Germany or Ireland
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Germany | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 91 040 | $ 73 970 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | difficult |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | $ 114 | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 650 · estimate | $ 2 969 |
| Basket | $ 44,5 | $ 44,6 |
| Life expectancy | 80.79 | 83.01 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.92 | 0.7 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 4.1 | 2.3 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Germany — 87, Ireland — 25. Types present in both: work, study, family, startup, job seeking and working holiday. Germany adds: repatriation. Ireland adds: retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Germany: fees range from 10 to 147 EUR. Routes stating an income threshold: 10; the lowest is 959 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 1; the shortest is 60 days. Ireland: fees range from 60 to 1,000 EUR. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes stating an income threshold: 5; the lowest is 30,000 EUR a year. Routes with a published decision deadline: 3; the shortest is 56 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Germany after 3 years, Ireland after 5 years. Citizenship: both after 5 years. Both allow a second citizenship. Bringing your own parents: Ireland — yes, Germany — no.
Germany in brief
High salaries and stability. Reuniting with a partner's parents almost never works — only in cases of exceptional dependency. The working language is English at B2+ or German.
Ireland in brief
An English-speaking EU country outside Schengen with a large technology sector (the European headquarters of Google, Meta and Stripe) and some of Europe's mildest citizenship requirements — no language exam, dual citizenship allowed. Held back by high rent, non-participation in the EU Blue Card and a high income threshold for parent reunification.
Other comparisons
More on each: Germany · Ireland. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.