Returning to Ireland -
Additional Information
If you are thinking about returning to Ireland this is a
list of documentation you will need to bring, where it
applies to you.
Documentation
to bring with you
Details of the Last address you lived in abroad -
preferably an electricity/gas bill as proof that you lived
there. If you don't have this then an official letter
addressed to you at that address:
- The name & address of your last employer:
- Details of the last years that you worked
- British medical card:
- National Insurance Number:
- Drivers Licence & insurance details:
- All documents associated with ownership if you are
bringing a car:
- All correspondence you have associated with
transferring pensions or entitlements (some entitlements
you may have will not transfer with you):
- Personal documentation, birth certificates, marriage
cert. Etc:
- Employment references and any qualifications you
have, if you are hoping to work once you get home:
- Passport if you have one and two or three passport
sized photographs
The cost of moving: Moving home is always
expensive even if you are only going 'down the road'. Where
you are traveling to a different country the problems and
the costs quickly mount up. If you do not have family or
friends who will help you to move, you will be relying on
expensive removal firms. It may be worthwhile considering
whether the amount/quality of furniture you wish to bring
with you is worth the expensive fee- or whether it would be
cheaper to buy new in Ireland.
Driving in
Ireland
Driving Licence-There is no requirement for anyone
coming from a European Union country to transfer their
licence to an Irish one because all European Union driving
licences are International Licences. If you arrive with an
'individual European Union country' driving licence (issued
before the 'single EU licence') you can drive in Ireland
without any restriction because when the licence comes up
for renewal you will be issued with a European Union driving
licence which is an International Licence.
If you are the holder of a Driving licence/Permit from
a non EU or EEA member State: If you hold a national
driving licence or international driving permit from your
own country, you can drive in Ireland for the duration of a
temporary visit (a visit not exceeding 12 months). If you
intend to stay in Ireland for more than 12 months, you will
have to apply for an Irish driving licence (please see below
for details).
Applying for a Driver's licence: If you intend to
apply for a first driver's licence you will be required to
complete a theory test in order to get a provisional licence
and an oral and practical test for your full driver's
licence. A provisional licence issued in any country other
than Ireland will NOT be valid to drive on in Ireland.
Motor Vehicle Insurance: Motor Vehicle Insurance
is compulsory in Ireland. A bonus can generally be given to
anyone with a no claims bonus from the UK. However each case
is assessed individually and detailed documentary evidence
as well as a letter of your insurance history abroad is
essential. Your insurance broker will sort this out for you
if they are given details of your current insurance
company.
Motor Tax: This is payable on every motor vehicle.
Rates vary according to the size of your vehicle. It can be
paid quarterly, every six months or annually.
NCT vehicle testing: Compulsory testing of cars
older than 8 years old, was introduced in 2000. Since then
the age of vehicles has gone down and now there is a
requirement for all cars over 4 years to be tested yearly
and you won't be able to renew your car tax without this
having been done. Vehicles that fail the test will not be
issued with Motor Tax. In effect this means they cannot be
driven on a public road.
Petrol: Petrol is cheaper in Ireland than in the
UK but prices vary considerably and the advice is to shop
around. You'll find discrepancies of one, two, three or more
pence a litre even in small towns.
Bringing motor vehicles into Ireland: You will
have to present the registration book and proof of ownership
of the vehicle. There is VAT of 21% on all new vehicles here
in Ireland. If you are bringing a vehicle with you it will
be judged to be new for tax purposes if it is less than 6
months old or has registered less than 6,000km on the clock.
All goods should arrive in Ireland within 12 months of your
moving back here permanently. Customs and Excise generally
request a confirmation letter from a Garda station that you
have taken up permanent residency in Ireland. The moving
company you use should provide all the necessary paperwork
and information regarding your transferring of residence.
Further information about VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax),
VAT (Value Added Tax) and bringing a vehicle to Ireland is
available from: St John's House. Tallaght, Dublin 24,
Ireland
Tel: (01) 414 9700 or (01) 878 0100 (This is a 24 hour
service to request forms and information leaflets) E-mail:
vrotallaght@revenue.ie
Bringing
Pets to Ireland: There is no quarantine for pets
coming from the UK but check whether the accommodation you
have been offered allows you to keep pets. Many of them
don't although the rules, in some places, are less rigidly
enforced than in others. This notice relates to cats and
dogs, as there are few, if any, regulations against the
keeping of fish or small birds.
Banking and
Finance
Opening a bank account in Ireland:
It is a legal requirement that anyone opening a bank
account in Ireland provide two forms of identification
including a photo ID and proof of address.
Guidance Notes to financial institutions give advice on
the various forms of identity which may be used.
A full passport is the favoured option, however if this
is not available the following may be acceptable:
- Driving licence or age card issued by the
Gardai.
- Birth cert accompanied by a passport photograph
signed by the Gardai
- Documentation issued by a Government Department
showing the name of the person, together with a statement
from a person of responsibility who is in a position to
confirm the person's identity- e.g solicitor, doctor,
accountant, religious minister, teacher/other
professional.
For Safe-Home returnees - headed notepaper from the
Housing Association confirming the offer of housing to the
applicant and the address of the property may also be
useful.
For Safe-Home returnees we can give you a letter
confirming your return to the new address- this has often
proved helpful.
The final decision on what is appropriate identification
rests with the financial institution. Banks and Building
Societies provide similar banking services and Automated
Teller Machine (ATM) CARDS. Bank charges are high - check
costs before opening an account.
The safeguards instituted by the banks can mean that
opening a bank account may take some little time so you
would be wise to anticipate this and have a sum of ready
cash to tide you over until your account is operable.
It is possible to open a bank account in Ireland (through
a local 'Irish' bank e.g Bank of Ireland or A.I.B) while you
are still abroad. Enquire at a local branch for further
information.
General Guidelines on Transferring pensions and
benefits
Many returning emigrants ask do they have to transfer
their pensions to Irish banks when they come to live in
Ireland?
It might be easier if you have transferred your pension/s
to an account here in Ireland where the money will be shown
in Euro (¤) and be simpler for officials to calculate
your financial position and decide what, if anything, you
are eligible for. You can keep your bank account abroad and
continue to have your pension/s paid into it if you want to,
but it may cause you difficulty when dealing with Irish
officials.
The really important consideration as far as Ireland is
concerned is are you going to owe them any tax when you are
living in the country permanently? We contacted the Irish
Revenue for the legal situation and this is what they
say:
Tax
Matters
Q. I am resident in Ireland and
in receipt of a pension from the UK. Is this taxable in
Ireland or in the UK?
A. Any UK pensions received by an Irish resident,
whether occupational or social welfare, are only taxable in
Ireland.
Explanation: If you are an Irish citizen and did
not take out British nationality then your pension is
taxable in Ireland once you are resident here. If you did
take out British nationality and gave up your Irish
nationality then your pension will continue to be taxed by
Britain and not Ireland, when you move here. If you took
British nationality and kept your Irish nationality then you
hold 'dual nationality' your pension will be taxable in
Ireland but you should contact the UK Tax Authority to
confirm this because there may be some exceptions to the
rule. You must notify the local Tax office (where you move
to in Ireland) that you are now living here permanently and
they will assess you for income for tax. Please check the
question of dual nationality with them if this is your
situation.
If you only have the British State pension you will
probably not be paying any tax. If you have a Works Pension
as well as the State pension then you might have to pay tax.
If you are paying tax on your pension (where you are living)
at the moment, then you may have to tax to pay here.
In all cases you must notify the local Irish Tax office
of your permanent residency here. Not to do so is breaking
the law. You should also notify the Tax Authority in the
country you are leaving.
A word of advice:
Tax matters are very personal so can be different
depending on someone's individual circumstances. The
information in this leaflet is intended as a general guide
for older people returning to Ireland, in receipt of
pensions from abroad. We advise everyone to contact the Tax
Authorities in the country they are leaving and local Tax
office on arrival in Ireland to clarify his or her
individual situation.
VAT
Value Added Tax is a general sales tax charged on goods
sold and services supplied within Ireland. Prices of goods
and services will mostly include VAT in the costs but if in
doubt ask before you buy.
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