Banking in Ireland as a Brit: your first account, the paperwork and your UK money

Getting an Irish bank account is a short job once you can prove where you live in Dublin, and a bit of a faff until you can.

The short version

• Irish banks want proof of identity (your British passport is fine) and proof of your Irish address [1][2].
• Everyone legally living in the EU has the right to a basic bank account, with no day-to-day fees for the first 12 months [2].
• The high street is smaller than back home: AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB are the big three since Ulster Bank handed back its licence [3].
• Ireland charges stamp duty on bank cards: €30 a year on a credit card and up to €5 a year on a debit card used at cash machines [4][5].
• Keep your UK current account open. You'll want it for UK income, HMRC, the State Pension and visits home [6].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002), rounded.

Who you'll be banking with

The Irish high street is a lot smaller than the one you left. Ulster Bank Ireland returned its banking licence to the Central Bank of Ireland on 27 June 2025 and now only deals with old balances under a new name [3]. That leaves three main full-service banks:

Plenty of people in Dublin bank with an app-based bank for spending and travel, and keep an account with one of the big three for salary, rent and a mortgage application later on. If you're planning to buy a home, a few years of history with an Irish bank helps when a lender looks at your statements.

What you need to open an account

Irish banks run the same anti-money-laundering checks as UK banks, so you'll be asked for two things [1][2]:

1. Proof of identity. A valid British passport is the simplest. A driving licence may also be accepted [2].
2. Proof of your Irish address. Usually a recent utility bill, such as a gas or electricity bill [2]. Some banks accept other documents, such as a tenancy agreement or a letter from your employer, but check first and expect it to take longer [2].

For a joint account, both of you show your own ID and proof of address [1].

The chicken-and-egg problem

This is where newcomers get stuck. Your landlord wants your rent paid from an account, your employer wants an IBAN for your salary, and the bank wants a bill in your name at your new address. Meanwhile, the PPS number application wants proof of address too, and a bank statement is one of the documents it takes. Round and round it goes.

A few ways out:

• Start with an app-based bank that verifies you online with your passport, then use its statements as proof of address for the next steps.
• Ask your employer for a letter confirming your address and job. Many banks accept one, but ask before you book a branch appointment.
• Get a bill in your name quickly. If the electricity or broadband is in your name, the first bill does the job.
• Use your UK account in the meantime. Your UK debit card works in Ireland for the first few weeks, though watch the foreign transaction fees.

A PPS number isn't usually needed just to open an account, but you'll want one soon after for work, tax and the medical card. Our guide to your PPS number, Revenue myAccount and your first weeks covers it.

The basic bank account

If a bank turns you down, you have a fallback. Under EU rules, anyone legally living in the EU has the right to a basic bank account, whatever their finances [2]. The conditions are:

• you're legally living in the EU (as a Brit in Ireland under the Common Travel Area, you are)
• you're over the bank's minimum age
• you don't already have another current or payment account in the Republic of Ireland [2]

A basic account has no maintenance or day-to-day fees for the first 12 months, but no overdraft [2]. Ask what it costs after the first year. Basic payment accounts are also exempt from the stamp duty on cards [5].

Fees, stamp duty and other surprises

Free banking is less common than back home. Most Irish current accounts charge a monthly maintenance fee unless you meet conditions, such as paying in a salary or keeping a minimum balance. Before you open an account, the bank must give you a fee information document, and every year it must send you a statement of the fees you've paid [1]. Read both.

Then there's the bit nobody warns you about: government stamp duty on cards [4][5].

The debit card duty is charged in arrears on 31 December, and there's none if the card wasn't used that year [5]. If you close a credit card account during the year, you pay the year's €30 to your old provider and get a letter so the new one doesn't charge you again [4]. Nobody likes paying the taxman for the privilege of having a card, but the sums are small.

Interest on Irish savings has DIRT (Deposit Interest Retention Tax) taken off at source. Our Ireland taxes for Brits guide explains how that fits with your other income.

Is your money safe?

Irish deposits are protected by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme, run by the Central Bank of Ireland. It covers eligible deposits up to €100,000 (about £83,300), and payouts are automatic if a bank fails [7]. That's similar to the UK's FSCS protection back home. If you keep a large lump sum, from a house sale say, it can make sense to split it between banks.

Keeping your UK account and moving money over

Don't close your UK current account. You'll want it for:

• UK income that stays in sterling, such as rent from a UK flat or a UK pension
• paying HMRC, the DVLA, UK subscriptions and your phone contract
• spending in pounds on trips home to Blighty
• your UK credit history, if you might move back

Some UK banks and building societies don't let customers keep accounts once they move abroad, or restrict what you can do. Ireland is closer to home than most places, and many Brits in Dublin hold on to their accounts without trouble, but tell your bank you've moved and check its terms. Our guide to keeping a UK bank account when you live abroad covers which questions to ask and what to do if the bank says no.

Moving money from the UK

Pounds and euros are different currencies, so every transfer involves an exchange rate. The things to compare are:

• the exchange rate offered, compared with the mid-market rate you see in the news
• any fixed fee per transfer
• how fast the money arrives, which matters for a rent deposit or a house purchase

High street banks are often the most expensive way to change money. Specialist currency transfer services and app-based banks are usually cheaper, especially for large or regular transfers. For big sums, such as a house deposit, some people fix a rate in advance. We don't recommend any particular firm; our guide to sending money between the UK and abroad explains the options and the scams to watch for.

If your UK State Pension is paid abroad, DWP can pay it straight into an Irish account in euros, or into your UK account. Ireland is one of the countries where the State Pension rises every year [8].

Quick checklist for your first month

1. Bring your passport and print a recent utility bill or employer letter with your Dublin address.
2. Open an app-based account on day one if you need an IBAN fast.
3. Book an appointment with AIB, Bank of Ireland or PTSB once you have proof of address.
4. Ask for the fee information document and check how to avoid the monthly fee.
5. Give your IBAN to your employer and landlord.
6. Tell your UK bank, HMRC and DWP your new address.

Got a question about which bank suits you? Our community group for Brits in Ireland is the place to ask, and someone will have tried them all.

Sources

1. Citizens Information: Opening a bank account (updated 22 July 2026)
2. PTSB: Basic bank account guide
3. Ulydien DAC (formerly Ulster Bank Ireland DAC): homepage
4. Revenue: Stamp duty on credit cards and charge cards
5. Revenue: Stamp duty on ATM and debit cards (updated 30 September 2026)
6. AIB: Government fees and charges
7. Central Bank of Ireland: Deposit Guarantee Scheme
8. GOV.UK (DWP): Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension

Keep reading

• Moving to Dublin as a Brit
• Your PPS number, Revenue myAccount and your first weeks in Ireland
• Keeping a UK bank account when you live abroad
• Sending money between the UK and abroad