Going to relay what I learned on Stamp 0 -- explored this option and spoke with an Irish immigration solicitor about it. Most important is that it's discretionary and some things are purposefully vague so they can evaluate your application holistically (like looking at your purpose for coming, your personal or historical connections to Ireland, etc.). With that said, financial verification by a certified Irish accountant is key and you won't get anywhere without it. In other words, if serious, you must find someone who does the work and pay for their opinion before applying.From that link, it seems that you (the applicant/visa holder) doesn’t get access to Ireland’s national health insurance system, which could be a deal-stopper for some.
Thanks! I like this Ireland idea some people have mentioned above. They have a program as well it seems: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming- ... o-ireland/
But I’m also curious what is meant by this (found in the application requirements):They want evidence of “all finances available to you,” but “investment sums are not normally measured”???Evidence of all finances available to you (for example, six months of bank statements)
Evidence of your finances verified by an Irish based accountant listing yearly income and any financial liabilities. Investment sums are not normally measured – finances must be in the form of pension income or readily accessible funds
What if you don’t have a pension (or social security or whatever), and all you have are investment funds that are “readily accessible” simply by selling them?
Seems like a bit of a contradiction to me.
Or do they expect/want people to sell their multimillion holdings and go all to cash and then apply for the visa?
With that said, dividends, interest payments, regular capital gains distributions (not self-initiated asset sales), will all fall under "income." So will "systematic withdrawal plans" of which RMDs are a likely fit. The Irish authorities will expect the accountant to analyze these "systematic withdrawals" and determine sustainability (so if you've only got a year or two left of RMDs, unclear if it would work). I don't know if Vanguard's "automatic withdrawal" program qualifies, but may be worth a shot.
Naturally pensions, social security, etc. are the "best" guaranteed income, while other sources of income will be assessed for sustainability. If applying, they will look back at 6 months of bank statements and the "cleanest" approach is a regular "deposit" of the income into your bank account to show history. They will also look at all your expenses to ensure that your financial situation is sustainable, so if housing expenses in the U.S. are excessive you may need to state that you plan to sell your house or otherwise eliminate certain expenses upon moving.
I know this is a bit "in the weeds" but I've spent a lot of time in Ireland with family and explored this option thoroughly in order to spend more time there than 90 days. On one trip, one of my family members got sick and we were pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get a primary care visit within 24 hours on a cash basis. The cost? 60 euro (no other fees). There are cash caps for all medical services and even if you need private insurance, it's surprisingly affordable.
Statistics: Posted by unbiased — Thu Sep 25, 2025 2:47 pm — Replies 98 — Views 10534