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Moving to Cork

A Guide for Moving to the Rebel City

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Are you thinking of moving to Cork, Ireland? Oh, I can feel that rebellious spirit in you that will make you feel at home in the Rebel City. Since we’re happy to help you move to Cork from the UK, and we put together this great, no exaggeration, guide with information on moving costs, an informative checklist, and tips. Our guide on moving to Cork will make it all so seamless. And the cherry on top, we’ll even help you find a moving company with five free moving quotes.

How Much Does It Cost to Move to Cork?

You’ll be glad to know that moving to Cork is comparable to a domestic move, since you can see Ireland from the UK. We’re sure that your glad to hear that your move will be cost effective and that it won’t take long either 1-4 days depending on the distance.

So, how much will it cost to move your belongings to Cork? Well, that depends on a couple of factors such as the volume, distance, and choice of moving company. Therefore, we did some calculations and came up the following estimates for a move from London to Cork, based on household size, for ease of reference, thoughtful, right?

Household sizeCost
1 bedroom£1,200 – £1,700
3 bedrooms£2,000 – £2,800
5 bedrooms£3,300 – £4,500

Disclaimer. The costs on this table are estimates. The actual moving price may differ due to various factors. Check out our international moving costs page for more information.

Cost Factors

If those numbers made you sweat, there’s no need to fret since you can influence the cost of your move to Cork! Just keep the following in mind when planning your move:

  • Comparison shopping – It’s common sense, looking around you’ll find the best price. You should request five free moving quotes to find the best moving company for you.
  • VolumeCalculating your volume is a great way to understand how much you’re trying to bring, and then maybe consider bringing less. We’ve all got deadweight at home, I’m looking at you, treadmill.
  • Complexity – Do you want to move something fragile, heavy, and requires special attention? It’ll add to the cost.
  • Insurance – You can never prevent the unexpected, but you can protect your pocket. Insurance will prove invaluable in the event of an accident.
  • Additional services – packaging, assembling, and storage.

If there’s one thing you take away from this section, it’s that your choice of moving company will one of the greatest determiners of your price. So, be sure to request moving quotes today!

Moving to Cork?
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Checklist for Moving to Cork

Moving can be a stressful experience if you’re not organised, and we’ve learned from experience what you really need to focus on. So, use our checklist to make your move to Cork from the UK seamless and stress free!

✔️Visa

We’ve got great news; you don’t need a visa to move from the UK to Cork as a UK citizen! Why, I hear you ask in amazement? Ireland and the UK had a separate agreement about freedom of movement from the EU called the Common Travel Area (CTA).

What does this mean? Well, this means you can live and work in Ireland freely as a UK citizen. There are some limitations. If you have non-UK or non-EU family members, they are not entitled to freedom of movement.

If you happen to be an EU citizen in the UK and are moving to Cork, Ireland, you can move freely. Ireland is part of the EU!

✔️Packing

You can’t move to Cork without packing up your house, and of course we have a guide for that. It’s best to start packing a month before you move. If you haven’t found a moving company or moving date yet, there’s still time! Request some free moving quotes now.

✔️Register as a Permanent Resident

If you want to want to work and avail of healthcare after you move to Cork from the UK, you will need to apply for a PPS number. It’s a unique number that identifies for official purposes.

✔️Healthcare

Healthcare in Ireland operates on a two-tier system. Public is funded by the government, similar to the NHS in the UK, whereas the private system is paid for the by the individual receiving treatment. Depending on your needs, you may want to avail of private healthcare, in which case we recommend that you get health insurance.

Do you want to know more about healthcare in Ireland? Great news, we covered it and you can read more here!

✔️Banking

Since Ireland uses the Euro, if you intend to live there, be warned that using your English bankcard won’t be a cheap affair. If you want to avoid getting hit with transferal fees and conversion fees, you’ll want to open a local bank account.

To open a bank account, you need a photo ID (passport or driving license) and proof of address in Ireland. That means you won’t be able to open an account before you go. However, you can choose the bank for you before you go. We recommend you consider the following options:

Moving to Cork

✔️Important Documents

It can be easy to lose track of things, we’ve had a few scares, missed place passports and such. Now, we know better and are happy to share our knowledge. Here are a few documents that you should prepare and have with you when moving to Cork:

  • Passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Marriage certificate (if applicable)
  • Medical Documentation
  • University Degree(s) and Qualifications
  • Driver License

Sirelo tip: It’s possible that your degrees and qualifications won’t be recognise, so be sure to have them accredited.

✔️Subscriptions

While Ireland and the UK are neighbours, your utility companies won’t be moving to Cork with you. Get organised and get cancelling! Remember, you should aim to have the ending of your utilities coincide with the day you move out of your old house.

✔️Redirect your Mail

It can be difficult to update everyone and every institution of your change of address. Fortunately, the Royal Mail offers a redirection service, for a fee, just in case you forgot someone. You wouldn’t want to miss a wedding invite from a close friend or a letter from the Queen!

✔️Pets

Don’t leave your furry friends behind, bring them with you! It’s really simple, all your pet needs is:

  • To Be Microchipped
  • A Valid Health Certificate
  • A Certificate of Rabies Vaccination
  • A Certificate of Treatment for Tapeworm

If you want to know more, you can visit the Irish government’s page on bringing pets to Ireland.

✔️Bringing Your Car

Just like in the UK, Ireland drives on the left side of the road, you’ll feel right at home on the road. And it’s very easy to move your car to Cork, you can drive it over on the ferry, make a road trip of it! Read the Irish government’s guide on how to import your car to Ireland from the UK.

Sirelo tip: In Ireland, your British driver’s licence won’t be recognised, so you need to exchange it for an Irish license.

Finding a Home in Cork

Cork is an old city, so be prepared for some old buildings and narrow streets. Also, the city is home to not one, but two universities, CIT and UCC, and of course the student nightlife that comes with it. If you’re moving to Cork alone, then living in the city centre might be an attractive option for the vibrant city life.

If you are moving to Cork with kids, there’s plenty of room in the surrounding suburbs which can be ideal places to raise children. There’s also the option of living in nearby satellite town, such as Ballincollig, Cobh, or Kinsale. Each have short commutes to the city and offer more peace and quite and even some stunning natural beauty.

Moving to Cork

Working in Cork

Cork is home to many multinationals and also plenty of local businesses. No matter your qualifications, there will be a job for you, as long as you remember to get your PPS number, how many times do we have to say it? And since you, as a UK national don’t need a work permit, the job market is wide open to you.

Key Industries

To start, it might interest you to know the key industries in Cork. This is a great way to identify well-paying jobs. There will be competition for jobs in these fields. Don’t worry if your field doesn’t make an appearance, it’s likely there will still be work for you.

  • IT
  • R&D
  • Pharmaceutical Industry
  • MedTech
  • Healthcare
  • Retail and Hospitality

Job Hunting

Finding your dream job isn’t an easy feat. The quickest way to do it is start searching and do plenty of interviews. Of course, you need to find positions to interview for, so look below for useful links that will help you in your hunt:

Are you curious about the work culture in Ireland? Well then, read about it here! It’ll prepare you for something that could be the biggest shock or just a slight change. Only one way to find out. 😉

Moving to Cork 3

Ready to Move to Cork?

Do you feel that coursing through your veins? That is the knowledge to complete a successful move to Cork from the UK. Use your newfound power to make your move as seamless as possible, we believe in you!

Of course, if you want to know more about moving, we welcome you to keep reading. We have plenty more pages on everything that you need to know about moving. Just look below! You can’t go wrong with picking one, they’re all great, if we may say so.