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Germany, England, Ireland

Comparing destinations fairly: what you can compare, what you cannot, and how old the facts are

Written by the LetsFlyAbroad editorial team4 min readLast checked Independent source review pending

Preview, not yet source-verified by an independent reviewer. This page is hidden from search engines until that review is done.

Before you read: Compares Germany, England and Ireland only, and only on the topics where we read an official page. It is not a ranking of destinations.

Jump to what we do not know · Jump to sources

A comparison table can suggest a winner where the rules do not support one. This guide shows how to compare destinations without drawing conclusions the sources do not support, using a small sample from official pages for Germany, England and Ireland. Other countries on this site are still in preview under verification, so we do not compare them here.

Rule 1: compare like with like

A "month" of rent, a "week" of rent and a "base rent" are different measures. A deadline to register a home is a different kind of thing from a deadline to register a permission. When two figures sit side by side, check that they are the same type, in the same currency and from the same period.

Rule 2: write the date next to every fact

Rules and fees change, and pages differ in age. In the sample below the oldest source is a 2021 Irish FAQ, while the German fee page is dated 16 June 2026. A fact from 2021 may be out of date. We show the source date, and where a page gave none, we say so.

A small sample

TopicGermanyEnglandIreland
Rental deposit capThree months' base rent (federal law)Five weeks' rent, six if annual rent is £50,000 or more (Tenant Fees Act, archived snapshot)One month's rent (RTB FAQ, July 2021)
Where the deposit must be heldLandlord's separate bank account, interest to tenantApproved scheme within 30 days (gov.uk)Not found in the page we read
Address or status step after arrivalRegister address within two weeks of moving inCreate an online account to view your eVisaRegister permission within 90 days if staying more than 90 days
Fee examplesVisa fee stated on Federal Foreign Office page (16 June 2026)Health surcharge per year of visa (gov.uk, updated Nov 2024)Registration fee up to €300 depending on permission

Notice what the table does not say. It does not say which country is cheaper, easier or faster. The rows measure different things, the sources have different dates and the fees apply to different people.

Rule 3: separate "rules" from "chances"

A comparison of rules tells you what is asked. It does not tell you whether you would succeed. Eligibility depends on your documents, your passport and your circumstances. Official pages we read repeatedly say details depend on your case and send you to the responsible mission or authority. We follow the same line: no country on this site is shown as "easier" without evidence, and no route is guaranteed.

Rule 4: respect coverage limits

Our country coverage is uneven. Germany has task-level pages. The other countries have official starting points, and their status is preview under verification. If a country page says that, treat its details as provisional. A comparison that covers a country we have not verified would only look complete.

Rule 5: ask what is missing

A good comparison lists what it could not compare. Here, for example, we did not find a source for how Ireland holds deposits, or how long any process takes. Missing is not zero, and "not found" does not mean a rule does not exist or that you are ineligible. It means we have not confirmed the answer.

How to build your own comparison

  1. Pick three to five questions that matter to you, such as deposit, first-month deadlines and fees.
  2. For each country, find the official page and note its date.
  3. Record the unit and currency.
  4. Mark gaps with "not found".
  5. Read the route page for your passport country and goal before you decide.

What we do not know

  • We have not verified the other countries on this site, so we cannot compare them yet.
  • The Irish source is older than the others, and we have not checked later changes.
  • We have no verified data on processing times or approval rates, and we give none.
  • We have not compared cost of living, wages or tax, so we give no overall ranking.
  • Legal fees, translation costs and other items are not in the sample.

Last checked: 2026-11-07.

Sources

Retrieved . The linked page, not this guide, is the authority. Information, not legal advice, and not a guarantee of eligibility.