Irish Study Visas
If you are planning to visit Ireland to study, you might have to apply for a Study Visa. Learn more about the eligibility requirements and the application process here.
Call our lawyers today on +1 844 290 6312 to receive professional legal advice and assistance with submitting your application.
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Who needs a Study Visa to Ireland?
Citizens of non-EEA countries who wish to study in Ireland will need to apply for an entry visa to enter Ireland. If you are a student from a non-EEA country, you will need a visa approved by immigration services before you arrive in Ireland, otherwise, you will not be allowed to enter the country. If your application is successful, you will be able to complete an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
If you are a citizen of a European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) country or a citizen of Switzerland, you can come to Ireland to study without having to apply for a Study Visa. You simply need to show your passport or national ID when arriving in Ireland. However, if you will be studying in Ireland for more than 3 months, you need to get an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) even if you do not need a visa to enter the country.
The Irish Residence Permit (IRP) contains your name, photo, date of birth, registration number, and visa status on a plastic identification card. To apply for an IRP, you will need to make an appointment for registration at an immigration office once you are in Ireland. At this registration appointment or visa office, the immigration officer will review the necessary supporting documents and record your contact details before issuing you with a stamp in your passport.
As always, it should be noted that entry into Ireland is contingent on the decision of the immigration officer at Border Control regardless of if you have received advanced permission to enter Ireland beforehand.
Our lawyers can assess your circumstances and help you determine whether you need an Irish Study Visa. They can also guide you through each step of the application process, making sure you understand all the requirements.
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Posted 3 years ago
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What Irish Study Visas are there?
Depending on the duration of your study program in Ireland, you can apply for one of the following Irish Study Visas:
- The Short Term (C Type) Study Visa. This visa is intended for non-EEA citizens who want to come to Ireland to complete a study course that lasts less than 3 months
- The Long Term (D Type) Study Visa. This visa is intended for non-EEA citizens who want to come to Ireland to complete a study course that lasts more than 3 months.
The Short Term Study Visa is the right permit for a visa required national who is coming to Ireland to complete a short-term training program or an English language course. International students who wish to do a degree in Ireland will need to obtain a Long Term Study Visa.
Regardless of which type of Study Visas you want to apply for, you need to be enrolled in a course in Ireland for at least this amount at the time of submitting your application. You also need to have paid the relevant course or registration fees and demonstrate that you have a good command of the English language.
What are the requirements for the Long Term Study Visa?
If you want to become a student at an Irish university, you need to obtain a Long Term Study Visa. Applying for it is slightly more complex than applying for the Short Term one as there are more requirements applicants need to meet.
Firstly, at the time of applying you need to be enrolled in a full-time course included on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes published by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS). To prove it, you have to submit a signed letter of acceptance from a recognized educational institution in Ireland. Keep in mind that your study course in Ireland has to have at least 15 hours per week of study time.
In addition to that, you have to show that you possess the sufficient funds necessary for your studies in Ireland. The student must have immediate access to at least €7,000 and you can get €7,000 more for each subsequent year of their studies in Ireland, not including course fees.
As part of your application, you need to provide supporting documentation that proves that you meet these criteria. The exact evidence you have to submit varies depending on your individual circumstances. Talk to our lawyers and they can help you put together a complete portfolio of evidence.
How can I apply for a Study Visa to Ireland?
To apply for an Irish Student Visa, you have to submit an online application. In the online form, you need to provide personal details and explain why you want to come to Ireland. You also have to indicate whether you are applying for the Short Term Study Visa or the Long Term one.
After you submit the form, you have to start gathering supporting documents that prove your eligibility for the Study Visa. The evidence all applicants need to provide include the original documents:
- Valid passport
- Two passport size photographs
- An application letter explaining the reason for the planned journey to Ireland
- Details of the study course in Ireland
- Confirmation of having been accepted in a study course in Ireland (acceptance letter)
- Details of academic qualifications required for the study program
- A certificate confirming that you have a good level of English
- Proof of meeting the financial requirements
- Evidence of private medical insurance
- Evidence of having paid course fees
- Evidence of having paid the visa fee for the application
Once you have all the documents ready, you need to send them to the relevant immigration office for processing. You can find out which office to send them to by checking the application summary sheet displayed after submitting bank details on the online application form.
You can apply for an Irish Study Visa up to 3 months before you intend to travel to Ireland. On average, you can expect to hear the decision within 8 weeks but you should not wait until the last minute to apply as processing times vary and might take longer if your case is complex.
How can IAS help?
At IAS, our lawyers are committed to helping international students come to Ireland to study.
They can assess your circumstances and help you determine which type of Irish Study Visas is the right one for you. They will take full contact details and make sure that you understand what requirements you need to meet and what documents you have to submit.
IAS has helped many clients successfully apply for various visas to Ireland, including the Irish Study Visas.
Thanks to the help of our lawyers the whole process will be straightforward and stress-free. Moreover, by hiring an immigration expert you can maximize the chances of your visa application being accepted.
Call us today on +1 844 290 6312 to find out more about how we can help.
Last modified on September 8th, 2023 at 8:52 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you come to Ireland on a Short Term Study Visa, you will not be allowed to work. If, however, you obtain the Long Term Study Visa, you will have the right to take up casual employment. That means that you will be able to work for up to 20 hours per week during term time and for up to 40 hours a week during holidays. Keep in mind that as soon as your Irish Student Visa expires, your permission to work in Ireland will end.
If you are applying for the Long Term Study Visa, you need to show that at the time of applying you have at least €7,000 in savings and that you can access €7,000 more for each year of your study course in Ireland. On top of that, you have to be able to cover tuition fees.
If you are applying for the Short Term Study Visa, there is no specific amount that you need to have but you have to show that you have enough funds to support yourself during your stay in Ireland.
Regardless of whether you are applying for the Short Term Study Visa or the Long Term Study Visa, you will have to pay €60 for a single-journey visa or €100 for a multiple-journey one.
You might also have to pay additional fees for obtaining the required supporting documents.
Citizens of certain countries are exempt from having to pay visa fees. These countries are:
- Bosnia
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Ecuador
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- North Macedonia
- Peru
- Serbia
- Sri Lanka
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
Keep in mind that the visa application fee is non-refundable, which means you will not get your money back even if your application is rejected or if you withdraw it.
Irish Study Visas allow foreign citizens to come to Ireland temporarily to complete a study course. If you are applying for the Short Term Study Visa to Ireland, you will be able to stay in the country for up to 90 days. Just like with other Short Stay ‘C’ Visas to Ireland, it is not possible to extend this type of visa.
If you obtain the Long Term Study Visa to Ireland, you will be able to stay in the country for more than 3 months for as long as your study course lasts. Nevertheless, once your study program in Ireland finishes, your permission to remain in the state will finish.
As part of the application process, you will have to prove that you have ties in your home country that will make you return there after your Irish Study Visa expires. If you wish to stay in Ireland longer after your studies, you will need to apply for another visa to Ireland.