The gorgeous European country paying Brits £72,000 to live there

A beautiful European country is offering Brits to move there (Image: Getty)

With Brits dusting off their winter coats in preparation for the upcoming winter season, many of us will be dreaming of escaping and starting a new life abroad. Although this may seem a fantasy, it can become your reality as many countries currently offer up to £72,000 for people to move and settle there.

For those dreaming about packing it all in for a slower, more scenic life by the sea, there’s a scheme that might just make it happen - and it’s not too far from the UK. The Irish government is offering generous grants to people willing to move to one of its remote offshore islands and restore a vacant or derelict property. Ireland’s ‘Our Living Islands’ policy provides up to £72,240 to anyone renovating vacant or derelict properties on specific offshore islands.

People are being paid up to £72k to move to Ireland (Image: Getty)

Launched in 2023, the policy aims to boost the populations of these isolated communities off the West Coast of Ireland.

The population of these islands has been dwindling for decades. According to government figures, fewer than 3,000 people now live across the inhabited islands that qualify for the grant scheme.

The aim is simply to breathe new life into the nation’s 30 offshore islands that are not connected to the mainland by bridges and are cut off daily by the tide.

“These islands are an integral part of the fabric of rural Ireland,” the government's website explains. “Our ambition is to ensure that sustainable, vibrant communities can continue to live - and thrive - on the offshore islands for many years to come.”

Properties eligible for the grant must be vacant or derelict, built before 2007, and have been unoccupied for at least two years.

Applicants do not need to be Irish citizens, but the refurbished property must be used as a residential home for a minimum of 10 years, not as a holiday home or for short-term rentals.

One of the most famous islands included in the scheme is the Aran Islands which consist of three islands Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer. They are located in the mouth of Galway Bay.

The second window for grant applications has been postponed, and the new deadline will be from 14 November 2025 to 31 December 2025.