Every year we work with hundreds of Irish citizens and their families leaving and returning to Ireland. How we can help depends on your needs and circumstances. Our team will work with you to see how we can best assist. Please fill in the form below and tell us what you need help with.
How We Can Help
For urgent assistance
If you need urgent assistance abroad:
- Contact your local emergency services in the event of an emergency
- Contact the relevant Irish Embassy Abroad, or call +353 1 408 2000 (during office hours) for Consular Assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs
If you need emergency assistance in Ireland:
- Call 112 or 999 if you are concerned about your safety, mental health, or physical health
If you have returned to Ireland and are homeless in Dublin:
- Contact the Central Placement Service (CPS) on Freephone 1800 707 707 (7 days a week, 10am – 10pm) for emergency accommodation and urgent housing support in Dublin City. You can also visit CPS at Parkgate Hall, 6-9 Conyngham Road, Dublin 8 from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
- If you are sleeping rough in Dublin, phone 01 872 0185 (Monday to Friday 7am – 1am, Saturday to Sunday 9am – 1pm) to speak to the Dublin Outreach team. This service is provided by Dublin Simon Community in partnership with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.
Get Help
Some things we can help you with include
Returning to Ireland
- Information and support to get help if you are being repatriated or deported back to Ireland
- Housing advice and support to get help from other services, like local authorities (including specialist support if you are sleeping rough)
- Support with accessing social welfare payments and understanding your entitlements
- Appealing social welfare refusals, especially due to the Habitual Residence Condition (HRC)
- Accessing health-related supports including Health Service Executive (HSE) issued medical and General Practitioner (GP) visit cards
- Specialist immigration advice on returning with non-Irish partners and spouses
- Webinars and useful online resources to help you plan your move back home
Living abroad
- What to do if you need help abroad
- Minding your mental health and dealing with homesickness
- Irish emigrant support organisations and resources abroad
- Applying for your State Pension from overseas
Preparing to move abroad
- Pre-departure information, including important documents to bring with you
- Information on working holiday options for Irish citizens, including webinars on Going to Canada on the IEC, or Going to Australia as a backpacker
- Contact details for Irish diaspora support organisations around the world
- Blog articles and useful tips to Know Before You Go
What we cannot do
We cannot assist with travel costs to or from Ireland. We also cannot provide accommodation nor money, although we can work with you to get help from state services, such as local authorities and the Department of Social Protection.
Page last updated on 19 September, 2023
