Ireland Student Visa: Requirements, Cost and Processing Time

Ireland Study Visa: Ireland has over the years become a popular study destination among international students. The government has pumped in large investments in its higher education institutions making the state-of-art-institutes robust for higher studies. The language of instruction used in the universities is English and international students can benefit from the comparatively lesser tuition costs and living expenses as compared to the United Kingdom. To study in Ireland, you must get an Ireland student visa and this article contains all the details to help you throughout the visa application process. 

International students wanting to study in Ireland and belonging to non-European countries would be required to apply for an Irish Student Visa. Only after being accepted by the Irish university, can a student apply for the Ireland study visa, as their acceptance letter would be required during the visa application process. So Indian students, need to acquire a student visa to enter Ireland for the purpose of education. Read on to understand the entire process of applying for an Ireland student visa.

Ireland Student Visa Important Updates

Applicants must note that the "Type C Ireland Student Visa" has now been discontinued. Prospective students must apply for the Type D or the long-stay study visa in Ireland to study a course lasting more than 3 months. 

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Requirements for Studying in Ireland

Non-EEA or non-Swiss national students need a certain set of documents to stay and study in Ireland. These are:

• A letter of enrolment (LoE) or letter of accepttance from their host country in Ireland
• Proof of payment of programme fee (at least €6,000 must be paid in advance regardless of the amount of your academic tuition fee).
• An Ireland student visa (if their programme duration is longer than 3 months).  

Who Needs an Ireland Student Visa?

A student willing to pursue a degree programme in Ireland which is longer than 3 months in duration is required to have an Ireland Student Visa. The 6 types of major degree programmes available in Ireland for international students at different NFQ levels (for which a visa is required) are given 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)

What can a Student do or not do on an Ireland Student Visa?

When on an Ireland student visa, international students can:

• Live and study a degree programme in Ireland for a maximum of 7 years only (except for a few longer courses like medicine).
• Students cannot come to study a part-time or distance-learning course in Ireland. 
• Students cannot enrol in a non-degree language course when on an Ireland study visa for a degree programme. However, students can opt to study a foundation course before their primary degree programme and the same must be mentioned on any visa application or leave to remain in Ireland. 

Ireland Student Visa Fees 2025

Candidates looking to apply for a long-stay D Study Visa in Ireland would be required to pay €60 for a single entry valid for 90 days and €100 for a long-stay D Visa with multiple entries. 

Applying for your Ireland Student Visa

Here are the application guidelines for your Ireland Study Visa:

• You must apply for an Ireland Study Visa at least 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland. We strongly advise you not to confirm your travel arrangements until you have received your visa.
• As mentioned earlier, candidates would be required to visit the official website of the Irish Immigration Service to create their online student visa application via AVATS.
• Visa applicants would be required to complete the online application form. Then print and sign the completed application form.
• Candidates would then be required to arrange their appointment with Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) and pay the Ireland Visa Application fee.
• Applicants would be then required to compile supporting documents and follow instructions on the summary application form generated by the system. The summary application sheet will also contain your application transaction number. This is important, as you will need it later.
• Once you have completed the payment and appointment booking process, the payment receipt and an appointment confirmation receipt will be sent to your email address. You must print the receipts and bring them with you to your appointment at VFS or the Embassy of Ireland.
• Wait for your visa outcome.

Note: Applicants should refrain from providing false or misleading information, as this would lead to the immediate termination of their visa application. In certain cases, the candidate could be banned from appealing the visa decision for a period of 5 years. Download: Ireland Student Visa Information.pdf 

For the benefit of our readers, we have provided a video guide on how to apply for your Ireland Student Visa below. 

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Documents Required for Long-stay Ireland Student Visa

Applicants would be required to bring the following documents with them to the visa centre. These include: 

• Two colour passport-sized photographs not more than 6 months old (refer to the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service  for photograph specifications)
• Your current passport along with a complete copy of all the previous passports.
• A signed letter and dated application form including your full contact details.
• An application letter containing your personal details along with your reason for travelling to Ireland, your duration of stay and the course and university that you are going to attend during this period. 
• Evidence proving that you are enrolled on a privately funded course.
• Evidence accounting for any gaps in your educational history.
• Evidence of fees paid to the college.
• Evidence that vouches for your ability to follow your chosen course.
• Evidence of your proficiency in the Irish language or in English (often in the form of a TOEFL, IELTS or PTE test score).
• Evidence that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while studying in Ireland which includes:
  • Applicants must show evidence that they have immediate access to at least €10,000 for each year of their studies in Ireland along with their course fee for each of those years. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.
  • If the duration of the course is less than 6 months then the applicant must have access to €700 per month of their stay or €4,200 whichever is the lesser.
• Private Medical Insurance
• Previous Visa Refusals - if any information on previous visa refusals is not shared in your application then, the same might result in getting your application cancelled. 
• An agreement stating that the candidate intends to return to their home country upon finishing their course in Ireland.

Additional documentation for unaccompanied students under 18 years

• Birth certificate
• Consent of parent(s)/legal guardian
• Accommodation and vetting certificate
• No entitlement on the part of other family members to accompany or join the student in the State

All supporting documents must be original documents and in English, or accompanied by a notarised translation. The supporting documents that you submit are important because they provide information about your personal circumstances.

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Missing Documents or Copies

The visa application centre will not accept your application if you are missing one or more of the documents listed above. In such an event, the visa application centre will highlight the missing documents to you and will give you the opportunity to provide the missing documents on the same day. If you choose not to do so you can reschedule your appointment or cancel your application.

If your application is missing documents, other than the documents listed above i.e. common supporting documents, the visa application centre will highlight the missing documents to you before accepting your supporting documents and will give you the opportunity to:

• Provide the missing documents the same day before progressing with your application,
• Proceed with your application on the condition that you sign a confirmation that the omission was highlighted to you by the visa application centre,
• Reschedule or cancel your appointment

If you are missing copies of the original documents, the visa application centre will highlight this to you and give you the opportunity to provide the missing copies the same day. You will have the option of using the photocopying services available within the visa application centre at an additional cost or getting the photocopies done from elsewhere. Alternatively, you can reschedule or cancel your appointment.

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Attend Your Appointment

These are important to remember on your Ireland Student Visa application appointment date 

• On the day of your appointment, plan to arrive 15 minutes early at the visa application centre.
• Bring your documents with you.
• When you arrive at the visa application centre, you will receive a token. Wait until your token is called to make your application.
• Once the visa filing process is completed, you will be issued an acknowledgement receipt.

Ireland Student Visa Processing Time

The Ireland Student Visa processing time is variable, depending on the country you submit your application. Usually, the applicant would get an answer between four to eight weeks from the date on which his application is lodged at the Visa Office/Embassy/Consulate.

Ireland Student Visa Interview Preparation

Below is a video to help you prepare for your Irish student visa. 

 Choose How You Want to Collect Your Documents

Choose whether you would prefer to collect your documents in person at the visa application centre or have them delivered to you by post.

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Also, read about student visas for study abroad and student visas for prominent international study destinations.

Ireland Student Visa FAQs