Do you need a visa?
Your passport decides how you enter. Whatever it says, a student from outside the European Union registers with the immigration service after arriving.
| Your passport | To enter and to study |
|---|---|
| European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss passport | No visa. The visa fee and the registration fee in this guide are for the other passports.Citizens Information — Visa requirements for entering Ireland |
| British passport | The exception: no visa and no residence permit. British citizens live and study in Ireland under the Common Travel Area.Citizens Information — Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK; GOV.UK — Ireland entry requirements for British nationals |
| Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tonga, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City | Entry without a visa. You still show €10,000 of funds on arrival, pay at least €6,000 of tuition (all of it if lower) before you register, and register your permission to stay within 90 days.Citizens Information — Visa requirements for entering Ireland; Irish Immigration — Information on student finances; Irish Immigration — Documents required for a first registration; Irish Immigration — Frequently asked questions for registration |
| Any other passport | A long-stay visa (type D) before you travel, for any stay of more than 3 months, such as a course. A short-stay visa (type C) does not cover a course.Citizens Information — Visa requirements for entering Ireland; Irish Immigration — How to apply for a long term study visa |
Entering without a visa does not mean no formalities. On arrival you show €10,000 of funds, and within 90 days you register for your residence permit (€300).
Citizens Information — Visa requirements for entering Ireland; Irish Immigration — Information on student finances; Irish Immigration — Frequently asked questions for registration
Ireland is not in the Schengen area. A Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland, and a student who passes through another Schengen country still needs the Irish visa D.
Embassy of Ireland, The Hague — Visa FAQs: Ireland and Schengen
Not verified
The list of nationalities exempt from a visa is the one on the Citizens Information page; the legal text of the Visas Order is not read. Several study pages carry dates older than this year: check the amount and the form on the immigration service page before you pay.
The residence permit
The visa lets you enter. Once in Ireland, you register your permission to stay and receive the Irish Residence Permit (IRP), stamp 2 for study.
- Registration
- within 90 days
- Irish Immigration — Frequently asked questions for registration
- of arriving, whether you came with a visa or without
Book the registration appointment as soon as you land: the 90 days run from your arrival, and a passport exempt from a visa does not change that.
Irish Immigration — Frequently asked questions for registration
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The waiting time for an appointment at the Registration Office is not published on the pages read, and the fee for the PPS number is not read.
Getting a place
There is no single application for a foreign student: each institution sets its own dates and fees. First check that the programme leads to a visa.
| Your situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| The institution and the visa | The programme must appear on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) or on the TrustEd Ireland list of eligible programmes: check both. The TrustEd Ireland label of a provider does not make every course eligible for the visa or for stamp 2.Irish Immigration — A third-level course or a language course (ILEP and TrustEd Ireland lists); Irish Immigration — TrustEd Ireland scheme and immigration requirements |
| Undergraduate applications | The Central Applications Office (CAO) takes the central application for higher-education courses. Its 2027 form is open from 5 November 2026.Central Applications Office (CAO) |
Not verified
Whether your programme counts for the visa and for stamp 2 is read on the two lists, programme by programme: ask the institution to confirm it in writing before you pay.
Not verified
The CAO rules for applicants from outside the EU and its general closing date are not read. The QQI pages give two different numbers of countries for the comparison database.
From place to permit
- Choose the programme and check the lists
- Apply and receive your place
- Pay the tuition
- Gather your funds and health cover
- Apply for the visa D online
- Enter Ireland with your documents
- Register for your residence permit
- Apply for your PPS number
- Renew the permit before it ends
Not verified
The time to get an appointment for registration is not published. The total time from the visa application to the permit is not stated on any page read.
Costs
Tuition for students from outside the EU is set by each institution and is the main cost. The administrative fees are small beside it.
- Visa D
- €60
- Irish Immigration — Preclearance and entry visa fees
- single entry; €100 for multiple entries
Not verified
The dates of the next scholarship call (2027/28) are not published, and the tuition fees of other institutions are not read.
Health
| Stage | Insurance |
|---|---|
| Private medical insurance | Required. It can be the group scheme of your institution, or a policy taken out in Ireland with an insurer on the national register.Irish Immigration — Private medical insurance; Health Insurance Authority — Register of health benefits undertakings |
A travel insurance counts only for your first registration. Plan an Irish policy or your institution’s scheme for the next year.
Not verified
The visa page says only that private medical insurance is required, and the registration pages accept a travel insurance for the first year. The insurance page read carries an old date: confirm the cover with the immigration service before you buy.
Working while you study
- Holidays
- 40 hours a week
- Irish Immigration — Frequently asked questions for students
- June to September, and from 15 December to 15 January
Not verified
Self-employment, placements that a programme requires and the rules for courses other than degrees are not covered by the pages read.
Bringing your family
The family members of a citizen of the EEA or Switzerland who already live in another EEA state or in Switzerland under the EEA movement rules enter without a visa.
Source: Citizens Information — Visa requirements for entering Ireland
Not verified
The conditions for the family of a student from outside the EU are not read: ask the Irish immigration service.
The companies and registers for your file
For each need of your file: the official rule, the register that lists the approved providers, and the companies that serve students.
After your degree
A graduate can stay to look for a job under the Third Level Graduate Programme (stamp 1G).
| Your degree | What comes next |
|---|---|
| Level 8 (bachelor’s) | 12 months to look for work.Irish Immigration — Third Level Graduate Programme (stamp 1G) |
| Level 9 or above (master’s, doctorate) | 12 months, renewable for 12 more if you show that you are looking for work.Irish Immigration — Third Level Graduate Programme (stamp 1G) |