If you are an Irish citizen and wish to move to Australia – whether you plan on studying, working, setting up a business, joining family or maybe even retiring – you must first obtain a visa to do so.
In order to retire to Australia, you must initially apply for a visa. If you have family ties to Australia, you could potentially apply for a Parent Visa, Age Dependent Resident Visa, Remaining Relative Visa, or a Carer Relative Visa.
Becoming a citizen by conferral is a common way to become an Australian citizen. You need to be a permanent resident and meet certain criteria before you can apply.
Irish citizens are required to obtain a visa before entering Australia. The country offers different types of visas for different purposes, including tourist, business, and working holiday visa. Although you can apply for traditional Australian visas, it's recommended to apply for an Australian e-visa.
You may be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent if you were born outside Australia and one (or both) of your parents at the time of your birth was also an Australian citizen at that time. Check your eligibility before you apply. Apply online through ImmiAccount.
Emigrate to Australia. If you are considering emigrating to Australia from Ireland, IAS' immigration consultants can offer you expert advice and assistance. Contact the Immigration Advice Service on (+353) 061 518 025 to find out how we can help you with the emigration process.
About Irish & NSW Driving Licences
Holders of Irish driving licences who are in Australia as temporary visitors may drive the vehicles covered by their licences in NSW indefinitely, provided that their visa remains temporary, their licence is current, and their driving privileges in NSW have not been withdrawn.
You can become a permanent resident of Australia by applying for and being granted a permanent visa that allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely. The most common permanent visas include some skilled work and family visas. To find a visa that suits your needs explore visa options.
Retirement visa pathway. The Australian Government has created a pathway to permanent residency for eligible retirees. This pathway provides options to long-term residents who have contributed to, and are well established in, the community.
According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia's Retirement Standard, to have a 'comfortable' retirement, a couple who own their own home will need an income of about $70,500. A single person will need an annual income of more than $50,000.
The age limit to apply for one of the General Skilled Migration Visas is 45 years of age, and unfortunately, there are no exceptions. If you have already submitted your Expression of Interest and you are waiting for an invitation, and your birthday comes up and you turn 45, unfortunately, you are not eligible anymore.
If you're visiting Australia from the Republic of Ireland, you may be eligible for medical care under Medicare while you're here. If you're visiting Australia from Slovenia you may be eligible for medical care under Medicare while you're here.
The majority of foreign pensions and annuities received by Australian residents are taxable in Australia, but there are exceptions (including US social security payments, which are subject to a final withholdings tax in the US) and tax advice is strongly recommended prior to your first receipt of any pension.
Countries such as Thailand and Malaysia are popular with Australians because they are a 'day flight' away from most capital cities and have all the advantage of great weather, good / great health care systems and English being spoken in the country.
You can use it in any of the countries that have signed the 1926 or 1949 UN Convention on road traffic. In addition, many other countries that are not signatories to the 1949 convention recognise the IDP and accept it in their territories. A list of recognised countries can be seen on IDP application form.
You will need a visa in advance to enter Australia. You have to be pre-cleared and issued with an Electronic Travel Authorisation. Travel agents, the nearest Australian Embassy or the Australian Immigration website can provide further details. Always respect the terms of your visa.
Living, working or studying abroad for a limited time.
If you are normally resident in Ireland but are currently working or studying abroad, you can apply onlineOpen in new browser tab to renew or replace your Irish driving licence.
The Irish passport has been ranked as the joint sixth most powerful passport in the world for 2023 according to the Henley Passport Index. The Irish passport is ranked as the sixth most powerful passport along with the UK, French, and Portuguese passports. The Irish passport outranks the US passport by just one spot.
Ireland allows dual citizenship, which means that you can become an Irish citizens and remain a citizen of another country. Some countries do not allow dual citizenship and you should check the citizenship rules of your country of nationality if you are considering applying for Irish citizenship.
You can leave Ireland for up to 6 weeks (in total) per year and still be considered resident in that year. If you leave for more than 6 weeks in one year, you should not count this period when you are calculating your reckonable residence.
Is Ireland better than Australia? It is hard to say which country is better than the other. Australia offers a stable and flourishing economy with a lower unemployment rate but costlier living overall. Ireland offers slightly lower living costs but a somewhat higher rate of unemployment.
You will pay about €20 if you are applying for Australian visa in Ireland. However, you may need to pay additional fee for biometrics, health checks, etc.
Irish Australian settlement patterns are not significantly different from those of the Australian population as a whole – that is, a third live in New South Wales and a quarter live in Victoria, with 13 per cent living in Queensland (compared to only 18 per cent of the general population).