Moving Away From Ireland

Why people leave

Emigration from Ireland is well documented and ongoing: the CSO recorded 65,600 people leaving the country in the year to April 2025, including 35,000 Irish citizens. Australia was the single biggest draw, up 27% year-on-year to 13,500 people, followed by the United States at 6,100, up 22%. Nearly half of all emigrants were aged 25-44 — working-age adults leaving chiefly for jobs, higher pay, and career or lifestyle opportunities abroad, alongside longer-standing patterns of family reunification and retirement relocation.

Departure checklist

1. Update your address with Revenue via myAccount or ROS by selecting 'My address is not in the Republic of Ireland,' and if you're leaving a job, cease your employment record under PAYE Services so Revenue has an accurate end date
2. Ask Revenue about split-year treatment (Section 822 TCA 1997) for your year of departure, which can let you be treated as tax-resident only up to your leaving date rather than for the full year
3. If you'll keep earning Irish-sourced income (e.g. rental income from an Irish property) after you become non-resident, note that this stays taxable in Ireland even once you've left
4. File a final return or repayment claim for your departure year (Form 11/12, or a P50-type repayment claim if applicable) once your Irish income for the year is finalised
5. If bringing a pet, start the DAFM export process early: microchip before rabies vaccination, then observe the required post-vaccination waiting period, and arrange an EU pet passport or official veterinary health certificate for the destination country — requirements and timelines vary by destination, so confirm with DAFM's Pet Travel Portal
6. If moving household goods to a non-EU country, check whether an export customs declaration is needed — Revenue's customs export procedures apply once goods leave the EU, though most container shipping companies will file this on your behalf
7. Cancel or transfer GP registration, health insurance, and any HSE-linked services, and arrange copies of medical/dental records if you'll need continuity of care abroad
8. Set up mail redirection with An Post, close or convert Irish bank accounts as needed, and give notice on utilities, broadband, and any rental lease in line with its contractual notice period
9. If you have school-age children, time the move around the Irish academic year (roughly late August/September to June) and request records/transfer documentation from their school in advance

Container shipping corridors from here

Country-to-country container guides from Ireland will appear here as they are published. Destination country guides and the quote form are available now.

Exit tax and customs

Ireland doesn't charge a general 'exit tax' on individuals simply for leaving the country — the main mechanism is around income tax residency, where Revenue lets you apply split-year treatment for your departure year and requires non-residents to keep paying Irish tax only on Irish-sourced income. As an EU member, moving your household goods to another EU country involves no customs declaration; moving them to a non-EU country brings the normal EU/Irish export customs process into play. This is general information, not tax or legal advice — confirm your specific situation with Revenue or a tax adviser.

This is general orientation, not tax, legal, or immigration advice.