At what age can I?

Start school

• Age 4

Start second level education

• Age 12 on the first day of January in the first school year of attendance

Leave school

• Age 16 or on completion of 3 years of second-level education, whichever is the later

Start working

• Age 14 – up to 7 hours per day (35 hours per week) during school holidays only
• Age 15 – up to 8 hours per week during term-time and up to 7 hours per day (35 hours per week) during school holidays
• Age 16 – up to 8 hours per day (40 hours per week)

Get the national minimum wage

• Age 14 – 70% of minimum wage
• Age 18 – 80% of minimum wage
• Age 19 – 90%
• Age 20 – 100%

Become an apprentice

• Age 16 – SOLAS apprentice
• Age 18 – Army or Air Corps apprentice

Join the Army or Garda Síochána

• Age 18 – Army, Air Corps or Naval Service
• Age 18 – Garda Síochána

Babysit

• No legal minimum age

Pay tax

• No minimum age

Drive

• Age 12 – boat with an engine over 3.75kW (5hp)
• Age 16 – motorcycle up to 11kW and up to 125cc, mopeds and quadricycles, work vehicles and land tractor with or without a trailer, and motortricycles no more than 15kW
• Age 17 – vehicle with seats for up to 8 passenger and maximum weight of 3,500kg
• Age 18 – motorcycle up to 35kW, goods vehicle up to 7,500kg
• Age 21 – goods vehicle, bus with accommodation for up to 16 passengers

Get a passport

• Age under 18 – five-year passport
• Age 18 – ten-year passport

Book a holiday or flight

• Age 18

Apply for a National Age Card

• Age 18

Digital age of consent

• Age 16, if under 16, parental consent is required

Buy alcohol

• Age 18

Drink alcohol

• Age 18 – if you are under 18 you can drink alcohol in a private residence, providing you have parental consent

Be in a pub or licensed premises

• Age 18
• Age under 18 - you may only be on a licensed premises up to 9pm (10pm from May-September) if you are with a parent. If aged 15-17, you may stay on the premises after 9pm if you are at a private function at which a substantial meal is served.

Buy cigarettes

• Age 18

Gamble

• Age 18

Own a dog

• Age 16 – you must have a dog licence to keep a dog.

Consent to medical treatment

• Age 16

Give blood

• Age 18

Get a body piercing or tattoo

• No legal minimum age though some businesses apply their own age limit

Get teeth whitened

• Age 18

Use a sunbed

• Age 18

Consent to sexual intercourse

• Age 17

Get a gender recognition certificate

• Age 16 – with a Court Exemption Order
• Age 18 – without a Court Exemption Order

Get married

• Age 18

Contact your birth family or relatives

• Age 18 – If you are adopted and wish to have contact or share information with your birth family, you can have your details entered in the Contact Preference Register. If you are an adopted child under 18, an adoptive parent may join on your behalf.

Leave home

• Age 16 – with parental consent
• Age 18 – without parental consent

Be charged with a criminal offence

• Age 10 – for murder, manslaughter, rape and aggravated sexual assault
• Age 12 – for other criminal offences

Vote

• Age 18 – for all elections and referenda. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can apply to be included in the 'pending elector list' but you are not entitled to vote until you reach 18, at which point you will automatically be added to the Register of Electors.

Stand for election

• Age 18 – local elections
• Age 21 – national and European elections
• Age 35 – presidential elections

Sit on a jury in court

• Age 18

Enter a legally binding contract

• Age 18 – except for certain contracts, such as for necessities like food or for apprenticeships

Make a will

• Age 18

Change my name by Deed Poll

• Age 14 – with parental consent
• Age 18 – without parental consent

Get a social welfare payment in my own name

• Age 16 – Disability Allowance
• Age 18 – Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Illness Benefit