Application Dates & Fees :

Applicants should avoid submitting an application close to a Closing Date. The Closing Date cannot be extended. There are different fees for online and paper applications.

Paper Appli

cation Fee :

Normal application - €45 - 1 February
Late Application - €90 - 1 May

Online Application :

Normal Application - €35 - 1 February
Late Application - €70 - 1 May


Entry Requirements :
Access to higher education is highly competitive in Ireland. Entry requirements for courses may vary from year to year, depending on the number of places available and the number of applicants, thus there exists a great deal of competition for the more sought after programmes. Overseas students wishing to study in Ireland have to undertake recognised public examinations in their own countries. It is essential that every applicant check that the educational qualifications she/he is presenting are adequate to satisfy entry requirements. To have a realistic prospect these results should be very good, e.g. for medicine 3 good 'A' Level passes (grades A/B) or the equilivent, in relevant subjects are required. The minimum requirement for most degree level programmes is 3 grade 'C's at A level or equivalent. If there is any doubt about the acceptability of an applicant's qualifications, clarification should be sought in good time from the particular institution.

As English is the language of instruction at all Irish Institutions of higher education, students must demonstrate a proficiency in English to be accepted. Generally, the required minimum score in TOEFL is 550. Many universities and colleges provide English Langauge training programmmes for intending students. Furthermore, there are over 150 private English language training schools throughout the country which run both short and long terms courses.

Visa Application Procedure :
Apply for your visa well in advance. In their application, students will be asked to supply the following information:

* Valid passport: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the expected completion of your studies in Ireland. If you hold any previous passport, you should also submit this with your application.

* Evidence of Course: A letter of Acceptance from the college, confirming you have been accepted and enrolled on a course of full-time education, involving a minimum of 15 hours organised daytime study each week. This letter should specify the course you will be studying. It should confirm the amount of fees payable for your course, and that this amount has been paid. If the college has taken out medical insurance on your behalf, details of this must be contained in this letter of acceptance. Note: The educational and other credentials of a college will be taken into consideration by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in r

eaching a decision on a visa application.

* Ability to Follow Your Chosen Course: You must provide evidence that you have attained the necessary level of academic achievement required to follow your chosen course. Such evidence will include - exam results, qualifications obtained and certificates proving this.

* Level of English: You must show that you have the capacity to fully partake in your chosen course through the medium of English and satisfy the Visa Officer in this regard.

It is recommended that all applicants, regardless of educational background, undertake the IELTS test, and provide the original certificate with your visa application. Other acceptable certificates will be those from an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or Cambridge. Failure to provide such a certificate may result in delays in processing your application, and possible refusal of same. Submission of false or fraudulent certificates with your application will result in it being refused and no appeal will be permitted. Any certificate must have been issued within 2 years of the expected commencement date of your course.
The recommended band scores are: IELTS - minimum score of 5, or TOEFL - minimum score of 173. If the English language requirement of the college is higher than the score above, you must meet the college requirements.

* Fees: Where the course fees are less than €6,000, fees must be paid in full to the college, prior to applying for your visa. Evidence of the amount paid should be included in your Letter of Acceptance from the college. Where the course fees are in excess of €6,000, you must pay at least this amount prior to applying for your visa, and evidence of this should be shown in your Letter of Acceptance.

* Private Medical Insurance: Every student should have full private medical insurance. Evidence of such insurance cover will be taken to be the Letter of Acceptance provided by the host school, college, university or other education institution. This Letter of Acceptance will contain details of the insurance cover taken out on behalf of each student by the host school, college, university or other educational institution on behalf of the student. Alternative evidence will be taken to be a Certificate of Private Insurance taken out by the student in his or her own country prior to travel.

* Family Members: Applicants should disclose details of family members who are already residing in Ireland or in other EU countries. For this purpose, family members include first cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews or grandparents. The granting of a student visa does not entitle you to have family members join you in Ireland.

* Applicant's Self-sufficiency: Applicants must provide evidence that they have sufficient funds to support their stay in Ireland, including emergencies, without recourse to State funds. You must also demonstrate that you or your sponsor has ready access to an amount of at least €7000 for each subsequent year of your studies, in addition to the course fees for each of those years. Bank statements which clearly identify the holder together with a translation and details of conversion rates at the approximate date of application are required. Please note that although you may be permitted to work part-time in Ireland during your Studies, these potential earnings will not be taken into account when assessing your financial capabilities. If your studies were funded by a scholarship please provide details of the funding and a letter in support of this.

* A statement of purpose explaining why you wish to study in Ireland.

* A detailed Curriculum Vitae with no gaps in history.

* Employment Details of applicant in Country of origin: If the applicant is in employment the employer must state that all course costs are being met by the Employer or, if the employee is meeting the costs, the employer must state that in the opinion of the employer the employee has the financial resources to meet all such costs, the length of leave being granted to the employee and this must not differ from the stated duration of the course on which the applicant has been accepted, the purpose of participating in the proposed course of study, the applicant’s level of pay and the currency it is received in.

*3 Recent passport photographs

The granting of a Student Visa does not entitle you to have any family members join you in Ireland.

Decisions
* The processing times for Student Visa Applications vary depending on the volume of applications lodged, and the time it takes for an application to reach the Visa section in Dublin from the Embassy in which it was lodged.
* You should allow as much time as possible when applying for a visa but a minimum time of 8 weeks is recommended.
* Visa decisions are published weekly on www.justice.ie You can check a decision by entering the Visa Reference Number.