Essentials · Dublin
Arriving in Dublin: the essentials
What is worth having at hand from day one, as the app carries it: the numbers that matter, the apps you will use and where to start meeting people.
Updated October 2026 · From the Newope arrival plan
Emergency numbers
- 112Emergency, also 999
- 116 123Samaritans, 24/7 free
Apps you will use
- Daft.ie
The main site for rooms and flats.
- TFI Live
Real-time buses, Luas and DART.
- Leap Top-Up
Top up your Leap Card with your phone.
- IrishJobs & Indeed
Most job listings in Ireland.
- Meetup
Hiking groups, language meetups, tech events.
How to meet people
- University societies
Trinity, UCD and DCU run societies for everything. Erasmus Student Network organises trips and pub nights.
- Weekend hikes
Hiking groups head to Howth, Bray–Greystones cliff walk and Wicklow most weekends. Easiest way to make friends.
- GAA or social sports
Try Gaelic football or join a casual 5-a-side league. Clubs welcome beginners.
- Trad music sessions
Many pubs host free live trad sessions most nights. Go, sit near the band, talk to people.
- Language exchanges
Weekly meetups in city pubs pair English speakers with learners.
Keep all these steps in your arrival plan
In Newope each step shows up on the day it is due, with what you need and a reminder on time. Free, in your phone browser.
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The key steps
- Before you flyBook a place for your first 2 weeks
- Before you flyCheck your visa or Working Holiday Authorisation
- On landingGet an Irish SIM or eSIM
- On landingGet a Leap Card
- First weekStart your room hunt properly
- First weekApply to 10 jobs and do walk-ins
- First monthRegister with immigration (IRP card)
- First monthApply for your PPS number
- 2026Cost of living in Dublin