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Non-EU student visa advice


If you are a non-European, one of the most important things you need to organise is your visa.

I'd like to list some steps to make this easier for you...

Firstly, before choosing your school, it's important to remember that you need to buy your course prior to traveling to Ireland.

When you arrive in the country, you will need to present a letter from your school to the immigration officers.

  • When you decide on your school, you will have to make your payment and wait for a letter from the school. You can also book your accommodation with a host family through the school at this stage.

    For safety I recommend buying your course about 2 months in advance of your planned departure date.

    When choosing a school, you have the option of using an agency or paying directly with the school.

    I used an agency because I was worried about using my English to communicate with the schools.

    If you would like to book directly with a school and you would like me to contact the school, please email me and I will help you with your choices.

  • If you decide not to stay with a host family, you will need to book your accommodation for about two weeks. I recommend Hostelworld.com if you prefer a hostel, or Booking.com for a hotel.

  • I then purchased my flight tickets and I selected a return date that coincided with the end of my course.

  • The next step is to buy health insurance for the duration of your stay. I was never asked for any health insurance documents at immigration, but it is a good
    idea to have it in an emergency.

  • I also brought my international credit card and enough money to present to the immigration officials.

    Of course they need to be confident that you will be able to support yourself, especially if you're not working here.


  • I had all my documents ready in a folder for inspection on arrival. These included...passport, return flight ticket, credit card/money/travellers cheque, health insurance, proof of accommodation and a letter from the school.


  • Once in Ireland, you will have your passport stamped with a 1 month visa. And during this time you will have to arrange your student visa...

  • On the first day of school, you should ask for a letter to open a student bank account. Usually your school will be associated with a particular bank.

  • When you receive this letter, the next step is to go to the bank and ask to open a bank account for students.

    You will have to present the letter from the school, your passport and also proof of address. You will then need to make a lodgement of 1000 Euro and request a statement to be sent to your house.

    This normally takes about one week.



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  • Finally, you will go to the Immigration offices (located on Burgh Quay in the city centre) to get your registration card and a visa for the duration of your course.

    Again, you will need the letter from your school, your passport, proof of address, your bank statement from the Irish bank, and finally a credit card to pay for your visa.

    You will have to pay 150 Euro to get your registration card. If you pay by credit card, you will receive your card on the same day!

    • At the end of your studies, you might like to renew your student visa. If you decide to do this, you will have to repeat the process above.

    Be aware though, that you will need to have 80% attendance for your course to receive a new visa without any problem.

    If you have any questions about this topic, you can contact me here.
    Back to Visa top


    If you are travelling from Germany, you may visit the following website for buying some travel insurance.