Moving to Cyprus from Ireland

Why Irish movers pick Cyprus

Ireland is famously kind to multinationals and famously unkind to the people who own small companies. The 12.5% corporate rate gets the headlines; the 51%-ish marginal rate on getting that money out as a dividend does not. For an Irish founder or consultant paying the top rate plus USC and PRSI on every euro extracted, the Cyprus structure reads like a different tax universe, and the move is EU-internal.

The tax comparison in plain numbers

Irish dividends are taxed as ordinary income: up to 40% income tax plus USC and PRSI, commonly landing around 51% for a higher earner — even from your own company that already paid corporation tax. CGT is 33% with a small annual exemption, and deposit interest carries DIRT. A Cyprus non-dom pays 0% on dividends and interest for 17 years plus the capped 2.65% GHS contribution, and gains on shares and other securities are 0% for individuals. Cyprus corporate tax is 15% from 2026 — higher than Ireland's 12.5%, which is precisely why the comparison is about extraction, not the company rate.

The mechanics of the Cyprus side are in the non-dom guide; the running costs of the company most people pair with it are in the company cost guide.

Leaving Ireland: what to check before you go

Ireland doesn't levy a general exit tax on individuals, but two rules deserve respect. You remain ordinarily resident for three tax years after leaving, which keeps some Irish income and gains within Revenue's reach. And anti-avoidance rules can claw back CGT on certain share disposals made during a temporary period of non-residence. Domicile also matters on the Irish side (CAT on gifts and inheritances follows its own rules). Timing disposals and distributions around the residence years is the whole game — sequence it with an Irish adviser before booking flights.

The practical side

As an EU citizen you can arrive, then register for the yellow slip within four months. Dublin connects to Larnaca and Paphos seasonally direct, or year-round with one stop. Note Cyprus drives on the left, like home — the one relocation where an Irish car needs no mental adjustment, though importing from outside the EU's VAT area is a different story covered in the car guide.

Choosing where to land matters as much as the tax: see where to live in Cyprus and what living here costs.