How to work in racing in Ireland?

1) APPLY FOR A VISA OR WORK PERMIT

For citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland 🆓

They benefit from free movement within European territory and can settle and work in Ireland without applying for a visa or work permit.

This list includes Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

For citizens of the Common Travel Area (UK, Ireland, Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man) 🆓

If you are a British citizen, you can work in Ireland, including on a self-employed basis, without needing any permission from the authorities thanks to the free movement of people within the Common Travel Area.

For all other citizens ✈️

You will need a visa (or work permit) to come to work in Ireland and you can follow this “Travel Path” on the Irish Government website to see which work permit you need.

In general, to work in horse racing in Ireland for more than 90 days, you will need to have an Employment permit. More specifically, the type of work permit needed would be the General Employment permit (watch this video for a guide to completing a General Employment Permit Application). Note that there is an Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits which is organized using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The category of employment “6139: Other animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified [with the exception of work riders])  is among this ineligible list. The application for a visa can be done online with the help of these checklists.

2) FIND A JOB (ON OUR PLATFORM)

WorkinRacing is the first international recruitment platform for the horse racing industry.

• Find all job offers available in Ireland > click here.
• Find all job offers available in Ireland in “Training” > click here.
• Find all job offers available in Ireland in “Stud farms” > click here.
• Find all job offers available in Ireland in “Racecourse/Training center” > click here.
• Find all job offers available in Ireland in “Auction/Bloodstock agencies” > click here.
• Find all “other” job offers available in Ireland > click here.
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Feel free to add more filters in job type (full-time, part-time, etc.) and more precision on the localisation where to work then apply !

3) SEEK FOR ACCOMMODATION

Finding accommodation is a crucial step in relocating to Ireland. Employers may offer accommodation in some cases which is a major advantage before moving to Ireland. 🏠

There are various ways of finding new accommodation thanks to specialist websites. These sites list the accommodation available on the market. Searches can be performed based on certain criteria (location, apartment size, rental price, number of bedrooms, etc.). The most popular websites are:

• Daft.ie
• Rent.ie
• myhome.ie
• property.ie
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Find more information about housing on the Irish Citizens Information website.

4) TAKE CARE OF HEALTH INSURANCE

Whether you are an EU/EEA citizen or not, every resident in Ireland is entitled to use of the healthcare system. Unlike other countries, you do not need to start paying into the Irish tax system or social insurance in order to use the healthcare system. Instead, the main thing you need to do is prove you are “ordinarily resident,” which is the Irish government’s term to establish that you intend to stay in the country for at least a year.

To prove yourself ordinarily resident immediately upon your arrival to Ireland, you will need to submit any of the following documents to the Health Service Executive (HSE):

• work permit/visa;
• employer statement;
• employment contract;
• evidence of transferring money to an Irish bank account;
• housing lease or Deed of Sale;
• Resident permit (formerly known as the GNIB Card).

Keep in mind that the more you submit, the better.

Find more information about healthcare on the Irish Government website.

5) LEARN ABOUT IRELAND

Horse racing in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish culture and society. The racing of horses has a long history on the island, being mentioned in some of the earliest texts. Domestically, racing is one of Ireland's most popular spectator sports, while on the international scene, Ireland is one of the strongest producers and trainers of Thoroughbred horses. Find out more about all you need to know before moving to Ireland on the Government website (opening a bank account, taxes, healthcare services, etc.).

Horse Racing Ireland (known as the “HRI”) regulates flat & jump racing in Ireland. It is also home to prestigious racecourses including the Curragh, Leopardstown and Punchestown. Betting in horse racing is big with loads of different bookmakers and the biggest newspaper is the Racing Post. There are also TV Channels broadcasting horse racing on a day-to-day basis including ITV and Racing TV. The Racing Academy is the Irish Racing School which is located in Kildare and provides courses for both youth and adults. 🏇🏼

If you need more information, please contact the Irish embassy in your country.