Ireland Student Visa Requirements

If you are an international student applying to study in Ireland, you must be enrolled in – and have paid for – a full-time course on the official Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) which includes English language students, undergraduates, postgraduates, higher national diploma or PhD students.

Your provider and course must feature on the ILEP as those listed will have met certain criteria including the mandatory provision of learner protection.

Courses of study included in the ILEP for immigration permission are:

• Higher Education Programmes leading to Major Awards/Non-Major Awards
• Professional Awards
• English Language Programmes

Additionally, all non-EU students – regardless of course length or whether they are from a non-visa required or visa required country – must provide a Letter of Acceptance when registering for immigration permission, which is from their institution and confirms that they have been enrolled on a course of full-time day-time education.

All non-EEA students must also have private medical insurance at the time of registration.

Non-EEA students must meet minimum English language requirements to qualify for student immigration permission.

English language proficiency must be proved through an internationally recognised certificate that has been issued within two years of the expected start date of the course. Accepted English qualifications/examinations are: IELTS, TOEFL and PTE (Pearson test).

International students enrolled on a long-term language course in Ireland:

As of January 2016, non-EEA individuals studying on an ILEP listed language course will be granted immigration permission of up to 8 months.

However, it is possible to study a maximum of three language courses, meaning the total length of immigration permission that can be granted to a student attending three language courses is 2 years.

One primary condition is that non-EEA nationals studying in Ireland on a language course must have a minimum attendance level of 85% and are obliged to take a recognised exam at the end of the course. Those who do not observe these requirements will not be eligible to acquire further immigration permissions.

International students enrolled on a degree programme in Ireland:

Degree programmes are courses which lead to a recognised award. They are categorised in terms of ‘levels’, as shown below:

• NFQ Level 7 = Ordinary Bachelor Degree (3 years duration)
• NFQ Level 8 = Honours Bachelor Degree (3-4 years duration)
• NFQ Level 8 = Higher Diploma (1 year duration)
• NFQ Level 9 = Postgraduate Diploma (1 year duration)
• NFQ Level 9 = Masters Degree (1-2 years duration)
• NFQ Level 10 = Doctoral Degree (approximately 4 years duration)

For those studying on a full-time degree programme, the maximum duration permitted to stay in Ireland is limited to seven years. Applicants must provide proof that fees have been paid to the college (if fees are below €6,000, the full amount must be paid in advance). This is in addition to providing evidence that you have at least €3,000.

While not every non-EEA national is required to secure an entry visa to travel to Ireland, all non-EEA nationals must register for immigration permission as soon as they arrive.

This enables international students to remain in Ireland to live and study for over 90 days.

This means that if your country of origin is listed on the ‘non-visa required countries’, you do not need to apply for a study visa or any other visa to travel to Ireland.

However, it is crucial that you register upon arrival with an immigration officer.

At the time of registration, you must have at least €3,000 if you are studying on a course which runs for over 6 months – this is in addition to course fees.

For non-EEA nationals who do not require a visa and who will be studying in Ireland for under three months, the requirements differ slightly to those who will be remaining in the State on a long-term course.

If you will be studying on a course which has a duration of less than 90 days, you do not need to register or apply for a study visa however you do need to provide proof upon arrival that you have a valid reason to enter Ireland. This means:

• You must state a credible reason for your visit
• You must have a return flight booked which is due to leave at the end of your stay
• You can support yourself financially while here
• You must not engage in work

Applications from students who can demonstrate that they are enrolled on a short-term ILEP course of less than 90 days and have paid the course fees in full will be treated as educational tourists.

You will largely be subject to the same conditions as those from non-visa required countries who are studying in Ireland for over three months. The key difference is that you are also required to apply for a ‘D’ study visa – which is classed as a long-stay visa – before travelling to Ireland. This ought to be applied for up to three months before you are due to travel. One of our immigration specialists at IAS can help to guide you through the visa application process, ensuring that you provide all the necessary documentation.

You must still register for immigration permission upon arrival – your visa only covers entry into the State. Additionally, your study visa application must demonstrate that you have at least €7,000 initially and that you or a sponsor have access to €7,000 for each subsequent year of your studies. This is in addition to the course fees for each year.

It is important to note that as of 13th May 2019, any student from a visa required country with a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card is no longer required to obtain a re-entry visa when travelling to and from Ireland. Your IRP/GNIB card and passport is sufficient. However, if you are a student who is planning to travel outside of Ireland within 4 months of arriving, you should apply for a multiple-entry visa.

For those who wish to study in Ireland for less than 3 months and who are from a visa required country, you must apply for a short stay ‘C’ visa before travelling to Ireland. Your visa application must be submitted after you have been offered a place on your course. Once you have enrolled on and paid for your course of study, you are then required to apply for a short stay Visit (Tourist) Visa.

For further guidance with your visa application including help with a study visa application form and any payment enquiries, you can visit our Study Visa Application page or seek legal guidance from one of IAS’ dedicated immigration experts in Ireland by calling (+353) 061 518 025.

A short stay Visit (Tourist) Visa allows you to attend a course of study for up to 90 days such as an English language, Irish language or cultural studies course as well as being able to participate in other tourist activities. As with every non-EEA national studying in Ireland, you must meet the general requirements as outlined previously.

Non-EEA visa required students on the Visit (Tourist) Visa cannot work or use any publicly funded services during their stay in Ireland. Visa-required nationals who have entered Ireland on a ‘C’ visa – such as the Visit (Tourist) Visa – cannot extend their permission to remain.

All non-EEA students will receive a ‘landing stamp’ from an immigration officer upon arrival if they are granted permission to enter the State. This will also show the reason for visiting – in this case, to study.

For non-EEA nationals who are due to study on a short-term course and who will therefore be staying in Ireland for a period of less than 90 days, this is the only stamp they will receive.

Those studying on a full-time, long-term course and who will be staying in Ireland for more than 90 days must register for immigration permission as explained throughout this page. If approved, they will receive a new permission stamp in their passport which indicates permission to remain in the State for over 90 days. The stamp allocated to students who will be staying in Ireland for over 90 days is typically Stamp 2.

Immigration stamps are what outline the key conditions of your stay in Ireland. Stamp 2 indicates that the individual has been granted permission to study a full-time course on the official ILEP for a specified period.

This stamp is not reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. They key conditions for those given Stamp 2 permission include:

• You are not permitted to receive any benefits or use publicly funded services (unless you have other forms of entitlement)
• You are able to work in casual employment for a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours per week during holidays

Those who are granted Stamp 2 permission will also receive an IRP (Irish Residence Permit) which Is a registration certificate.

Certain students may instead receive Stamp 2A permission, depending on their circumstances. Stamp 2A immigration permission is granted to non-EEA students who are not studying on an ILEP course.

This is for a specified period and is usually only given to those who are studying at either a private secondary school in Ireland or who are doing a semester abroad at an Irish university or college.

The requirements of a Stamp 2A are:

• You must not receive any benefits or use services which are publicly funded
• You must have private medical insurance
• You must not engage in any work, business, trade or profession