Ireland has no digital nomad visa and no golden visa. For most expats over 50, there are two realistic doors: a grandparent born in Ireland, or €50,000 a year per person. Here they are with 2026 numbers — no salesmanship.
Figures verified 8 July 2026| Route | Who it's for | Money requirement (2026) | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship by descent (Foreign Births Register) Full guide → | Anyone with an Irish-born parent or grandparent (great-grandparent only in limited cases) | €278 registration fee (adult). No income test, no investment | Irish citizenship — live and work in Ireland and all 27 EU countries, no conditions |
| Stamp 0 Retiree / independent means Full guide → | Retirees with substantial passive income and no Irish ancestry | €50,000/year per person (couple: €100,000 combined) + a lump sum roughly equal to the price of a home + private health insurance | Annual renewals only — does not count toward permanent residence or citizenship |
| Employment permits Critical Skills / General | People with a job offer from an Irish employer | Salary thresholds by occupation (Critical Skills list favours tech, health, engineering) | Stamp 1/4 → after 5 years' reckonable residence, eligible to apply for citizenship |
| Join a spouse/partner or Irish-citizen family | Spouses and de facto partners of Irish citizens or permit holders | Sponsor must show means; requirements vary by scheme | Reckonable residence — spouse-of-Irish-citizen route: citizenship after 3 years |
Apply online to the DFA, then post certified documents covering up to three generations. ~12 months' processing once complete. Citizenship dates from registration.
Once registered you're an Irish and EU citizen. Move any time, work, access public services like any citizen — and pass it on if you register before your kids are born.
US and Canadian citizens apply by post to ISD in Dublin before travelling. Processing runs about 4–6 months. Approval comes as a conditional letter of offer.
Register for your IRP card on arrival, then re-prove the €50k income and private insurance every year. The years never add up to permanent residence.
Who qualifies through a parent or grandparent, the three-generation document list, fees, and the 12-month timeline.
Read the guide → Guide€50,000 per person, the lump-sum expectation, private insurance, and what Stamp 0 will never give you.
Read the guide →Critical Skills vs General permits, salary thresholds, and the realistic odds of a sponsored move late-career.
Reckonable residence explained, which stamps count (Stamp 0 doesn't), and the €175 + €950 fees.
How Irish entry works for US and Canadian passports, and why Ireland pairs well with an EU look-around trip.
First registration, the €300 card fee, renewals, and dealing with ISD.
Visa applications fail on paperwork details. We'll introduce you to an English-speaking immigration lawyer we've independently vetted — licensed, and experienced with expat cases in Ireland.