# Moving to Ireland from India | Moving from | Moving to Ireland > Indians are now the third largest non-Irish group in the country. Census 2022 counted 45,449 Indian citizens living in Ireland, and in the year before… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/moving-to-ireland-from-india/ Moving from · Country guide # Moving to Ireland from India 4 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 Indians are now the third largest non-Irish group in the country. Census 2022 counted **45,449 Indian citizens** living in Ireland, and in the year before the census alone 10,593 Indian citizens arrived, a 315% increase on 2016. The draw is clear: English speaking, EU based, and full of employers in software, pharma, medicine, nursing and finance who sponsor employment permits. This guide walks through the practical steps.
Quick factsIndia to Ireland
Visa to enterYes (long stay D visa)
Registration after arrivalYes, IRP within 90 days
Indian licence exchangeableNo
Double taxation agreementYes
Social security agreementNo
Indian citizens in Ireland (Census 2022)45,449
## Do you need a visa? Yes. Indian citizens are **visa required**, so you need an Irish visa before you travel, and then an immigration permission to stay. For a move the visa is a **long stay D visa**, applied for online through AVATS and submitted via VFS in India. The visa gets you to the border; your permission to live here comes from the permit or scheme behind it, and you must register for an **Irish Residence Permit** (300 euro) within 90 days of arriving. - **Critical Skills Employment Permit**: the most common route for Indian professionals in ICT, engineering, healthcare and finance. From 1 March 2026 the minimum salary is **40,904 euro** (68,911 euro for roles not on the critical skills list). No labour market needs test, and after two years you can apply for Stamp 4 and work for any employer. - **General Employment Permit**: for other roles, minimum 36,605 euro from 1 March 2026, usually with a labour market needs test. Healthcare assistants and home carers have a lower threshold of 32,691 euro. - **Study**: Stamp 2 with 20 hours of work a week in term time. After a Level 8 degree the **Third Level Graduate Programme** gives 12 months on Stamp 1G; a Level 9 or 10 gives up to 24 months. That time is often used to find a permit sponsor. - **Family**: the spouse, de facto partner and children of a Critical Skills permit holder can apply to join immediately and the partner gets **Stamp 1G, which allows work without a separate permit**. Partners of General Employment Permit holders can apply after 12 months. There is no Working Holiday scheme between Ireland and India. ## Your driving licence India is **not on the NDLS list of recognised states**, so an Indian licence cannot be exchanged. You can drive on it for up to 12 months as a visitor if you also carry an international driving permit, but as a resident you need an Irish licence. The route is: pass the driver theory test, apply for a learner permit, complete Essential Driver Training and pass the driving test. Because you already hold a full licence you need only **6 EDT lessons instead of 12** and you do not have to wait six months before sitting the test. ## Tax, pensions and money Ireland and India have a **double taxation agreement**, so income taxed in one country is credited in the other and you will not pay twice on the same salary, rental income or interest. You become Irish tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year. Register with Revenue through myAccount as soon as you have a PPS number so your employer does not apply emergency tax. NRI rules apply to your Indian accounts once you are non-resident in India, so convert savings accounts to NRO or NRE and tell your Indian bank. There is **no bilateral social security agreement** between Ireland and India. PRSI paid in Ireland builds an Irish State Pension record but cannot be combined with EPF or NPS contributions, and vice versa. Your **Indian credit history (CIBIL) does not transfer**. The Irish Central Credit Register only records Irish loans, so build a local record with a current account, a phone contract and bills in your name before applying for credit. ## Healthcare Once you are **ordinarily resident** (living here, or intending to, for at least a year) you can use the public system. Public hospital inpatient charges were abolished in 2023, but GP visits cost about 50 to 70 euro and waiting lists for non-urgent care are long. A medical card or GP visit card is available on income grounds. Most permit holders take private insurance from VHI, Laya or Irish Life Health, often through their employer. Take out a policy **within 9 months of arriving** if you are 35 or older to avoid a Lifetime Community Rating loading. ## Bringing your things and your pet There are no non-stop flights between Ireland and India at the time of writing; most people connect through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha or London, roughly 12 to 15 hours in total. Household goods can enter free of duty under **Transfer of Residence relief** if you have lived outside the EU for 12 months and owned them for 6 months. India is an **unlisted country** for pet travel, so a dog or cat needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination, then a **rabies antibody blood test** at least 30 days after the vaccine, followed by a **three month wait** before the pet can enter Ireland. Add an EU animal health certificate, tapeworm treatment for dogs, and advance notice to the Department of Agriculture. ## First 30 days checklist 1. Apply for a **PPS number** through MyWelfare.ie with your passport, permit and proof of address. 2. Book your **IRP registration** with Immigration Service Delivery within 90 days and pay the 300 euro fee. 3. Open an **Irish bank account** and register with Revenue myAccount to avoid emergency tax. 4. Register with a **GP** and sort private health insurance. 5. Get a **Leap card** and book your driver theory test if you plan to drive. ## ★ Useful links - [Immigration Service Delivery](https://www.irishimmigration.ie/) - [Employment permits (Department of Enterprise)](https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/) - [National Driver Licence Service](https://www.ndls.ie/) - [Revenue: double taxation treaties](https://www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tax-agreements/double-taxation-treaties/index.aspx) - [Bringing pets to Ireland](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/coming-to-live-in-ireland/bringing-pets-to-ireland/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 19% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **Moving to Ireland from India** — about 4 minutes more — is in the app, free to download, alongside 98 other guides and a checklist built around your own move. Still to come in this guide - Your driving licence - Tax, pensions and money - Healthcare - Bringing your things and your pet [Download free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) iPhone and iPad · no account needed ## More on moving from [All 154 guides in this section](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/) - ### [Moving to Ireland from the US](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/moving-to-ireland-from-the-us/) Census 2022 counted 13,412 US citizens living in Ireland, up 27.5% on 2016, plus another 30,044 people holding dual Irish and American citizenship… 4 min read - ### [Moving to Ireland from the UK](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/moving-to-ireland-from-the-uk/) UK citizens are the second largest non-Irish group in the country. Census 2022 counted 83,347 UK citizens living in Ireland, and a further 31,907 people… 4 min read - ### [Moving to Ireland from Brazil](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/moving-to-ireland-from-brazil/) Brazilians are the largest non-European community in Ireland. Census 2022 counted 27,338 Brazilian citizens living here, one of the fastest growing… 4 min read - ### [Moving to Ireland from South Africa](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/moving-to-ireland-from-south-africa/) Census 2022 counted 8,250 South African citizens living in Ireland, plus 2,991 people with dual Irish and South African citizenship, and the community… 4 min read Keep going ## Get the full relocation roadmap in the app Moving to Ireland turns 99 guides into a personal checklist. Tell it your passport, whether you have moved yet, and who is coming with you, and it lays out every step in order — from the visa to the bins. - Step-by-step checklist - Tailored to your passport - Pre-move & post-move - Family & pet sections [![Download Moving to Ireland on the App Store](https://www.movingtoireland.co/images/app-store-badge.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) ★★★★★ 4.9 on the App Store [![Expats who settled in Ireland, two five-star App Store reviews, and the Moving to Ireland app showing its relocation checklist](https://www.movingtoireland.co/images/app-social-proof.webp)](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261)