This section contains information that is particularly aimed at NCHDs who are coming to Ireland for the first time to continue their training.
General
Requirements
Whether you are moving jobs within Ireland, or travelling here from abroad, we strongly advise arranging accommodation prior to commencing your new post. This may be difficult to organise remotely if you want to view the property yourself or meet with landlords or letting agencies. Organising short-term accommodation (hotel, Airbnb, hostel, or staying with friends and family) can give you time to investigate the area and find a suitable property.
The main types of rental accommodation in Ireland are houses, apartments, and house-shares. Tenancy agreements tend to be fixed-term (a 12-month duration is typical). Living costs in Ireland are some of the highest in Europe, mostly because of high rents. The average rent nationally is nearly €1,500 per month. Most tenancies will require a security deposit (usually one month’s rent) plus one month’s rent in advance of the moving-in date.
Finding rented accommodation:
• Rental accommodation is mostly advertised online. Popular websites used by private landlords and letting agencies include www.daft.ie , www.rent.ie , and www.myhome.ie. These sites also allow you to create alerts so that you receive emails notifying you of new listings that correspond to your search parameters.
• It is also possible to find accommodation through word of mouth, or by looking out for “To Let” signs at available properties.
• Hospital staff will often use hospital noticeboards to advertise accommodation.
• Doctor’s Res is a closed, private Facebook group frequently used by doctors in Ireland who are seeking accommodation, house swaps, or roommates. You will require a Facebook account and your request will need to be approved by a group admin. (Please note, NDTP is not affiliated with the Doctors Res Facebook group.)
Before committing to a property, you should consider:
• Your budget
• The location and the route to and from work
• The quality of the accommodation
Learn more about looking for accommodation, including your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. www.citizensinformation.ie/housing
A personal public service (PPS) number is a unique reference number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services, and information in Ireland. A PPS number is always seven numbers in length followed by either one or two letters.
To obtain a PPS number, you must provide evidence of:
• your identity
• why you need a PPS number
• your Irish address
You can apply for a PPS number online. The first step is to create a basic (unverified) MyGovID account at https://mygovid.ie , then use this ID to log into MyWelfare Homepage and start the application process. If you are still living outside of Ireland, you should instead complete a PDF application form and email or post it along with the additional elements required.
Learn more about applying for a PPS number.
www.gov.ie/en/service/12e6de-get-a-personal-public-service-pps-number/
While working in Ireland, your salary will be paid directly into your bank account. It’s advisable to open a bank account for this. Both banks and credit unions offer personal current accounts in Ireland.
Any financial institution is likely to ask for the following elements to open an account:
• Personal details: your Irish address and an Irish mobile phone number
• Photo identification: proof of your identity in the form of a passport or driving licence
• Evidence of your Irish residential address: two official documents showing your name and residential address, dated within the last six months. This is often referred to as non-photographic identification.
Accepted documents are typically:
- Utility bills (electricity, gas, internet, or water bills).
- Current home insurance, health insurance, or motor insurance certificates.
- Bank account or credit card statements (you may not be able to use these if you are new to Ireland, unless your non-Irish financial institution is already sending statements to your home address in Ireland).
- Rental agreement (not universally accepted).
It can take up to a week for a new bank account to be set up, and longer for a debit or credit card to arrive. If you have not opened a bank account prior to your arrival in Ireland, you should ensure you have some way of accessing money while waiting for your account to be operational. If speed is an issue for you, you may want to look for a bank account service that accepts online applications.
Once you have received your bank account details you will need to contact your Medical Manpower Department and update the hire form on your National Employment Record (NER) account to ensure you receive your wages.
You can access the NER from a browser or via a smartphone app (Android or iOS)
Link to App Google Play Store (Android Device)
The Revenue Commissioners, usually referred to as Revenue, is the government agency responsible for the assessment and collection of taxes and duties in Ireland. The main work Revenue is involved in includes:
• Assessing, collecting, and managing taxes and duties
• Collecting Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions
• Providing policy advice on taxation issues
During your employment in Ireland, you will be required to pay Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and Universal Social Charge (USC). Both these taxes are managed by Revenue and appear as deductions on your payslip. You will need a Revenue account to view your tax-related information and documents. To create such an account use a verified MyGovID account, which you can create at https://mygovid.ie
You can also use a Revenue myAccount which allows you to access many Revenue services, using a single login and password. These services include:
- Pay As You Earn (PAYE) services (including Jobs and Pensions)
- Local Property Tax (LPT)
- Home Renovation Incentive (HRI).
Learn more about Revenue and creating an account.
Proficiency in the English language is a core requirement of all NCHDs working in the Irish public health service. This is to ensure that you can communicate effectively with patients and to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements and human resource policies and procedures. The English language requirement is applied universally, regardless of whether you are a training, non-training, or intern doctor and no matter what category or grouping you fall into. If you are seeking to take up employment here and were not registered with the Irish Medical Council prior to 1st January 2015 OR have not completed ALL your undergraduate medical training in the Republic of Ireland, you must provide evidence of English proficiency.
Evidence can take the following forms:
If you completed your medical degree in English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, or the United Kingdom: a copy of your medical degree certificate.
• If you have an Irish Leaving Certificate OR United Kingdom A-Levels AND a medical degree in English: copies of your Irish Leaving Certificate or UK A-Level results, a copy of your Medical Degree, and documentation from the university confirming your medical degree was taught and examined solely in English (all three must be provided).
If you cannot provide the above evidence, you can instead submit a certificate of test results from either the International English Language Test System (IELTS) or Occupational English Test (OET).
Learn more about English language requirements in the HSE, including required minimum scores for IELTS or OET (PDF).
Immigration
There are several steps to complete to obtain the necessary permissions to live and work in Ireland.
Before presenting for entry to Ireland you will need to have secured:
• Your registration as medical practitioner with the Medical Council of Ireland
• An immigration visa granting permission to work in Ireland
• A work permit issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
• A job offer or employment contract
Once you have the above requirements, you can seek an immigration permission ‘stamp’ on your immigration card.
Learn more about employment permits for doctors. www.enterprise.gov.ie
To secure the necessary visa, you will need to complete a visa application. Learn more about applying for a visa at justice.ie.
You must secure a work permit before coming to Ireland; your visa alone is not sufficient to gain entry to the country. You should have a job offer or contract AND a work permit when you arrive. Your employer applies for the work permit on your behalf, so if you have any questions about this you can contact your employer. There are two categories of work permit that are relevant if you plan to work as a doctor in Ireland.
- Critical Skills Employment Permit: Issued to applicants with a job offer of two years’ duration.
- General Employment Permit: The permit that most doctors applying to work in Ireland are eligible to apply for. Once this permit is obtained, you can seek to enter the country. Once your work permit has been approved, your Medical Manpower Department will upload this to your National Employment Record (NER) account, where you will be able to view it. [LINK]
Once you have entered the country, you must attend an appointment with the Immigration Service of the Department of Justice to receive your immigration card stamp - this indicates the permission type you have been given. This permission is granted for a fixed period. You must attend in person to register at your local immigration office and ensure you have the documentation required. An appointment is mandatory and can be booked online at inis.gov.ie.