Settling in · Laois
Landing in Laois? Start here.
The first fortnight in Laois, 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
73 places in Laois 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 Colman's Russian Orthodox Church
Christian, Russian orthodox
Cork Road, R32 AP83
About 9 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Portlaoise
About 16 km away
Link Road, Cooltederry, Portarlington, Co. Laois R32 AE68
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Sat 11:00am · Sat 2:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Kilkenny
About 44 km away
County Council Civil Defence Headquarters, 2 Railway Rd. Co., Muine Bheag, Co. Carlow, R21 HD80
Worship services: Wed 7:00pm · Sat 12:00pm (children) · Sat 2:00pm
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
Food and takeaways
Sports and clubs
Portarlington RFC
Rugby union. Sports centre
Lea Road, Portarlington, R32 PR20
About 17 km away
Saint Michael's Boxing Club
Boxing. Sports centre
Woodstock Street, The Municipal District of Athy
About 21 km away
Days out and things to do
Roll 'n Bowl
Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-19:00
Clonminam Business Park
About 2 km away
Community and support groups
Portarlington Community Centre
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-18:00
R420 R32 D797
About 16 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
The King Barber
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Main Street, Portlaoise, R32 EP2K
Cinemas and libraries
Portlaoise Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
23 Main Street, Portlaoise, R32 CH02
Laois County Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Lyster Square, Portlaoise, R32 X372
Laois Library Local Studies and H.Q.
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Church Street, Portlaoise
Mountrath Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Shannon Street, Mountrath, R32 A251
About 12 km away
Abbeyleix Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Main Street, Abbeyleix, R32 N623
About 14 km away
Portarlington Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Main Street, Portarlington, R32 PY59
About 16 km away
Monasterevin Public Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Watermill Place, Monasterevin
About 20 km away
Monasterevan Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Watermill Place, Monasterevin, W34 W225
About 20 km away
Athy Public Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,We,Fr,Sa 10:00-17:00; Tu,Th 10:00-20:00
Convent Lane, Athy
About 22 km away
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 Laois
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.
Who hires from abroad here
212 employment permits went to Laois employers so far in 2026
229 in all of 2025. These are the employers in Laois 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.
37Laois Scaffolding Services Limited
24Midland Steel Reinforcement Supplies Ltd
8LSM Engineering Limited
7Robinson Distribution Ltd
7Park Engineering Ltd
7Kilminchy Lodge Nursing Home Ltd
6PJ Martley Ltd
5Portlaoise Logistics Limited
While you are here