Thinking a move to Scotland is in your future? With its stunning scenery and convenient distance from home it’s no wonder, but there are some things you need to know before moving there.
This article is going to give you some practical tips and insights for moving to Scotland, including the current visa situation for Irish people, cost of living, how healthcare works, how to get a job, open a bank account and find a rental.
We’ll also let you know how Wise in Ireland can help make the experience simpler and more affordable. You'll be able to open a Wise Account and manage EUR and GBP in one place.
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- Total population: 5,490,000¹⁰
- Capital: Edinburgh
- Currency: British pound (GBP)
- Official languages: Scotland's main language by custom and usage is English
- Number of Irish expats: 54,000¹¹
- Biggest cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen⁶
Making life that little bit easier, Irish citizens do not need a visa to move to Scotland. Moving there after Brexit is just the same as it was before.¹
Since there’s no requirement for Irish citizens to get a visa to travel to Scotland, you can move there without a job. That being said, the move might be easier if you already have work or a new position lined up.
Like most places around the world getting a job in Scotland involves finding an advertised position and submitting an application along with a CV. To find open positions you can start by looking at online job boards like these:
To be able to work in the UK, including Scotland, you do need to apply for a National Insurance number.²
Once you have a job, your employer is legally required to enrol you in a workplace pension scheme and make contributions to this. How this works depends on the employer so it’s something to keep in mind when discussing your future employment.
Cost of living is a significant factor when deciding whether to move from one country to another. You need to make sure you’re in the financial position to be able to make a new life there, and have a job that can cover costs.
Often, location plays a part in the cost of living but as you can see from this head to head comparison of Dublin and Edinburgh, the cost of living when you move from Ireland to Scotland can be lower.³
| Cost of living Dublin vs Edinburgh³ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Expense | Dublin, Ireland | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 20.00 € | 18.80 € |
| Pint of domestic beer | 6.80 € | 6.00 € |
| Cappuccino | 4.07 € | 4.24 € |
| Litre of milk | 1.33 € | 1.52 € |
| Loaf of bread | 1.74 € | 1.70 € |
| 1kg of chicken fillets | 9.35 € | 8.86 € |
| Monthly public transport pass | 115.0 € | 79.21 € |
| Monthly internet (60+ Mbps Unlimited) | 52.48 € | 38.30 € |
| Monthly fitness club membership | 52.67 € | 50.67 € |
There are some initial costs associated with moving to another country that you have to outlay to get started. Exactly what these costs are will depend on your situation, but here’s some common things people moving from Ireland to Scotland have to pay for:
- Family and/or pet transportation to Scotland
- Moving company and shipping personal belongings
- Buying new furniture and furnishings
- Rental move out and move in costs or fees and taxes for selling a home
- Converting EUR to GBP
- Insurance
The specifics for opening a bank account in Scotland depends on the bank, but many support online, branch and phone applications.
Opening an account usually involves providing these details to ensure you can be identified, due diligence carried out by the bank and the account opened in your name.⁴ Main things you'll have to prove are:
- Identification
- Personal details
- Address
- Contact information
- Income and expenses details
Opening a UK bank account could take time and since your money is likely going to be mostly in euros, it may not be the best option.
Wise is not a bank but you can use Wise Account to manage your money in GBP and EUR. Since it's a multi-currency account, you'll also be able to hold and convert between 40 currencies.
The Wise Account also offers local account details in Euros and British pounds, among other currencies, and the currency conversion is always done at the mid-market rate (the one you normally find on Google), with no markups on the exchange rate.
It’s also possible to order the Wise card, which is a debit card that will allow you to spend directly in British pounds as soon as you arrive in Scotland. So, yes, you can open your Wise personal account for free while in Ireland.
As part of the UK, Scotland operates under the National Health Service, or NHS. If you’ve moved to Scotland and are considered to be “ordinarily resident”, meaning someone who has settled and resides there, then you have free access to NHS healthcare.⁵
For people who have moved there but are not considered ordinarily resident yet, there is an immigration healthcare surcharge that needs to be paid. That gives free access to most NHS services, with one of the main exceptions being NHS funded assisted contraception.
The good news for Irish citizens is that because of Common Travel Area agreements there’s an exemption in place for the fee.
The first step to finding a rental in Scotland is choosing where you’d like to live. Once you’ve done that you can start looking at listings.
Many properties are advertised online so here’s a few sites to get you started in your search:
While looking for a home it’s a good idea to start gathering the documentation you’ll need to actually rent the property, so that you’re ready to go when you find the right place. Here’s an idea of what you should collate⁹ to rent an apartment in Scotland:
- Character references
- Workplace and employment references
- Income documentation, e.g. payslips
- Employment status documents, e.g. contract letter
- Confirmation of address
- Personal identification
Once you’ve found a property you’ll be renting through a letting agent or straight from the landlord. Either way, you’ll be entering into a Private Residential Tenancy agreement that needs to be signed and it’s a good idea to check if the Landlord is registered through the Scottish Landlord Registry first.
Usually, there is a refundable deposit to be paid which can be up to two months rent, and sometimes there’s a request for a guarantor. The apartment may be furnished or unfurnished, and the landlord can ask you to pay rent, bills, the deposit, a fee for late rental payment and the cost of new keys if you lose them.
When thinking about renting and cost of living it’s good to know what different locations and property sizes tend to cost, as it may sway where you want to live. Here’s a comparison between four of the largest cities in Scotland.
| Apartment Type | Edinburgh⁷ | Glasgow⁷ | Aberdeen⁸ | Dundee⁸ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom in city centre | 1,468.61 € | 1,254.46 € | 770.1 € | 920.12 € |
| 1 Bedroom outside city centre | 1,064.35 € | 885.59 € | 693.84 € | 558.07 € |
| 3 Bedroom in city centre | 2,687.85 € | 2,204.62 € | 1,366.84 € | 1,396.98 € |
| 3 Bedroom outside city centre | 1,917.52 € | 1,476.01 € | 1,244.16 € | 990.13 € |
Geographically Ireland and Scotland are quite close to each other so unsurprisingly they have relatively similar climates.¹² There are four distinct seasons that are overall on the cooler side due to their northern location.
The average local temperatures will vary depending on what part of each country you live in, but taking a look at the capital cities they’re relatively similar temperature wise, with it being around 15°C in summer and 2°C in winter.
The main difference is in the rain, with Dublin experiencing much more rainfall throughout the year than Edinburgh does. For both the wettest month is August. Dublin experiences around 138 mm of rain in that period while Edinburgh only gets around 75mm.
Moving abroad involves many different considerations but when it comes to finding a cost effective way to transfer and exchange money, Wise has your back.
With Wise you can send and receive money online, either by doing a simple Wise transfer or opening a Wise Account.
As mentioned before the Wise Account comes with a host of great features including EUR and GBP local account details. This means you'll be able to send and receive money as a local.
Wise always uses the mid-market exchange rate for currency conversion. There’s no hidden fees or mark up on the exchange rate, instead you'll know exactly how much your payment will cost and what your recipient will receive before you confirm the transfer.
With a Wise Account you can also order a Wise card, which makes it simple to spend in different currencies and countries. When you’re in Ireland it will pull from your EUR balance first, but when you’re in Scotland it pulls from your GBP balance first.
If there’s not enough funds in the local currency, smart technology is used to convert the outstanding amount from another currency so you can seamlessly complete your transaction.
Moving country is a bold but often exhilarating step to take so goodluck on your Scottish adventure.
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Sources used:
Sources last checked on date: 20 October 2024
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This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
If you are moving to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland, check out information about cost of living, healthcare, opening a bank account and more.
Thinking of moving to the UK from Ireland? Check this comprehensive guide on how to go about it.
