The Expat's First 30 Days in Dublin: A Survival Checklist
You've landed in Dublin, your suitcase is heavy, you're jet-lagged or bus-lagged or just plain overwhelmed, and the to-do list in your head is already spiraling out of control. Where do you even start when literally everything needs to happen at once but half of it depends on the other half being done first?
Take a breath. Thousands of expats figure this out every year, and you will too, but there's definitely a right order to tackle things in and a wrong order that'll cost you weeks of frustration. This is the checklist your first month actually needs, laid out in the order that makes sense so you're not running in circles between government offices and bank branches.
Week 1: The Essentials You Can't Skip
Your first week is about getting the absolute basics in place. Nothing fancy, just the foundation that everything else builds on.
Get an Irish Phone Number (Day 1-2)
Do this before anything else because every form you fill out from here on will ask for an Irish mobile number, and without one you're basically invisible to the system. Walk into any Three, Vodafone, or Eir shop on Grafton Street or Henry Street and grab a prepaid SIM. Three does a solid all-you-can-eat data plan for about €20/month that works across the EU, which is genuinely one of the better deals in Europe.
You don't need ID or proof of address for prepaid. Just hand over cash, pop the SIM in, and you've got a +353 number. Takes fifteen minutes and suddenly you exist in Ireland.
Sort Your Temporary Accommodation (Day 1-7)
If you haven't already locked down a permanent place, you need somewhere to stay while you search. Hostels in the city centre run €25-40/night for a dorm, and Airbnbs for a private room are typically €70-100/night depending on the area and the season.
The Temple Bar area is noisy and overpriced for what you get. Look at Smithfield, Stoneybatter, or Phibsborough for better value on short-term stays. A week in a hostel while you sort the rental situation is completely normal and actually how most people do it.
Start Your Rental Search Immediately (Day 1 onward)
This cannot wait. Dublin's rental market is brutally competitive and properties disappear within hours of being listed, not days or weeks but literal hours. If you're thinking "I'll settle in first and then look for a place," you're already behind.
Set up your search criteria on Daft.ie and start browsing, but more importantly, set up automated alerts so you know the second something new hits the market. HomeScout's Auto-Hunter feature is built exactly for this situation, scanning listings around the clock and alerting you instantly when something matches your criteria, because checking Daft every few hours manually just isn't fast enough in this market.
Week 2: Government and Banking
Once you've got a phone number and a roof over your head, it's time to start dealing with the admin that actually matters.
Apply for Your PPS Number (Day 7-10)
The PPS (Personal Public Service) number is Ireland's equivalent of a social security number, and you need it for basically everything: working, paying tax, accessing public services, and plenty of landlords want to see it too. Book an appointment online through MyWelfare.ie as early as possible because waiting times can stretch to 2-3 weeks depending on how busy things are.
You'll need to bring your passport, proof of address (your temporary accommodation booking works for this), and proof of why you're in Ireland, like an employment contract or university acceptance letter. The appointment itself takes about twenty minutes, and you'll get your PPS number by post within 5-10 working days.
Here's the annoying part: you need a PPS number to open most bank accounts, and you need a bank account to pay rent, and you need to pay rent to have an address to receive your PPS number. It's a perfect Irish bureaucratic circle, and the way through it is using your temporary accommodation address for the PPS application.
Open a Bank Account (Day 8-14)
Irish banks have been tightening up their requirements, but it's still doable once you have your PPS number. AIB and Bank of Ireland are the traditional options, but Revolut is now a fully licensed Irish bank and loads of expats use it as their primary account because you can open it from your phone in about ten minutes without visiting a branch.
For a traditional bank account, you'll need your passport, PPS number, and proof of address. Some banks accept a utility bill from your temporary accommodation, others want a lease agreement. Call ahead and ask exactly what they need because requirements vary by branch, which is annoying but true.
If you're getting paid by an Irish employer, most will be fine with a Revolut IBAN while you wait for a traditional account to go through. Don't let the bank account delay hold up your entire first month.
Get a Leap Card (Day 7-8)
The Leap card is Dublin's public transport card, and you want one immediately because paying cash on buses costs roughly 30% more and the exact fare requirement is a nightmare when you don't have coins. Pick one up at any Spar, Centra, or newsagent for €5, then top it up with whatever you think you'll need for the week.
A single bus fare with Leap is about €1.55, the Luas (tram) is €1.55-2.50 depending on zones, and the DART (coastal train) is €2-4. If you're commuting daily, the daily cap of €7 and weekly cap of €32 make it genuinely reasonable compared to what you'd spend in London or Amsterdam.
Pro tip: download the TFI Live app for real-time bus and Luas tracking. Dublin Bus timetables are more of a suggestion than a promise, and the app saves you standing in the rain wondering if the 39A actually exists.
Week 3: Finding Your Permanent Home
By now you should have your PPS number through or nearly through, a bank account set up, and a good feel for which areas of Dublin you actually want to live in. Time to get serious about the rental search.
Prepare Your Rental Application
This is where most expats fall down. They see a listing, fire off a generic "Hi I'm interested in the property" email, and wonder why they never hear back. Agents in Dublin receive 50-100 applications per listing, and the generic ones go straight to the bottom of the pile.
What works is a complete, professional application that's ready to send the moment a listing goes live. Have your documents organized: proof of income or employment contract, reference letters from previous landlords, photo ID, and a brief personal introduction explaining who you are and why you'd be a good tenant.
HomeScout's Renter Resume feature lets you build this once and attach it to every application, which means you're not scrambling to put documents together while the clock is ticking on a listing you actually want. It's genuinely useful when you're competing with dozens of other applicants who all want the same flat.
View Properties Strategically
When you do get offered viewings, treat them like job interviews. Show up on time, dress presentably (you don't need a suit but don't roll up in pyjamas), be friendly to the agent, and ask questions that show you're a serious tenant: what's the BER rating, what's the notice period, is the lease Part 4, who handles maintenance.
Bring printed copies of your documents even if you've already emailed them. Agents see so many people at viewings that the one who hands over a neat folder of paperwork stands out from the crowd.
Know Your Budget by Area
Rent varies dramatically by neighbourhood, and knowing what's realistic saves you from wasting time on places you can't afford or avoiding areas where you'd actually get great value.
City Centre (Dublin 1/2): 1-bed apartment €1,800-2,400. Convenient for everything but noisy, and the quality varies wildly at the lower end.
Portobello/Rathmines (Dublin 6): 1-bed €1,800-2,200. Gorgeous area, great cafes, well connected. Popular with young professionals and the competition for rentals here is fierce.
Phibsborough/Stoneybatter (Dublin 7): 1-bed €1,500-1,800. Up-and-coming with loads of character, good pubs, and increasingly good food options. The Luas Cross City line made this area much more connected.
Drumcondra/Glasnevin (Dublin 9): 1-bed €1,400-1,700. Quieter, more residential, great value. Close to the Botanic Gardens and well served by buses.
Dun Laoghaire/Blackrock (South Dublin): 1-bed €1,600-2,000. Coastal, lovely DART commute, feels like a separate town. Great for people who want space and sea air.
Week 4: Settling In
You've got your PPS number, a bank account, and ideally a place to live or at least a shortlist. Now it's about making Dublin feel like home.
Register Your Address
Once you've signed a lease, update your address with Revenue (through MyAccount), your bank, and your employer. If you're an EU citizen, you don't need to register with immigration, but non-EU nationals need to book a GNIB/IRP appointment as soon as possible because those waiting times can be months.
Get Connected
Most rental properties come with broadband already installed, and you just need to pick a provider and activate service. Virgin Media, Sky, and Eir are the main options. Expect to pay €40-60/month for decent broadband. Installation usually takes 1-2 weeks, so get this sorted on day one of your lease.
Explore Your Neighbourhood
Walk around. Find your local Centra or Spar for emergencies, locate the nearest Aldi or Lidl for proper shops, figure out which bus stops and Luas stations are closest, and most importantly, find your local pub. The pub is where you'll meet your neighbours, watch matches, and generally start feeling like you belong here.
Try Kavanagh's (The Gravediggers) in Glasnevin for one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin, or The Cobblestone in Smithfield for trad music sessions that'll make you fall in love with the city. Phoenix Park is fifteen minutes from most places on the northside and it's genuinely magnificent for weekend walks, especially when the deer are out.
The Checklist (Print This)
Week 1:
- Get Irish SIM card and phone number
- Secure temporary accommodation
- Start rental search and set up alerts
- Download TFI Live app and buy Leap card
Week 2:
- Apply for PPS number (MyWelfare.ie)
- Open bank account (Revolut for speed, traditional bank for long-term)
- Set up automated rental alerts
- Prepare rental application documents
Week 3:
- Attend property viewings
- Submit applications immediately when suitable properties appear
- Sign lease and pay deposit
Week 4:
- Register address with Revenue
- Set up broadband
- Book GNIB/IRP appointment (non-EU only)
- Explore your neighbourhood and find your local
Dublin can feel overwhelming in that first month, and honestly it kind of is. But it's also a city that rewards people who stick it out and figure out the rhythm. By day 30, you'll know which bus to catch, where to get a good coffee, and that the best pint of Guinness is always the one in the pub closest to your new front door.