Visa

How To Obtain An Ireland Student Visa-Full Process

Posted on by Chidiebere Onuoha

Have you recently been admitted to study at an Irish university as an international student? Congratulations. Before packing your bags and spreading the joy, you need to own an Ireland student visa. A student visa is a legal permit that grants you study access into another country other than yours. In other words, before booking flight tickets and making accommodation plans, your student visa should be in your possession.

In this article, I will reveal how to the full application process for an Ireland student visa, fees, requirements, eligibility and duration. See available scholarships worldwide.

Please note: An Ireland Student Visa is just a pre-entry requirement and it does not guarantee that you will be permitted to actually enter Ireland. This means that even though you receive an Ireland student visa, when you travel to Ireland, you have to appear before the immigration officers at Border Control and request for permission to enter. They ultimately decide whether to allow you to enter Ireland or not. If authorities decide that you do not satisfy the requirements, they could send you back, regardless of your student visa.

How to apply for an Ireland student visa

You need an Ireland student visa if:

  • You are from a country whose citizens are subject to Ireland visas.
  • Your course will last for more than 90 days. For visits of less than 90 days, you will need an Irish short stay visa.

Before applying for your student visa, check the requirements for your country with the INIS (Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service). Commence application for your Irish study visa as early as possible, as it usually takes eight weeks or longer to process. You can apply up to three months before you arrive.

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals

If you are from an EU/EEA member state or from Switzerland, you do not have to apply for an Ireland student visa. You do not need to request permission to enter from Border Control. That’s because EU/EEA/Swiss nationals enjoy free movement to member states for any tourism, study or work-related purposes.

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals

If you are is not from an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland, you must ask for permission to enter. The body responsible for this is Immigration officers at Ireland Border Control. However, not everyone needs to apply for an Ireland student visa to be allowed to travel. Some countries are exempt from Ireland visas, so their citizens only request entrance permission from Border Control after they arrive.

Ireland Student Visa eligibility

You apply for a student visa if you fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

  • An Irish educational institution has accepted you and enrolled you.
  • You are pursuing a full-time, day-time course which is on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP).
  • The ILEP is a mechanism which the Irish government uses to measure which programmes are acceptable for international students to pursue.
  • You have paid the course fees.
  • If your course fee is up to €6,000, then you must pay the fee in full.
  • If the fee exceeds €6,000, then you must have paid at least this amount before applying for the Ireland student visa.

Ireland Student Visa requirements

While applying for your student visa, you must be able to present supporting documents to prove that you are eligible for the visa. All the documents you submit must be originals, not photocopies. The specific required documents for an Ireland student visa include: Read also International Students Scholarship Application Ultimate Guide.

  • Your original passport.
  • Copies of any previous passports.
  • Employment details.
  • Proof of accommodation.
  • Provide details of any previous visas that were refused. (If any)
  • The signed and dated application form summary, which you print after completing the online application.
  • Two passport sized photographs ( Must meet Ireland visa standards).
  • A self-addressed, pre-paid envelope where the Irish authorities can return your passport and other original documents.
  • You need to have a minimum of €7,000 per year in addition to your course fee.
  • Alternatively, if you have a sponsor in Ireland who will be supporting you, they must be able to prove they are financially capable of funding your stay.
  • You and your sponsor (if you have one) have to submit the following documents:
    • Bank statements, written on headed paper, from the last six months, which:
    • Show all the transactions made on the account.
    • Show the name, address, account number and account type of the owner (you or your sponsor, respectively)
    • Explanations regarding any large or irregular transactions.
  • An Application Letter written by you, in which:
    • You state your reason for traveling to Ireland and include your complete contact information.
    • Detail any family members you have in Ireland or elsewhere in the EU, whether you are staying with them or not.
    • Pledge not to become a burden in the country and to follow the requirements and conditions of the Ireland student visa.
    • If you are pursuing a course which does not relate to your previous education history, give an explanation why.

Additional documents

  • An official Letter of Acceptance from the Irish educational institution, which:
    • It specifies that you are enrolled in the school for a full-time course and will attend at least 15 hours of organized daytime tuition per week.
    • It provides details about the course you are enrolled in.
    • States if you have paid the full tuition fee, or if not, how much you have paid.
    • States whether they are paying for your medical insurance.
  • Provide proof that you are academically qualified to pursue the course you are enrolled in, such as:
  • Proof you have paid the college’s tuition fees.
    • Include a copy of the Electronic Transfer of Funds (ETF) to the Irish Bank of your school. The document must clearly include your and your school’s names, addresses, and bank details.
    • As stated above, if your tuition is below €6,000, you must pay the full fee before applying for the Irish student visa. If your tuition is over €6,000, you must pay at least that amount before you can apply for the visa.
  • Proof you meet the English language requirements:
    • You must demonstrate your ability to follow and participate in the course you are enrolled in.
    • You must provide an English language certificate, such as TOEFL or IELTS, issued within the last two years as evidence. or example, the Ireland student visa IELTS requirements are a minimum score of 0.
  • Additionally, if your course is in Irish, you must show you meet the Irish language requirements.
  • If you are submitting a savings account, include a letter from the bank that ensures you or your sponsor can withdraw money from the account.

Medical insurance proof

  • If your school has included you on a Group Insurance Scheme, they must indicate so in their Letter of Acceptance.
  • If you are getting medical insurance privately, you must make sure it covers at least €25,000 for cases of accidents, disease, and hospitalization.
  • Travel medical insurance can cover you in your first year, but after that ends, you must get private medical insurance in Ireland.
  • Proof of the reason why you took a break before pursuing your studies, if applicable.
    • For example, if you pause your studies for a year in order to work, give your employment details.

Ireland Student Visa Application Process

Before submitting your student visa application, you must be enrolled in an Irish educational institution. Pay the necessary fees, and meet the English language language requirements. This is a necessity because you must submit a prove when applying for an Ireland student visa.

The application process for an Ireland student visa is divided into two parts. The online application and the submission of documents.

Online submission

When submitting an online application, you have to fill in an application form via AVATS, the Irish visa application facility. After filling the form, you will receive a summary of the form, which you have to print. They will also inform you about where you can submit the required documents. There is no determined location since it changes based on the country you are from. The Ireland student visa processing time is around eight weeks. It may take longer due to different factors.

Border Control

After you receive the Ireland student visa, you are allowed to travel to Ireland. Upon arrival, you land at the airport/seaport, you have to go through Border Control. The immigration officer decides whether to grant you permission to enter the country or not.

You have to convince the immigration officers you are eligible to reside in Ireland. Bring your acceptance letter, proof of financial means, and medical insurance. Also be in possession of your passport, visa, and copies of other documents submitted during your visa application.

How your Ireland student visa can turn to permanent residency

After graduating from an Irish educational institution, you may be eligible to apply for the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme. This Scheme allows recent graduates to remain in Ireland for an additional year. This allows graduates to look for work or apply for an Ireland work permit.

If you find a job in Ireland and receive an Irish work permit, you may be eligible for permanent residency after five years, in some cases, after two years.