Ireland or Italy
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
| Ireland | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 73 970 | $ 53 258 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 10 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 2 969 | $ 1 920 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 44,6 | $ 47,1 |
| Life expectancy | 83.01 | 83.95 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.7 | 0.57 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.3 | 5 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Ireland — 25, Italy — 45. Types present in both: work, study, family, retirement, job seeking and working holiday. Ireland adds: startup. Italy adds: remote work and investment.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
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. Italy: fees range from 40 to 100 EUR. Routes with a published decision deadline: 5; the shortest is 20 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Ireland after 5 years, Italy after 10 years. Both allow a second citizenship.
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.
Italy in brief
Italy is a large EU economy with a developed health system that allows dual citizenship, but with a long naturalisation period (10 years for most foreigners) and IT salaries below Northern European levels. Natural hazards are above the EU average because of seismic and volcanic activity in several regions. EU sanctions compliance complicates banking for some applicants, and since November 2025 the EU has restricted the issue of multiple-entry Schengen visas.
Other comparisons
More on each: Ireland · Italy. 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.