4 Reasons Why Tech Workers are Choosing Ireland as Home Base

Guest Contribution

If you’re aspiring to a career as a techie or looking to further your existing career, chances are, Ireland will be high on your list of possible places to live. But what’s the big attraction? Could it be the Guinness?

Turns out there are several reasons why Ireland is a great choice for ex-pats hoping to further their careers in tech-related businesses, and although the beer is certainly good, it’s not going to be among the top reasons why they might choose Ireland as the ideal country to launch or advance a tech career.

In case you haven’t heard why we offer a rundown of the top four reasons why tech workers are choosing Ireland as their home base. From practicalities to opportunities, you’re sure to find even more!

1. Getting Citizenship isn’t All That Difficult

Supposing that you aren’t already Irish, the thought of living elsewhere as a non-citizen may not seem that attractive. Imagine living and working in a country for years only to be officially regarded as a lifelong foreigner.  Expats in places like the UAE and Hong Kong have chosen countries where achieving citizenship is next-to-impossible.

However, professionals who chose Ireland as their home base have a real chance of being recognized as true citizens, securing all the rights and sense of belonging that goes with official recognition.

Irish citizenship isn’t all that hard to achieve – and ex-pats can even maintain dual citizenship – a state of affairs in which you don’t have to give up your original citizenship. While it’s certainly true that this applies to all people who relocate to Ireland, it’s also a draw-card for one of Ireland’s biggest imports: tech workers.

2. Ireland is the New Silicon Valley

Of course, people wouldn’t even consider working abroad if the opportunities weren’t good – and that’s where Ireland has tech workers covered. Source after source is referring to Ireland as the new home of Silicon Valley, and a quick look at the companies with major offices and even headquarters here tells its own story.

Apart from Apple, we see Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google with their European headquarters based in Dublin, Ireland. Other familiar names include Dropbox, HubSpot, and Zendesk, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 16 of the world’s top 20 software companies have a major presence in or are based in, Ireland. That’s a formidable statistic!

Companies are choosing Ireland because there’s plenty of untapped talent and a favourable tax environment. It’s also a relatively wealthy country that will support tech companies’ needs while being less costly as a base than most other European centres.

What could be better for tech firms? Ireland offers them an English-speaking country in the EU with proximity to major markets and the potential for maximizing profit through lower taxes. From a tech worker’s perspective, going where the jobs are makes excellent sense, and since Ireland is offering them, it’s a top destination.

3. You Can Further Your Education While You’re Here

Dublin is the main scene of the action, and it’s also the home of two internationally-respected universities that offer degree courses in tech-related fields. Armed with a degree from Trinity College or University College, boosting tech career prospects gets a whole lot easier. And since the work experience that’s needed to raise their credibility as tech workers is also in Dublin, it’s like a one-stop career shop for those with tech leanings and career aspirations.

However, with so many opportunities, there’s a fair amount of competition, and ex-pats will be facing some high-level competition from locals. There are more tech workers boasting higher qualifications in Ireland than there are anywhere else in Europe. If you’re ready to win your place by being among the smartest and the best, this is the place to prove your mettle. There are still opportunities and skills gaps, and overseas workers may have what it takes to fill them.

4. US Expats Soon Feel at Home

The “strangeness” of working as an ex-pat in a foreign country may seem off-putting to all but the most adventurous, but if you’re from the US, you don’t need to be a stranger for long after your move to Ireland.  It’s not just your education and work-life that can benefit from a stay in Ireland. Building a vibrant social circle shouldn’t be difficult. Whether or not US citizens can boast of Irish roots, they’ll feel quite at home in Ireland – and a lot of them settle here permanently.

While those choosing more exotic locations may find themselves dealing with feelings of exclusion if only because they don’t always know what’s going on, getting adjusted to living in Ireland isn’t particularly challenging. It could even be compared with moving to another part of the US. After all, it’s just a matter of a different accent and a few day-to-day adaptations that are easy enough to make.

Building a tech career while still enjoying a healthy work-life balance is part of the attraction that continues to draw talent to the Emerald Isle. No wonder we’re still seeing a healthy influx of ex-pats with tech expertise!