide to common rental scams. Once you sign, ask the landlord for confirmation that the tenancy is registered with the RTB.
Also this week
- Register with Revenue: once you have a PPS number, create a myAccount and register your job under Jobs and Pensions, which stops emergency tax. If your number has not arrived by your first payday you will be taxed at the emergency rate and refunded later.
- Find a GP: phone practices near your temporary address and ask if they are taking new patients. Many Dublin lists are closed, so expect several calls.
- Learn the emergency numbers: 112 or 999 for emergencies, and the local GP out-of-hours service for urgent care at night and weekends.
- Walk the areas you are considering at 8am and 8pm before you commit.
- Tell your embassy you have arrived if your country asks citizens to register.
What you can and cannot do yet
You can work, sign a lease, use public transport and see a GP as a private patient from day one. You cannot yet open most traditional Irish bank accounts (they want a PPS number and an address), claim the Rent Tax Credit, or exchange your driving licence (the NDLS wants proof of your PPS number and address). All of that follows in the first 90 days.
