Why setup a games company in Ireland?
Life
Ireland offers a great quality of life. Three of its cities, Dublin, Galway and Cork, recently took 3 of the 4 top spaces in Travel + Leisure magazine’s world’s friendliest cities list.
Work
Ireland has a highly-skilled tech and creative workforce, perfect for games. There is a reason Google, Facebook, Apple and over 1200 companies have made Ireland their European base.
Employees
Ireland is home to some of the best creative and tech colleges in the world including those with outstanding game-related programs (computer science, animation, game development, etc.)
Support Resources
For Individuals
Ireland offers a Critical Skills Employment Permit for individuals who are not EU citizens looking to work in Ireland. This permit applies to those skills that are high demand in Ireland, including engineers.
For Companies - a European Base
If you are looking to establish an Irish office of an existing international corporation, you will join a great many game companies including Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, EA and Activision.
IDA Ireland offers a range of customized services to assist companies looking. Over 1200 companies have made Ireland their European base.
For New Companies
Enterprise Ireland has a wealth of experience assisting individuals looking to open a company in Ireland.
Thinking about moving?
If Imirt can be of any help, please email us at c@imirt.ie. We’ll be glad to put you in touch with the proper individuals or organizations who can share their experience coming to Ireland as well as point you in the direction of resources you need to get the job done.
Why are game companies moving to Ireland?
There are multiple reasons companies are moving to Ireland, top among them are:
Extremely favourable tax situation
Availability of talented game developers
Quality of life
What is the most important thing to know from a company-owner perspective?
The corporate tax rate in Ireland is significantly better than much of the world, currently at 12.5%. There is a reason why so many tech companies are here. There is talk of reducing this to 6.5% for income derived from IP created in Ireland. Personal income tax tends to be higher, at roughly 48%. However, that percentage goes to the government to pay for such things as universal healthcare and low- or no-cost college education. Many feel it more than makes up for it. For employees, your “salary+" cost is 10.75% to cover government taxes.
Moving to Ireland - A Government Perspective
The Irish government have set up a website to provide information to individuals looking to relocate to Ireland.
Moving to Ireland - A Press Perspective
The press has been very kind to Ireland showing off its great side.
Ireland is #1 in the “Good Country” Index for 2015
Ireland has #1, #3 and #4 Friendliest Cities in the World according to Travel + Leisure magazine
Ireland is #5 best travel country according to Lonely Planet
27 Reasons You Should Move to Live In Ireland Right Now
And for business, it also gets great accolades.
Ireland Heads Forbes’ List of The Best Countries for Business
How much does it cost to relocate to Ireland?
Naturally, it depends on where you are moving from. As an example, for a company moving from California to Dublin, the cost for a 40ft container, enough to pack an entire 3 bedroom house, a vehicle and an office, the cost was €14000 door to door, including packing, customs clearing, etc. International moving companies are able to provide estimates.
Some companies which handle overseas moves are:
What about internet speeds?
In metro areas, internet is both comparatively great and economical. For Eircom fibre, the cost is approximately €60 euro a month for commercial accounts for unlimited data.
What is the cost-of-living comparison?
Personal rental costs:
Utility and food costs are comparable or lower than most places in the world, particularly other tech centres such as San Francisco, London, Paris and New York.
How do schools compare?
Schools in Ireland are noted for providing education of high quality, and its universities are among the top in the world, Trinity College, National University of Galway and University of Limerick among them. As a note, spots for Irish schools are competitive, particularly in large cities such as Dublin. For individuals arriving from America, American high schools are also available for those wishing to enrol their children in private programs.
Helpful Services
The companies below can provide services to those seeking to relocate. This is not considered an endorsement, of course, and we welcome submissions from parties who provide similar useful services to those looking to relocate.