Student Visa and Immigration Information

1. Create your visa application online via the Automated Visa Application and Tracking System. (AVATS). Provide honest and thorough answers to all AVATS questions. The system will then create a Summary Application Form. Please follow all the instructions on this form. Print, sign and date this form, as it will be submitted with your supporting documents. 

NOTE: Do not include false or misleading information or documents in your application. If you do, your application may be refused. In some circumstances, you may not be allowed to appeal the visa decision and may be blocked from getting an Irish visa for 5 years.

2. Pay the Visa Application fee. Some applicants are exempt and do not need to pay visa fees. Click here to check if you are exempt from paying Visa fees. You will receive an Application Summary Form when you complete your AVATS online application. This will let you know how to submit your application for processing and pay your visa fee.

3. Prepare your documents. See required documents below. Provide all supporting documents as advised in your application. Your application form will contain information on how to submit these required documents. Please note, sending these documents does not guarantee that your application will be successful. 

4. Complete Biometrics: You may be asked to provide biometrics as part of the process. This refers to the capture of your fingerprints and, in some cases, a digital image of your face. Residents of China, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria or Pakistan are required to provide fingerprints. This biometric capture will take place when you are submitting your documents at an Irish visa application centre (VAC). Also, it may be necessary in certain circumstances for your prints to be taken a second time and you will be required to return to the VAC for this purpose.

Along with your summary application form and appropriate fee, you must submit the below supporting documentation. Failure to provide the required documents may result in your application being refused. For detailed information on the specific documents needed, please visit the Irish Immigration Website.

• Passport
• Passport Photographs
• Private Medical Insurance
• Application Letter
• Visa Refusals
• Letter of Acceptance
• Gaps in your Educational History
• Proof of Fee Payment
• Evidence of Academic Ability
• Evidence of English (or Irish) Language Ability
• Finances
• Summary of Finances
• Extra Documentation for Unaccompanied Students Under 18 Years of Age
• Accommodation and Vetting Certificate

Entry to Ireland, for any non-EEA citizen, visa or non-visa required is determined by the Immigration Officer at border control, based on the documentation presented upon arrival.

Each application for entry to Ireland is assessed on its own merits. Therefore, we advise all our students coming from outside the EU to carry any relevant documentation with them for presentation to the Immigration Officer on arrival in Ireland.

When you land in Ireland, we recommend that you have the following documentation with you:

• Passport (with your valid student entry visa if you are a visa required national).
• A copy of your DCU Offer Letter.
• Evidence of private medical health insurance with detailed coverage information.
• Evidence of tuition fees paid, scholarship or sponsorship details or US Financial Aid if applicable.
• Accommodation details.
• Evidence that you have access to sufficient funds to support your stay. Finance requirements can be found here.

All documents presented should be originals and if in a language other than English, accompanied by translation.

On approval, you will get a temporary immigration permission valid for up to 90 days stamped in your passport. You must register with the Irish Immigration Service within the timeframe stamped on your passport in order to obtain an Irish Residency Permit (IRP) card, which provides permission to remain in Ireland beyond the date stamped on your passport.

Please be aware that it is not possible to change to student status if you receive a tourist immigration stamp on arrival.

If you arrive via the border with Northern Ireland to study in the Republic of Ireland, you must report to an Immigration Officer at the Dundalk Immigration Office, a port of entry at Dublin Airport or Port, or local Garda Síochána Immigration Office (police station) within 30 days of your arrival.

First time registration with the Irish Immigration Service.

All non-EEA and non-UK students who are staying in Ireland for longer than 90 days, must register with Irish Immigration Service after they have registered with DCU and before the expiry date stamped on their passport by immigration officials at the airport.

Please see here for a step by step guide on how to create an account and book an appointment with the registration office.

On successful completion of your ISD registration, you will be issued with an Irish Residency Permit (IRP) card which is your registration certificate. This will be sent to you by post/mail within 10 working days. This is valid for one year, or for single semester students, until the end of their course. Your IRP card is a very important document and you must carry it with you at all times.

If you do not receive the card within 10 working days, contact ISD on their Digital Contact Centre with your full name, registration number (if available), nationality and date of birth, and log a query there.

A dedicated Irish Immigration FAQ page for registration is available to view here.

Online renewal of permissions from all applicants nationwide should be submitted using the ISD online renewal portal. Applicants will not need to attend the Burgh Quay Registration Office in person to renew an immigration permission, unless it is deemed necessary. Please check the list of required documents for your online renewal.

This means all students nationwide looking to renew their registration will no longer have to book an appointment and attend the registration office in person.

Prepare to renew online by registering through the INIS Online renewal application portal. A €300 fee applies to all renewals and this is paid online at the time of application.

Processing times can be checked here. You can find further information about registration renewals on the Irish Immigration Service website and you can submit a query online using ISD’s Digital Contact Centre.

Ireland’s graduate visa, also known as stay-back visa, refers to the Third Level Graduate Programme that allows non- EEA students, who have graduated from Irish higher education institutions, to remain in Ireland to seek employment. You must have graduated after January 1st, 2017, with a Level 8 or above degree to qualify.

Click here for more information on the Stamp 1G permission or graduate visa for international students.

All non-EU/EEA students must have private health insurance that covers them from day one in Ireland. Proof of insurance is required at the time of registration with immigration authorities. For detailed information on health insurance requirements please check here.