Moving abroad · Ireland to UK

Cost of moving from Ireland to the UK

Irish citizens need no visa to live and work in the UK, so this move has no visa line at all. What it does cost is the deposit and first rent, the move itself and a buffer until your first UK pay. Here it is in pounds and in euros.

Fees only, not immigration advice. Whether you qualify for a visa, and which route suits you, is for the official site (gov.uk: Common Travel Area) or a registered adviser (MARA in Australia, RCIC in Canada, the Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC) in the UK) or a solicitor. We are neither.

Who is moving, and how

Irish citizens can live and work in the UK without a visa or any permission.

Where you will live

Rent figure: ONS average private rent, all property types, September 2026 (provisional). Deposit at most 5 weeks’ rent (6 weeks if annual rent is £50,000 or more), and at most 1 month’s rent in advance.

Getting there and settling in

Our estimate for your household, change it: food, transport, bills, phone.

Money you need to move

£14,737 – £18,738
about €17,589 – €22,364 at the ECB rate of 28 October 2026 (1 EUR = 0.8378 GBP)
    CostGBP
    Visa and permit feesOfficial fee pages, per person (see the route’s notes)£0
    Flights (one way)Our estimate, change it: prices move daily£25 – £126
    Shipping your belongingsPublished mover prices, kept as a range£1,000 – £1,900
    Rental deposit and first month’s rentOfficial rent statistics and the deposit law£5,036
    Setting upOur estimate, change it£2,000 – £5,000
    Buffer until first paydayMonths × (rent + other monthly spending, our estimate)£6,676
    Total£14,737 – £18,738

    No visa, health surcharge or registration fee. You still apply for a National Insurance number (free) and register with a GP.

    What to do first

    1. You need no visa: under the Common Travel Area, Irish citizens can live, work and study in the UK without permission. Your Irish passport is your proof of the right to work and rent.
    2. Apply for a National Insurance number once you arrive (it is free), and register with a GP for NHS care.
    3. In England a deposit is capped at 5 weeks’ rent and rent in advance at 1 month; Scotland caps deposits at 2 months and Northern Ireland at 1.
    4. Open a UK bank account early: many employers and landlords want UK account details for pay and rent.
    5. Get removal quotes that include the ferry crossing and say whether you load yourself or the firm packs.

    Visa and permit fees for the UK

    Irish citizens can live and work in the UK without a visa or any permission. No visa, health surcharge or registration fee. You still apply for a National Insurance number (free) and register with a GP. Source: gov.uk: Common Travel Area.

    Rent, deposit and the first month

    The rent figures are official statistics, not asking prices, so a new lease in a popular area often costs more. The deposit is set by law in each place, which is why it differs between cities:

    Flights, shipping and setting up

    Flights are our estimate of a one-way economy fare from Ireland (€30 to €150 per person); type your own fare to replace it. Shipping prices are the ranges movers publish, door to door unless they say otherwise:

    Setting up covers about two weeks of temporary accommodation, basic furniture and kitchen kit, a phone plan and local transport for the first weeks: £2,000 to £5,000 for one or two people, our estimate, scaled up for larger households. The buffer is the number of months you choose multiplied by your rent plus other monthly spending; most people need at least one month before the first pay arrives.

    Rules that cost money after you arrive

    The calculator counts what you pay to get there. These rules decide what the first year costs once you land, and most cost guides leave them out:

    • Tax Four years without UK tax on foreign income, if you qualify. If you were not UK resident for the 10 tax years before you arrive, you can claim relief on foreign income and gains for your first 4 tax years of UK residence. The claim is made year by year, and in any year you claim you lose your personal allowance and capital gains allowance, so it only pays when your foreign income is large. (HMRC HS266: foreign income and gains (FIG) regime)
    • Driving licence Your Irish licence can be swapped. Licences from the EU and EEA, Ireland included, can be exchanged for a British one without a test. (GOV.UK: exchange a non-GB driving licence (designated countries))

    Other moves

    Frequently asked questions

    How much money do I need to move from Ireland to the UK?
    For one adult on the No visa needed (Irish citizen, Common Travel Area) route renting in London, our default works out at £14,737 – £18,738, or about €17,589 – €22,364 at the ECB rate of 28 October 2026. It includes visa fees, a one-way flight, shipping for a small removal by road and ferry (1–2 bedrooms), the deposit and first month's rent, setting up, and two months of living costs as a buffer. Change any input to match your plans.
    Do I need a visa to move from Ireland to the UK?
    Irish citizens can live and work in the UK without a visa or any permission. This page shows costs only; for your own situation, check the official guidance (gov.uk: Common Travel Area) or ask Citizens Information or a solicitor.
    Why are some lines ranges?
    Flights and shipping are quoted differently by every airline and mover, and setting-up costs depend on how you live, so we keep the published spread instead of picking one number. Visa fees and deposits are fixed by law or by the official fee list, so they are single figures.
    How current are these figures?
    Every fee and statistic was checked on 29 October 2026 and each line names its source. UK visa fees and the health surcharge usually change in April. Check the official page on the day you pay.

    Sources and how we checked

    Exchange rate: European Central Bank reference rates of 28 October 2026, converted through the euro (1 EUR = 0.8378 GBP). Your bank or transfer service will use its own rate. Figures are general information, not financial or immigration advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us. Disclaimer.