Wales and Ireland have a lot in common. The two nations have deep, rich cultures, built on centuries of history. Both are proud nations, and home to people known for their welcoming, close-knit personalities. Top of the list could be the incredible natural environments. Wales’ rolling hills and natural valleys have produced five areas of outstanding natural beauty. Snowdonia National Park, Tenby, and the Brecon Beacons are all famous spots known for hiking and an abundance of wildlife. Concurrently, Ireland – known as the Emerald Isle for a good reason – is packed with incredible natural geography, from the Giants Causeway to the Kerry Coast.
Making a move to Ireland can make a lot of sense. Benefitting from freedom of movement into the country, you can enjoy a lot of rights and privileges when you arrive, you won’t need to assimilate to the language, and can access a really unique nation that is only a short ferry or plane ride from your Welsh homeland.
Making It Official
Firstly, your initial 90 days in Ireland are totally protected by law. Travel to Ireland, and enjoy several rights that non-UK citizens need to apply for including the right to vote in some elections, social housing support, healthcare and social benefits like Jobseeker’s allowance. If any of your family are also Welsh citizens, they can enjoy the exact same benefits, too. However, if they are EU or EEA citizens – or outside of that area too – the situation is not so easy. If you’re moving across and want to bring international family members, you’ll need to secure them an Irish visa, either the C (short-stay) or D (long-stay) variations to legally entitle them to stay. If they are intending to work, too, then more applications are necessary. Depending on whether they’re working, studying, joining you, or planning on permanently settling, legal help is strongly encouraged to complete that process.
Their support and contextual, specialist insight will help you to not only pinpoint which visa to apply for; immigration solicitors that are Ireland-based are able to also provide additional ongoing support if you want to extend or make a permanent move, through the naturalisation process, which requires at least five years of residence in Ireland before applying. Failure to meet those kinds of obligations, and secure the correct documentation and appropriate visas – easily done without professional support – can lead to deportation back to a country of origin, and it’s a increasingly convoluted legal process to fight these orders. If you’re bringing family over, these sorts of outcomes are obviously not acceptable, so it’s worth investing in a lawyer to get the job done right.
A Deep Connection
Something particularly nice about Welsh and Irish connections is the breadth of ways your move will feel easier on all fronts. On an employment level, Ireland is the 4th biggest export market for Wales with £1.2 billion’s worth of goods exchanged in 2020 alone. In addition, around 80 Irish companies employ 5,000 people in Wales. Ireland has thriving tech, IT support and pharmaceutical industries, as well as developed retail, R&D, and hospitality sectors. As a Welsh person emigrating, you’re highly valued and are part of a constantly growing ex-pat community. On a cultural level, the two nations share a lot in common, too. Linguistically and historically, the two share roots dating back generations. Many Irish and Welsh academic bodies, including universities, regularly collaborate. Aberystwyth University, for example, has an entire department dedicated to the history of Wales and Ireland’s connection.
Moving to study, therefore, is a really common and supported option. Schemes like the BUCANIER project finally link the two socio-economically, this supports innovation and growth in and between Wales and Ireland. The scheme focuses on hospitality, sciences, and the renewable energy sectors. Today, 120 small Welsh and Irish businesses use the multi-million Euro scheme to help grow their businesses. To say that you’re taking a step into the unknown by moving would be far from the truth. Your move from Wales to Ireland is a choice that brings a lot of new opportunities, and is well-funded and supported by both governments and private employers alike.
For the Welsh citizen looking for a fresh start or a new challenge, Ireland is a great option. It brings much of what makes Wales such an attractive place to live, with a unique culture of its own and a lot of shared history. Whether you’re looking to visit for a few weeks or build a new life there for you and your family, be sure to look into Ireland as your potential next big adven