Over the few years, Ireland, otherwise popular for its lush countryside with rolling hills and castles, has been emerging as a new popular destination for abroad education for Indian students. Thanks to its government who invested heavily into its higher education system and now the highly reputed Irish education system has some of the globally top-ranked universities that offer an extensive array of courses.

Students completing their graduation and postgraduation from Ireland get a wide range of work opportunities but as a prerequisite, students require a student visa to study in Ireland. Though students from European countries would not need an Ireland student visa to study in Ireland, Indian students like others belonging to non-European countries would need to obtain an Ireland student visa. Read on to learn the entire Ireland student visa process and Ireland study visa requirements for Indian students.

Types of Ireland Study Visa

You can visit the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website to find out details about the Ireland student visa and make your online application for Visa/Preclearance by visiting the AVATS Online Application Facility. Depending on the duration of your programs/courses, you can apply for one of the two types of Ireland Study Visa.

  • C-type Ireland study visa - is for study programs/courses that are of duration less than 90 days.
  • D-type Ireland study visa - is for study programs/courses that are of duration more than 90 days

You must also keep yourself updated with the latest vaccination guidelines before traveling to Ireland.

How to apply for an Ireland student visa?

You should apply at least 3 months before your expected date of travel to Ireland as it will take around 28 days time for your Ireland student visa process. You can apply online for your Ireland student visa via the following steps:

  1. visit AVATS online portal and apply for a study visa
  2. Fill the online application form
  3. Send the supporting documents to the Irish embassy. You may get summoned to the visa application center for your biometrics information.
  4. Pay your visa application fee for single, multiple, or transit entry.
  5. Provide a letter of application stating the reason why you need this visa.

You mustn't include false, fraudulent, or misleading information /documents in your application. If you do, your application would be refused without any right to appeal.

Ireland student visa requirements. 

  • All the supporting documents must be original and in English, if not then they must be accompanied by a notarized translation. (The documents must have translation date with translator details like name, signature, and contact details)
  • You must have taken and scored the required minimum score in any English language proficiency test (IELTS, TOEFL, etc) recognized and accepted by the university.
  • Indian students likewise non-EU students must have private medical insurance before flying to Ireland.
  • To be eligible for an Ireland student visa process you would require to have obtained a confirmation letter from the university by paying your first-year fee. 
  • You would also have to have proof of 7000 euros which is roughly about 6 lakhs in INR towards living expenses before applying for the visa.

You can show either self-finance or education loans as proof of funds. And if you are opting for an education loan, you have to take a pre-visa disbursement to transfer the one-year fee that some lenders may not agree with. This is one major issue faced by students towards their Ireland student visa requirements. You can approach WeMakeScholars, an organization that helps students get education loans for abroad studies. We are associated with around 10+ banks and have resolved many issues including pre-visa disbursement. We have resolved hundreds of such issues for students initiating their loan process through us and we recommend you to do the same by registering and requesting a callback.

Documents required for Ireland student visa 

Below is the list of supporting documentation that you would require when you attend your appointment at a visa application center-

  1. Printed and signed summary sheet of yours.
  2. Two Recent color passport-sized photographs. 
  3. Original valid passport with at least one blank page. 
  4. A signed letter of application with all full contact details.
  5. Confirmation letter from an Irish university providing all the details.
  6. Proof of funds of minimum 7,000 EUR.
  7. English proficiency test scores.
  8. Medical Insurance.
  9. A statement of your commitment that you’ll return to your home country upon expiry of your visa.
  10. Reasons for previous visa refusals, if any.

Documents required for Ireland student visa for students of age below 18 years

  1. Birth certificate
  2. Consent letter from parent /legal guardian
  3. Accommodation and vetting certificate 

These are the Ireland study visa requirements that students should take care of to mitigate the chances of their Visa rejection. The cost of education in Ireland compared to other abroad destinations is maybe less but not inexpensive, as still, the majority of students going to Ireland opt for an education loan to finance their studies abroad. Likewise the Ireland student visa process, the education loan process is also important like choosing the right lender for your education loan and there are also many things one needs to keep in mind while opting for an education loan. You can approach WeMakeScholars, our financial officers assigned to you will guide you throughout your loan process and help you get the best deal possible. 

Note: WeMakeScholars is an organization funded and supported by the Government of India that focuses on International Education finance. We are associated with 10+ public/Pvt banks/ NBFCs in India and help you get the best abroad education loan matching your profile. As this initiative is under the Digital India campaign, it's free of cost. The organization has vast experience dealing with students going to various abroad education destinations like the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, China, France among others