PPS number in Dublin: address proof and MyGovID

Your PPS number is Ireland's version of a tax file number and Medicare number rolled into one. Get it early, or your first pay packet will hurt.

The short version

A Personal Public Service (PPS) number is seven numbers followed by one or two letters. You need it for work, tax and public services [2].
You apply online through MyWelfare with a basic MyGovID account, then attend an in-person appointment at a PPS Number Allocation Centre [2][3].
You can't apply from Australia if you're planning to move. You have to be living in Ireland first [2].
Bring proof of address dated within the last three months. If you're crashing with a mate, their household bill plus a signed note from them can work [1][2].
Without a PPS number your employer can't get your tax details from Revenue, so you're taxed on the emergency basis until it's sorted [5].

What a PPS number actually does

Back home you juggle a TFN, a Medicare card and a myGov login. Ireland pulls most of that into one number. Citizens Information lists the main uses: social welfare, public health services, Revenue schemes, course registration, driving theory tests and licences [2]. In practice, as a new arrival you'll need it for three things in your first month.

Getting taxed properly. Your employer needs your PPS number and a registered job with Revenue to apply your tax credits [5].
Logging in to government services. A verified MyGovID, which is linked to your PPS number, is your key to Revenue's myAccount [3].
Swapping your Australian driver's licence. Licence applications through the National Driver Licence Service use your PPS number [2].

One tip worth knowing: employers should only ask for your PPS number once you're actually taking up the job, not while they're still recruiting [2]. So you don't need it to apply for jobs. You need it the moment you're hired.

Who can apply, and when

The rules trip up planners. You can apply online from outside Ireland only if you need a number to deal with an Irish body, for example as a beneficiary under an Irish will [2]. If you intend to move to Ireland, you must wait until you're living there [2]. So don't waste time trying from Sydney. Land, find an address, then apply.

The proof-of-address catch-22

Here's the problem every new arrival hits. The PPS application wants a document with your name and Dublin address. A bank wants proof of address too. A landlord often wants a bank account. And utility bills only arrive once you've been somewhere a while.

The good news is that the Department of Social Protection accepts a wider range of documents than most people realise. Your document must show your name and address and be dated within the last three months [1][2].

Document	Accepted for PPS?	Notes for new arrivals
Lease or tenancy agreement	Yes [1]	The easiest option if you've signed for a room or flat
Bank statement	Yes [1]	Some banks let you open an account before you arrive [6]
Household utility bill	Yes [1]	Must be dated in the last three months
Official letter from a government body	Yes [1]	Your Irish Residence Permit paperwork can sometimes help here
Third-party confirmation of address	Yes [1]	For example, a letter from your employer or college
Someone else's household bill plus a note from them	Yes [1][2]	Ideal if you're staying with friends or family

Practical ways around it

Staying with friends? Ask the bill holder for an original household bill and a short signed note confirming you live there [2]. That's the official route, so use it.
In a short-term let? Ask the host or agency for a written tenancy agreement or licence with your name on it. A booking confirmation from a holiday site may not be enough. Check before your appointment.
Starting a job? Ask HR for a letter on company letterhead confirming your address and start date. It doubles as your evidence of why you need the number.
Opening a bank account first? Bank of Ireland lets you apply up to 45 days before you move, though you then have 60 days to give them an Irish address [6]. A statement from that account can later serve as address proof.

Whatever you use, make sure your name matches your passport exactly. A missing middle name causes more delays than you'd think.

How to apply, step by step

The whole process runs through MyWelfare, the Department of Social Protection's online service. Here's the order that works.

Create a basic MyGovID account. You sign up with your email address as your username. A basic account is enough to book a PPS Number allocation appointment [3].
Start the PPS application on MyWelfare. You must be 18 or older. You can add your children to the same application [2].
Book your appointment during the application. Customers living on the island of Ireland must attend in person at a PPS Number Allocation Centre to finish the process [2]. In Dublin, slots can go quickly, so check back if the first available date is weeks away.
Gather your documents. As a non-EU citizen you need your current passport, your proof of address and evidence of why you need the number, such as a job offer or contract [1][2].
Attend the appointment. Bring originals, not photocopies. If you applied for a child too, you both need to be there [2].
Wait for the post. Your PPS number is sent to you by letter once it's processed [2]. Citizens Information doesn't publish a standard processing time, so plan for it to take a while and keep your employer in the loop.

No internet or MyGovID?

You can still apply on paper using form REG1, or REG1M for a child under 18 [2]. The old email application service has closed [2]. If you get stuck, the Citizens Information Phone Service is on 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm [2].

Basic vs verified MyGovID

MyGovID comes in two levels, and the difference matters once you're working.

	Basic MyGovID	Verified MyGovID
How you get it	Sign up with an email address [3]	Complete SAFE registration, which links your identity [3]
Book a PPS appointment	Yes [3]	Yes
Book a Public Services Card appointment	Yes [3]	Yes
Revenue myAccount login	No	Yes [3]
Claim benefits like Jobseeker's or Maternity Benefit	No	Yes [3]

To go from basic to verified, you need to be SAFE registered, which in practice means getting a Public Services Card [3][4]. The HSE says you need a basic account, your PPS number, a phone and a Public Services Card to verify [4].

Getting a Public Services Card in Dublin

Some Intreo Centres in Dublin offer the Public Services Card. The Parnell Street Intreo Centre in Dublin 1, which covers Dublin 1, 3 and 7, runs it as a walk-in service with no appointment needed [7]. There's a daily interview cap, so arrive early. The last interview is 15 minutes before closing [7]. If you live in another part of the city, check which Intreo Centre covers your area.

Avoiding emergency tax

This is where the PPS number costs you real money. If your employer can't get a Revenue Payroll Notification for you, they must deduct tax on the emergency basis [5]. It's heavier than your normal rate, and it applies until Revenue has your details.

To stop it, Revenue says your employer needs your PPS number and your job must be registered [5]. If it's your first job in Ireland, you register it yourself on myAccount under "PAYE Services", then "Add Job or Pension Details" [5]. Do this before your first payday if you can. Any overpaid tax can be refunded once your record is right, but it's much nicer not to lend the government your rent money.

The Australian angle

Your TFN doesn't carry over. The PPS number is entirely separate. You keep your TFN for any Australian tax affairs, such as rent from a property back home.
Tell the ATO what's happened. Moving to Dublin may change your Australian tax residency. Read our guide on Australian tax residency after you move.
Health cover isn't automatic. Australia and Ireland have a reciprocal agreement for emergency treatment in public hospitals, but you still need insurance for other costs [8].
Embassy help. The Australian Embassy is at 47–49 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. Book an appointment if you need consular help, such as replacing a lost passport before your PPS appointment [8].
Working holiday makers. Your Working Holiday Authorisation is only valid for work once you also hold your immigration registration card [9]. Get both moving in your first week.

Stuck on proof of address? Ask in Cooee Ireland, our Facebook group for Australians in Ireland. Plenty of members have done the PPS shuffle and can tell you which letters worked for them.

Getting a PPS number in Dublin: beating the proof-of-address catch-22