# Moving to Ireland from the Philippines | Moving from | Moving to Ireland > Census 2022 counted 7,736 Filipino citizens living in Ireland and a further 3,319 people with dual Irish and Filipino citizenship. The community is… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/moving-from/moving-to-ireland-from-the-philippines/ Moving from · Country guide # Moving to Ireland from the Philippines 4 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 Census 2022 counted **7,736 Filipino citizens** living in Ireland and a further **3,319 people with dual Irish and Filipino citizenship**. The community is closely tied to healthcare: Filipino nurses, midwives, care assistants and doctors have staffed Irish hospitals and nursing homes for over two decades, and the HSE and private providers still recruit directly from the Philippines.
Quick factsPhilippines to Ireland
Visa to enterYes (long stay D visa)
Registration after arrivalYes, IRP within 90 days
Philippine licence exchangeableNo
Double taxation agreementNo (under negotiation)
Social security agreementNo
Filipino citizens in Ireland (Census 2022)7,736 (plus 3,319 dual)
## Do you need a visa? Yes. Filipino citizens are **visa required**. For a move you apply online through AVATS for a **long stay D visa** and lodge your passport and documents through the visa application centre in Manila or Cebu. The visa lets you enter; your right to stay comes from the employment permit or scheme behind it, and you must register for an **Irish Residence Permit** (300 euro) within 90 days of arriving. The main routes: - **Nursing and midwifery**: first apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) for recognition of your qualification. Most overseas nurses are then asked to complete an aptitude test or a supervised **clinical adaptation placement** of 6 to 12 weeks in an Irish hospital. You come for that stage on the **Atypical Working Scheme**, and once registered your employer applies for a **Critical Skills Employment Permit**. Nurses are on the critical skills list, so no labour market needs test is needed, and from 1 March 2026 the minimum salary for nurses is **40,904 euro** (36,848 euro if you qualified in the last 12 months). Realistically the whole process takes 9 to 18 months. - **Healthcare assistants and home carers**: a **General Employment Permit** with a lower threshold of **32,691 euro** from 1 March 2026, usually after a labour market needs test. - **Family**: the spouse or partner and children of a Critical Skills permit holder can apply to join you immediately, and the partner gets Stamp 1G and can work without a separate permit. On the Philippine side you must leave through a Department of Migrant Workers accredited agency or a DMW registered direct hire, and get an **Overseas Employment Certificate** before departure, or you will be stopped at the airport. There is no Working Holiday scheme between Ireland and the Philippines. ## Your driving licence The Philippines is **not on the NDLS list of recognised states**, so an LTO licence cannot be exchanged. You can drive on it with an international driving permit for up to 12 months as a visitor, but as a resident you need an Irish licence: driver theory test, learner permit, Essential Driver Training and the driving test. Because you already hold a full licence you need only **6 EDT lessons instead of 12** and can sit the test without the six month wait. ## Tax, pensions and money There is **no double taxation agreement in effect between Ireland and the Philippines**; negotiations began in 2019 but nothing has been signed. In practice this rarely matters for salaried workers because the Philippines does not tax the foreign income of non-resident citizens, and Ireland taxes your Irish salary through PAYE, USC and PRSI. You become Irish tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year. There is **no bilateral social security agreement**, so Irish PRSI cannot be combined with SSS or GSIS contributions. Your SSS record stays in the Philippines and you can keep paying voluntarily as an OFW if you want to protect it; Irish PRSI builds a separate Irish State Pension entitlement. Your **Philippine credit history does not transfer**. Irish lenders only see the Central Credit Register, so open an Irish bank account early and build a record with bills and a phone contract in your name. ## Healthcare Your visa application must include private medical insurance. Once you are **ordinarily resident** (living here or intending to for at least a year) you can use the public HSE system. Public hospital inpatient charges were abolished in 2023, but GP visits cost about 50 to 70 euro unless you have a medical card or GP visit card, which are means tested. HSE employees usually get access to discounted group health insurance schemes; if you are 35 or older, take out a policy **within 9 months of arriving** to avoid a Lifetime Community Rating loading. ## Bringing your things and your pet There are **no non-stop flights between the Philippines and Ireland**. Most people fly Manila to Dublin via Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul or London, around 17 to 20 hours in total. Household goods you have owned for 6 months can enter free of duty and VAT under **Transfer of Residence relief** once you have lived outside the EU for 12 months. The Philippines is an **unlisted country** for pet travel. A dog or cat needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a **rabies antibody blood test** at least 30 days later at an EU approved laboratory, and then a **three month wait** before entry. You also need 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 (300 euro). 3. Open an **Irish bank account** and register with Revenue myAccount so you are not on emergency tax. 4. Register with a **GP** and sort health insurance through your employer if offered. 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/) - [NMBI: nurses qualified outside the EU](https://www.nmbi.ie/Registration/Qualified-outside-the-EU) - [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/) - [Citizens Information: entitlement to health services](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health-system/entitlement-to-public-health-services/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 18% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **Moving to Ireland from the Philippines** — 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. 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