Student Visas

Applying for a Visa can be a long and complicated process and it is best to avoid delays if at all possible; it is therefore prudent that you carefully gather all the information that is relevant to your case before making your final submission. After all, it costs money every time you make an application!

Who requires a Student Visa?

International students who are nationals of the countries listed below do not need to apply for an Irish Student Visa:

Andorra	Guatemala	Poland
Antigua & Barbuda	Guyana	Portugal
Argentina	Honduras	Romania
Australia	Hong Kong	St Kitts & Nevis
Austria	Hungary	St Lucia
Bahamas	Iceland	St Vincent & Grenadines
Barbados	Israel	Samoa
Belgium	Italy	San Marino
Belize	Japan	Seychelles
Bolivia	Kiribati	Singapore
Botswana	Latvia	Slovak Republic
Brazil	Lesotho	Slovenia
Brunei	Liechtenstein	Solomon Islands
Bulgaria	Lithuania	South Africa
Canada	Luxembourg	South Korea
Chile	Macau	Spain
Costa Rica	Malawi	Swaziland
Croatia	Malaysia	Sweden
Cyprus	Maldives	Switzerland
Czech Republic	Malta	Taiwan
Denmark	Mauritius	Tonga
Dominica	Mexico	Trinidad & Tobago
El Salvador	Monaco	Tuvalu
Estonia	Nauru	United Kingdom
Fiji	Netherlands	USA
Finland	New Zealand	Uruguay
France	Nicaragua	Vanuatu
Germany	Norway	Vatican City
Greece	Panama	Venezuela
Grenada	Paraguay

Applying for a Student Visa

Applicants who do not come from a country listed in the table above must obtain a student visa in order to study in Ireland. Thanks to recent technical developments, it is now possible for students to apply online. Click here to view the secure site with a link to the online application form.

Student Visa Guidelines

In applying for a student visa you must be able to prove the following with documentary evidence.

• You are enrolled on a privately funded course involving at least fifteen hours of
organised daytime tuition each week

• You have paid the requisite fees to the college

• You have the academic ability to follow your chosen course

• You have a level of English language sufficient to do so (except in the case of
an application that is solely for an English language course)

• You have immediate access to at least €7,000. This is the estimated cost of
living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.

• You must also demonstrate that you or your sponsor has ready access to an amount of at least €7,000 for each subsequent year of your studies, in addition to the course fees for each of those years

• You have private medical insurance

• You can account for any gaps in your educational history

• Your intention is to return to your country of permanent residence following
completion of your studies in Ireland

Examples of acceptable documentation that prove you meet the requirements above and further helpful information can be found here.

Additional Information

 For details of your application fee (if any), please contact your local Irish Embassy or Consulate.
 It is strongly recommended you apply for a Visa at least two months before your planned arrival in Ireland. You don’t want to be late for your first day in college!
 All documents you supply with your application must be in English, or accompanied by a notarised translation of same.
 Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the expected completion of your studies in Ireland
 A minimum of eight weeks should be allowed for the decision on a visa application

Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB)

All non-EEA students from non-visa or visa required countries are required to register soon after arrival in Ireland with the GNIB (Garda National Immigration Bureau) for a fee of €150. Further details of this requirement are available here. A stamp placed in your passport by the GNIB will indicate whether or not you are permitted to engage in casual employment.


An Update on Potential Changes to Current Regulations
The immigration rules for students are currently being revised and new regulations are likely to come into effect later this year. The following are the main changes that are being proposed:

• A limit to the amount of time a student can spend in Ireland for the purposes of attending language and non-degree programmes.
• It is likely that the inspection regime will become tougher so that students really need to attend their classes. So stay in class and there will be no problems with the immigration authorities!

Keep in contact with the international office of your college, as well as websites such as www.learning.ie and www.inisgov.ie for when these, or any other changes, become law.