In order to retire to Ireland, foreigners must be able to provide evidence on being financially independent, meaning that they won’t need to obtain active income originating in this country.
There are various requirements for the retirement visa in Ireland depending on whether the foreigner arrives here alone or with a partner, or whether if the applicant arrives from a visa or non-visa country.
Other than this, the rules on immigration in Ireland are the same; our immigration lawyer in Ireland can present you the main aspects you should know if you want to retire here.
Table of Contents
What is the procedure to retire to Ireland?
Any foreign applicant has to comply with the rules on immigration to Ireland; thus, regardless if one wants to retire to Ireland from USA or from any other country, the basic conditions will have to be achieved.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| How can foreigners retire to Ireland? | Individuals who want to retire to Ireland must apply for a Stamp 0 and a D Reside visa. |
|
Types of visas suitable for retirement |
D Reside visa. |
|
Income thresholds imposed (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Minimum financial requirements | EUR 50,000 per year, per applicant. |
| Types of income accepted |
Income originated outside Ireland, such as pension income or other personal funds, savings, etc. |
| Who can apply for the retirement visa? |
The visa can be obtained by persons who arrive here under independed means of living or by those who are elderly dependends (they need an Irish sponsor), who cannot, for the entirety of their stay in Ireland, access Irish state benefits. |
| Where can the visa application be initiated? |
Outside Ireland. |
| Interview formalities (yes/no) |
No (in general, applicants of a D Reside visa are not asked to participate in an interview, but this may be required in certain situations, decided on a case-to-case basis). |
| Documents necessary for the visa application |
– valid passport; – a copy of the birth certificate; – a copy of the marriage certificate (if applicable); – reasons for which the permission to stay is required under the Stamp 0; – details of family members living in Ireland (where applicable); – documents attesting the financial situation of the applicant; – documents attesting that the financial papers have been verified by an Irish accountant; – a valid medical insurance that covers private medical care in Ireland; – a police clearance issued by the police in the home country of the applicant. |
| Validity of the visa | A person can retire to Ireland as the holder of a Stamp 0 permit for a period of 1 year. |
| Renewal possible (yes/no) |
Yes (on a year-to-year basis). |
| Legal obligations upon arrival in Ireland |
It is mandatory to register with the local police stations operating in the cities/counties where the applicants will have their residence. |
| Right to permanent residence through retirement visa |
Foreigners who retire to Ireland can’t use the Stamp 0 for permanent residency. |
| Minimum age for suitable candidates |
For retirees, minimum 65 years old. |
| Duration of the visa processing | 4 months. |
From the beginning, it must be noted that a holder of a retirement visa in Ireland is not entitled to claim state benefits from the Irish authorities, as the person did not contribute to the social and economical welfare of the state.
According to the Department of Justice, there are 3 basic steps, that can vary slightly based on the situation of an applicant (visa applicant or visa free applicant). Find below some of the basic matters:
- step 1 – all applicants are first required to apply for permission to retire to Ireland;
- step 2 – start the visa formalities, in the case in which the applicant is from a third party state;
- step 3 – complete the retirement procedure after the arrival in Ireland;
- have an individual income of minimum EUR 50,000;
- for persons who arrive here with their spouse, the minimum financial requirement is of EUR 100,000.
How to apply for permission to retire to Ireland
The 1st step on immigration to Ireland for persons who want to arrive here as retirees is to apply for permission. This step is imposed to those who have to apply for a visa, as well as to those who are visa free and the application is made with the Immigration Service Delivery.
The application for permission is done by completing a form – Form TPER (Stamp 0). The application will be reviewed by the representatives of the institutions and if the document meets the basic criteria for selection, the applicant will be issued with a Conditional Letter of Offer.
The document is granted so that the immigration officer can see the foreigner meets the minimum visa requirements (upon the arrival in the country the immigration officer can do various background checks on the documentation the foreigner holds).
Along with the Conditional Letter of Offer, the applicant will also receive an Agreement Form from the Domestic Residence and Permissions Division. If you are a person arriving from a non-visa state, once these documents are issued, you can simply travel to Ireland.
Apply for a retirement visa in Ireland
For foreigners who want to retire to Ireland who need a visa, the visa formalities have to be initiated. Thus, in order to have the right to residency in Ireland, you must conduct additional formalities (you have to apply for the D visa).
The application procedure should be started after the above-mentioned documents are sent to the applicant and it is important to know that the formality must be completed prior to the arrival in the country. Thus, when moving to Ireland, the foreigner must already be issued with the D visa.
If the person is not a holder of a valid visa or if the visa formalities have not been completed upon entry to Ireland, the foreigner will be denied access even though he/she has obtained various documentation from the Irish institutions.
Immigration formalities upon arrival in Ireland
Provided that you have obtained the visa, you can simply start the process of immigration to Ireland. Once arrived here, please know that you must complete few immigration procedures – you have to register your residency in Ireland and send certain documents to the Irish institutions.
Here, you must address Unit A – Domestic Residence and Permissions Division, working under the Irish Department of Justice and send the following documents:
- the signed Agreement Form that was sent to you when you applied for permission to arrive here under a retirement visa;
- the passport.
The Unit A Department will add a stamp on your passport and then return the document to you and, once this procedure is completed, the last obligation you have is to address a Garda station (police office) to register the permission granted to reside here.
What are the documents necessary to retire to Ireland?
Whether one wants an early retirement in Ireland or if a foreigner will arrive here during his or her senior years, it will be necessary to provide a set of documents that are compulsory for the application process.
The identity documents of the applicant, along with the birth certificate/marriage certificate (where applicable) have to be added in the application file. Then, the request for permission must be justified by the applicant; documents attesting the financial situation are necessary as well – one must submit bank statements issued in the last 6 months. We invite you to watch a short presentation on the visa suitable for retirement to Ireland:
What visa is suitable for early retirement in Ireland?
For both early retirement in Ireland or retirement for senior citizens, the most suitable visa is the D visa, as this is an immigration document issued on a long-term basis. The need to apply and obtain a visa is imposed solely to persons who arrive from third party countries.
For instance, persons who will retire to Ireland from USA must hold a visa, unlike citizens from the EU retiring in this country. The formalities for obtaining the visa have to be concluded prior to the arrival in the state, as otherwise, the access of the foreigner can be denied.
Can a retirement visa be renewed in Ireland?
Yes, foreigners have the right to renew their visas, including the one issued for retirement purposes. For this, you must complete the TPER (Temporary Permission to Remain) Renewal Form. It is recommended to start the renewal procedure 4 months prior to the expiry of the current visa.
The renewal will be handled by the same institution (Department of Justice) only that this time you must address Unit C – Domestic Residence and Permissions Division. As mentioned above, it is indicated to start the procedure 4 months before the expiry, because the processing of the documentation takes around 4 months.
Additionally, delays can appear, due to documentation errors (forms that are not completed as required, missing documents, etc.) or due to other applications that are still to be processed. The law on immigration in Ireland requires this department to handle the applications in chronological order.
If you need assistance on other matters, such as citizenship in Ireland, our team of lawyers remains at your service.
Where can one retire to Ireland?
A foreigner can retire to any part of the country; Dublin is a destination of interest for foreigners regardless of the purpose of their arrival; it is also an attractive place for those who retire to Ireland from USA.
The suburbs of Dalkey and Killiney are the preferred regions near Dublin; other attractive regions can be found in Cork, another important city of the country. Please mind that foreigners can also purchase properties here. Large houses near Dublin or Cork, that are considered high-end properties, can be sold at prices of $1,5 million to $5 million.
If you need information on how to purchase a property, do not hesitate to get in touch with our immigration lawyer in Ireland, who can help you in this procedure as well (by doing the due diligence procedures and representing clients in any other property purchase formality).
Our immigration lawyer in Ireland can present all the steps you have to follow in order to obtain permanent residence in Ireland as a retiree. Our team can help you prepare the documents necessary for the application and make any arrangements imposed with the local authorities.
You can also contact us if you need assistance on the overall fees you must pay for the issuance of the residency. Our immigration lawyers remain at your service in the case you want to know the conditions imposed for Irish citizenship. There are few ways to acquire citizenship and you can find out more on this subject from our team.
Please mind that this procedure imposes the payment of processing fees, just like in the case of those who apply for residency. There are fees for processing of the citizenship, and fees for the issuance of the citizenship.
