Settling in · Galway
Landing in Galway? Start here.
The first fortnight in Galway, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right. We check in on you, but ring anyway.
2
Get your PPS number started
You cannot be taxed properly without it and emergency tax is expensive. You need proof of address and your job offer.
3
Open a bank account
Bring your passport, your permit or IRP, and a letter from your employer with your address. Some branches are easier than others, which is exactly the kind of thing worth telling the next person.
4
Get an Irish SIM
A local number makes everything else easier, including the bank.
5
Register with a GP
Do it before you are sick, not after. The HSE finder is below.
6
Register for tax with Revenue
myAccount, then give your employer your details. Otherwise emergency tax eats your first pay.
7
Sort your immigration registration
If your permission needs an IRP, book it early. Appointments go quickly.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
This is the part that decides whether you stay. It is also the part nobody puts in a handbook, which is why the rest of this page exists.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe HSE list of GPs, searchable by area. Ring a few: some practices are full and some are not.Get a PPS numberYou need one to be paid properly and to be taxed properly. Apply through MyWelfare once you have a job offer and an address.PPS allocation centres by countyWhere to go in person, county by county.Citizens Information centre near youFree, independent, face to face help with anything: rights, benefits, housing, tax, immigration. Phone 0818 07 4000.Register your immigration permissionIf you need an Irish Residence Permit, this is where it is done and where the appointments are.Find your local Garda stationWorth knowing before you need it. Emergency is 112 or 999.Register for taxRevenue myAccount. Do this early or you will be on emergency tax and your first payslips will hurt.Exchange or apply for a driving licenceThe NDLS decides whether your licence can be exchanged or whether you start with the theory test.Renting: know the rulesThreshold gives free advice to tenants, and the RTB registers tenancies and settles disputes.Public transportTimetables and fares for bus, rail and Luas across the country.
Near you
79 places in Galway worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
Nothing nearby matches that yet. Try a shorter word.
Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Saint John the Apostle
Christian, Roman catholic
Ballymoneen Road, Galway
About 4 km away
United Methodist Presbyterian Church
Christian, Methodist, presbyterian
Queen Street, Galway, H91 KVW0
Christ Embassy Galway
Christian, Nondenominational
Bóthar Na dTreabh, Galway
About 3 km away
Lighthouse Assembly Holy Ghost Love Centre
Christian, Nondenominational
Glenrock Business Park, Galway
About 4 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Buddhist temples and centres
Other places of worship
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Galway
About 11 km away
Moycullen Community Centre, Church Road, Moycullen, H91 A5DV, Galway
Worship services: Wed 9:00pm · Sun 11:00am
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Super Asia
Supermarket
Terryland Retail Park, Galway, H91 XA6F
About 2 km away
Asialand
Supermarket. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00, Su 10:00-21:00
Bóthar Na dTreabh, Galway, H91 X201
About 2 km away
Asian Food & Grocery
Supermarket. Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-20:00
Oldenway Business Park, Galway
About 4 km away
Eurospar
Supermarket. Hours: Mo-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 08:00-22:00
Main Street, Kinvarra, H91 R25K
About 17 km away
Food and takeaways
Kumars Taste Of Asia
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 17:00-22:00
Flood Street, Galway, H91 W3XY
Umbrella Asian Tapas
Asian. restaurant. Hours: 12:30-23:00; Tu off; Fr,Sa 12:30-23:30
2 Middle Street, Galway, H91 W0V9
Saffron Turkish Grill and Cafe
Turkish. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 12:00-15:00
17 Eglinton Street, Galway, H91 WYF3
China Court
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 15:00-12:00, Fr-Su 16:00-12:30
Ballybane Road, Galway
About 3 km away
China Town
Asian. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 17:00-00:00
25 Dominick Street Upper, Galway, H91 RP48
The Charcoal Grill
Turkish. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 15:00-03:00
8 Mary Street, Galway, H91 E02H
Kawa Asian Street Food
Thai. restaurant. Hours: 16:00-23:00
32 Newcastle Road, Galway, H91 HYF5
Wokbaba
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 16:00-23:00
Ros Ard, Galway, H91 R6K5
About 5 km away
Sports and clubs
Ken Horan Kickboxing
Kickboxing. Sports centre
Glenrock Business Park, Galway
About 4 km away
Rahoon / Newcastle GAA
Gaelic games. Sports centre
Corcullen Road, Conamara Municipal District
About 5 km away
University of Galway Sports Campus, Dangan
Soccer, running, athletics, rugby union, gaelic games. Sports centre
Upper Newcastle Road, Galway
About 3 km away
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Westside Resource Centre
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Th 09:00-21:00; Fr 09:00-18:00
Seamus Quirke Road, Galway, H91 C1KX
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
3B’s Barber Shop & Hair Salon
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-19:00; Th,Fr 09:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-18:00; Su off
2 Cross Street Lower, Galway, H91 ND36
Sinead Lee Hair Design
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 08:00-18:00; Th-Fr 08:00-20:00; Sa 08:00-16:00; Su,PH off
2 Cross Street Lower, Galway, H91 ND36
Peter Mark Hair Salon
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th-Fr 09:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-17:30; Su off; PH off
Bóthar Irwin, Galway, H91 DP6R
Cinemas and libraries
Ballybane Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu-Sa 11:00-13:00,14:00-17:00; Su,Mo,PH off
Castlepark Road, Galway, H91 FX98
About 4 km away
Galway City Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 14:00-17:00; Tu,Th 10:30-20:00; We,Fr 10:30-17:00; Sa 10:00-17:00
Saint Augustine Street, Galway, H91 KHK2
Westside Public Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Th,Fr 10:30-17:00; We 10:30-19:00; Sa 10:30-13:00,14:00-17:00; Mo,PH off
Seamus Quirke Road, Galway, H91 C1KX
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Before you accept an offer
What would be left each month?
Put in the wage and the county. It works out the tax, the rent where you would live, the bills and the food, and shows what is left to save or send home.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
DoneDealIreland's biggest site for second-hand cars, vans, tools and furniture. Check a car's history before you pay.Adverts.ieSecond-hand everything, often for very little, with plenty given away free.Facebook MarketplaceFurniture, bikes and household things from people near you. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.PenneysCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.Mr PriceDiscount stores around the country for household bits, cleaning products, toiletries and snacks.DealzHousehold bits and snacks for a euro or two.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.Bonkers.ieCompare phone, broadband, energy and bank costs, free.
Getting around
Getting around from Galway
Transport for IrelandThe national journey planner, Leap card and the TFI Go app.Irish RailTrain times, tickets and the commuter routes.Bus ÉireannTown and intercity buses across the country.
Driving here on your licence
A licence from the EU or EEA can be used while it is valid and exchanged for an Irish one. A licence from a state Ireland has an exchange agreement with can be exchanged when you take up residence. From other countries you start with a learner permit and take the theory test, lessons and the driving test. Professional drivers may also need their Driver CPC.
Check your licence with the RSA Exchange it through the NDLS
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
How they talk here
Understanding people in Galway
Galway and the west
Softer and slower than Dublin, with a lilt. The further west you go the more Irish you hear mixed into English, and some towns in Connemara speak Irish first. "Ye" is used for "you" when talking to more than one person. People say "sure" at the start of sentences a lot. In Mayo the accent is flatter again.
Hear how they talk in Galway and the westyeYou, when talking to more than one person.surePut at the start of a sentence. Means nothing, or "of course".a cupla focalA few words of Irish. Said "coopla fokal". People will love it if you learn some.go raibh maith agatThank you, in Irish. Said "gur-uv mah ah-gut".the GaeltachtThe areas where Irish is the main language. Connemara is the big one near Galway.ConnemaraThe wild country west of the city, mountains and bog.All 23 words, with audio and a check
Who hires from abroad here
1,367 employment permits went to Galway employers so far in 2026
1,104 in all of 2025. These are the employers in Galway already set up to hire people on permits, from the Department's own list. If you are here on a permit and want to move, these are the places that know how.
168Allpro Security Services Ireland Limited
97Galway University Hospital
75Callinan Coaches Limited
38Allanbay Limited
27Cisco Systems Internetworking (Ireland) Limited
22Supermac's Ireland Limited
19Holy Family Nursing Home Limited
19Boston Scientific Ireland Limited
While you are here