Ireland has become a popular study location for international students throughout the years. The government has made large investments in its higher education institutions, making the state-of-art-institutes robust for advanced studies. The language of instruction in universities is English, and international students can benefit from lower tuition and living expenditures when compared to the United Kingdom.

International students from non-European countries who wish to study in Ireland must apply for an Irish Student Visa. A student can apply for an Ireland study (student) visa only after being accepted by an Irish university, as their acceptance letter is required during the visa application procedure. As a result, Overseas students must get a student visa in order to study in Ireland. Continue reading to understand the entire process of applying for an Irish student visa.

VFS Global Revises Service Fee:

Students applying for an Ireland Study Visa through VFS Global Services will have to pay more money starting in June 2021. The revised VFS Global Service Fee has increased from INR 1,700 to INR 3,380 per application. The Ireland Visa Fee remains at €100 for a multiple-entry visa. Students will not be charged any additional fees for scanning service at the centre. External devices, such as pen drives containing scanned documents, will not be allowed at VFS Global. On the signed AVATS summary form, candidates must also clearly state the name of the university or college they are attending.

 Vaccination Guidelines for Students travelling to Ireland

Unless completely vaccinated, foreign students traveling for studies must complete a period of mandatory hotel quarantine. foreign students who have been fully vaccinated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca/Covishield Vaccine will be considered fully vaccinated 15 days after the second dose of the vaccine is provided. Other recognized vaccines are Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine – 7 days after the second dose and Moderna Vaccine – 14 days after the second dose.

Students who are completely vaccinated and traveling to Ireland, however, must submit a negative PCR test taken no later than 72 hours before departure, as well as complete a fourteen-day period of self-quarantine at their pre-arranged accommodation. Candidates should plan ahead of time for fourteen days of quarantine. This could be on-campus accommodation or a hotel room. Candidates would be obliged to provide this information upon arrival at the airport, as it would be confirmed by Irish officials.

Types of Ireland Student Visa:

Visit the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website to learn more about the Irish student visa and to apply online at the AVATS Online Application Facility. Students can apply for either the ‘C Study Visa’ or the ‘D Study Visa.’

  • Ireland ‘C Study Visa’ – is for study programs/courses that are for a total duration of three months or less. It is highly unlikely that candidates would be allowed to extend this type of visa, hence, they should apply for a visa that covers their entire duration of stay in a foreign country.
  • Ireland ‘D Study Visa’ – is for study programs/courses that stretch longer than three months.

Ireland Visa Fee and Charges:

Candidates willing to apply for a long-stay D Study Visa in Ireland would pay €60 for a single entry valid for 90 days and €100 for multiple entries. The visa fees for the short-term C Visa are the same.

Applying for your Ireland Student Visa:

Here are the application guidelines for your Ireland Study Visa:

  • You can apply for an Ireland Study Visa up to three months before your trip. We strongly advise you not to make any travel arrangements until you have received your visa.
  • As previously stated, candidates would be required to visit the Irish Immigration Service’s official website to complete their online student visa application.
  • Visa applicants would be required to complete the online application form, submit supporting documents, and follow the instructions on the system-generated summary application form. Your application transaction number will also be included on the summary application document. This is important since you will need it later.
  • The summary application sheet will tell you whether you are required to be present at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) for providing your biometric information and to submit your documents.
  • Candidates would be then required to pay the Ireland Visa Application fee.
  • After completing the payment and appointment booking processes, you will receive a payment receipt and an appointment confirmation receipt through email. You must print the receipts and bring them with you to your appointment.

Note: Applicants should avoid providing inaccurate or misleading information, as this would lead to the immediate termination of their visa application. In some situations, the candidate may be banned from appealing the visa decision for 5 years.

Documents required for an Ireland Study 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 and a full copy of all previous passports
  • A signed letter of application including your full contact details
  • Evidence that you are enrolled on a privately funded course
  • Evidence accounting for any gaps in your educational history
  • Evidence fees have been paid to the college
  • Evidence that you have the academic ability to follow your chosen course
  • Evidence of your level of English (often in the form of a TOEFL or 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 €7,000. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year. They must also demonstrate that they and/or their sponsor(s) have ready access to at least €7,000 for each subsequent year of their studies in addition to course fees for each of those years. If the duration of the course is less than 6 months then the applicant must have access to €500 per month of their stay or €3000 whichever is the lesser.
  • Private Medical Insurance
  • Previous Visa Refusals
  • 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 /legal guardian
  • Accommodation and vetting certificate
  • No entitlement on the part of other family members to accompany or join the student in the State

Ireland Student Visa Important Updates:

All supporting documents must be originals in English or be accompanied by a notarized translation. Your supporting documents are important since they provide information about your personal circumstances.

Missing documents or copies

If you are missing one or more of the above-mentioned documents, the visa application centre will not accept your application. In such a case, 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 do not choose to do so, you may reschedule your appointment or withdraw your application. If your application is missing documents other than those stated 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 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 original documents, the visa application centre will notify you and allow you to deliver the missing copies the same day. You will have the choice of using the visa application centre’s photocopying services at an additional cost or getting the photocopies done elsewhere. You can also reschedule or cancel your appointment.

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 collect 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 processing period for an Ireland Student Visa varies based on the country where you submit your application. Usually, the applicant will receive an answer within four to eight weeks of submitting his application to the Visa Office/Embassy/Consulate.