Student Information
Student Visa and
Immigration Information
A guide to Irish study visas and immigration permission, from preparing your application to registration, attendance, insurance and renewal.
Requirements can change. Always follow the current instructions issued by Immigration Service Delivery and your application office.
Start Here
Choose the route that matches your stay
Nationality determines whether you need an entry visa. Course duration determines which study route applies. Check the official study path before you submit or pay for a visa application.
First: check your nationality
Not every student needs an Irish entry visa. Use the official study travel path instead of relying on country lists copied elsewhere.
- Check the passport you will travel with
- Check transit requirements for your complete route
- Apply before travelling if your nationality is visa-required
90 days or less
Visa-required students attending a short course normally apply for a Short Stay ‘C’ visit (Study) visa.
- The stay cannot exceed 90 days
- Paid or unpaid work is not permitted
- This route cannot be renewed or transferred to full-time student permission
More than 90 days
Visa-required students planning to study for more than three months normally apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ study visa.
- Choose an eligible full-time programme
- Apply before travelling to Ireland
- Register your student permission after arrival
Visa Application
Three steps from acceptance to submission
For both short- and long-stay applications, apply from your home country or a country where you are legally resident. Begin preparing up to three months before travel and follow the instructions generated for your own application office.
01
Confirm your Emerald course
Secure your place, follow Emerald’s payment instructions, and obtain the correct acceptance or invitation documentation for the visa route.
02
Complete AVATS online
Answer every question fully and honestly. Print, sign and date the Application Summary Form generated by the system.
03
Submit the supporting documents
Send the required documents to the application office shown on your summary form, normally within 30 days of creating the AVATS application.
Do not purchase travel tickets before receiving a decision
Processing times vary by application office, season and individual circumstances. Missing or unverifiable documents can delay the decision.
Document Checklist
Build a complete, consistent application
Applicant and application documents
The exact checklist depends on your route and circumstances. A long-stay study application commonly includes:
- Signed and dated AVATS Application Summary Form
- Current passport and copies of previous passports where requested
- Two recent passport photographs meeting the stated rules
- Signed application letter explaining the study plan
- Full details and original letters for any previous visa refusals
- Certified translations for documents not in English or Irish
Course and supporting evidence
Your documents must clearly support why, where and how you will study in Ireland.
- Emerald acceptance letter with course and tuition details
- Evidence of the required course-fee payment
- Evidence of academic and English-language ability
- Financial documents for the applicable study route
- Private medical or travel insurance evidence
- Accommodation information and any additional requested evidence
Check the official list line by line
- Use original documents unless the official page specifically allows copies
- Use full certified translations where required
- Make names, dates, course details and financial information consistent
- Never submit false, altered or misleading information
Emerald Documents
Acceptance, payment and application support
Acceptance and fee confirmation
Emerald issues visa-supporting course documentation after the required payment has been received and confirmed in accordance with the booking terms.
- Follow the payment method stated on your Emerald invoice
- Keep all transfer and payment receipts
- Check that the course dates and fees are correct
- Contact Admissions promptly if the visa decision is delayed
Original copies and delivery
If your application office requires original Emerald documents, ask Admissions which delivery options are currently available.
- Standard post or courier options may be available
- Confirm the current courier charge before requesting delivery
- Allow enough time for international delivery
- Check the document immediately after receiving it
Visa Decisions
What to do while waiting and after the result
While the application is pending
Monitor the decision channel for your application office and respond quickly if further documents are requested.
- Processing times are estimates, not guarantees
- Do not make non-refundable travel arrangements
- Tell Emerald if the decision affects your start date
If the visa is approved
Check the visa label as soon as your passport is returned and prepare the documents you will carry to border control.
- Confirm your name, dates and visa type
- Keep copies of the application and acceptance letter
- Arrange the required insurance before travelling
If the visa is refused
Keep the refusal letter. It explains the reasons and whether an appeal or new application route is available for your category.
- Send written refusal evidence to Emerald
- Request any refund under the terms applying to your booking
- An administrative deduction may apply under ECI terms
- Confirm the current administrative deduction in the terms applying to your booking
Travel & Arrival
A visa is permission to travel—not automatic entry
At border control
An immigration officer decides whether to grant entry. Carry the documents needed to explain and support your study plan.
- Valid passport and Irish visa, where required
- AVATS summary and application letter copies
- Emerald course and acceptance documentation
- Accommodation, finance and insurance evidence
- Return or onward travel information where applicable
For stays longer than 90 days
After arrival, non-EEA students intending to remain for more than 90 days must register the immigration permission granted for their study.
- Begin the first-registration process promptly
- Use the current ISD Customer Service Portal instructions
- Prepare the Stamp 2 documents required for your course
- Keep your Irish Residence Permit safe after it is issued
Extending Your Studies
Renew the permission—not the entry visa
For students already in Ireland, extending study normally involves a course extension and renewal of immigration registration before the current permission expires.
Arrange the Emerald extension
Contact Emerald before the current course ends so there is enough time to confirm availability, fees and the next acceptance letter.
- Begin at least two weeks before the course ends
- Confirm the new course dates and timetable
- Pay the required extension fees
- Keep the updated Emerald acceptance documentation
Maintain the study conditions
Renewal depends on meeting the conditions of the existing permission and preparing the current supporting documents.
- Maintain at least 85% class attendance
- Sit the recognised end-of-programme examination
- Keep valid private medical insurance
- Retain proof of fees, attendance and exam results
Key Conditions
The full-time English-language study framework
For Stamp 2 student permission, the programme must be full-time, daytime and listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP). The summary below reflects current Immigration Service Delivery guidance.
25 weeks
Minimum course length
A qualifying full-time English-language programme must run for at least 25 weeks.
15 hours
Class time each week
At least 15 hours of classroom tuition per week, excluding breaks.
85%
Minimum attendance
Attendance is recorded and must reach at least the official minimum.
8 months
Permission per programme
Up to three qualifying English-language permissions, for two years in total.
Protection for enrolled learners
Eligible providers must maintain learner-protection arrangements. Your acceptance letter should state the protection that applies, and you should receive the relevant certificate or policy details where insurance is used.
First Registration
Register your permission after arrival
Non-EEA students intending to remain in Ireland for more than 90 days must register their immigration permission. First-time registration requires an advance appointment through the ISD Customer Service Portal.
Prepare the core documents
Use the exact current checklist for your permission. A first-time Stamp 2 English-language registration normally requires:
- The biometric page of your valid passport
- A school letter dated after the course begins, confirming full-time ILEP enrolment
- Proof that course fees have been paid
- Medical or travel insurance meeting the first-registration requirements
- Financial evidence where the official rules require it
Book and attend the appointment
Create or use your ISD Customer Service Portal account, book the correct first-registration service, and follow the appointment instructions supplied by ISD.
- Do not rely on legacy registration booking instructions
- Bring the originals or evidence specified for your appointment
- The current registration fee is €300 where applicable
- Keep your appointment confirmation and registration documents
Attendance, Holidays & Leave
Protect your attendance record
Attendance and punctuality
Attendance is compulsory and recorded for every class. Under ECI policy, arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early may be recorded as an absence.
- Maintain at least 85% attendance
- Respond promptly to any attendance warning
- Uncertified absence can affect your official record
- Providers must report 25% or more uncertified absence in the first six weeks to ISD
Planned holidays
Holiday arrangements must be included in your written course timetable. Request any permitted holiday through Emerald before making travel plans.
- Do not take holidays before starting the programme
- Holidays cannot exceed one third of the weeks already studied
- Apply through ECI at least two weeks in advance
- Unscheduled study breaks are not normally permitted
Sick or emergency leave
Contact Emerald as soon as possible if illness or a serious personal or family emergency prevents attendance.
- Medical certification may be required for illness
- Missed lessons cannot normally be recovered
- Emergency arrangements must be agreed with Emerald
- Keep written evidence and school confirmations
If you will be absent, contact Emerald immediately
Insurance & Learner Protection
Keep valid cover for your entire stay
Private medical insurance
All non-EEA students must hold valid medical insurance and show evidence when registering. The required evidence differs between first registration and renewal.
- The policy must be in your name and cover the relevant dates
- It must cover accidents, medical incidents and hospital stays
- Travel insurance may satisfy first-registration rules if it meets the stated cover
- Travel insurance alone is not sufficient for renewal
Learner protection
Learner protection applies if an eligible programme ends prematurely. Your acceptance letter must explain the arrangement that covers you.
- Keep your acceptance letter and protection certificate
- Check the insurer or academic bond contact details
- Read the claim or transfer instructions before you need them
- Ask Emerald if your certificate has not arrived
Renewal & Examination
Prepare before your permission expires
Renewing Stamp 2
For another qualifying English-language permission, ISD currently asks for evidence that you met the conditions of the previous programme.
- Current passport and both sides of the current IRP card
- School enrolment letter for the new qualifying programme
- At least 85% attendance on the previous course
- Proof of fees paid and maintained private medical insurance
- Results from the recognised end-of-programme exam
Recognised examination
Full-time English-language students must sit a recognised examination at the end of the programme. Proof of the result is required when applying for further student permission.
- Confirm the available exam options with Emerald
- Pay any published exam charge before the stated deadline
- Keep your result and school documentation
- Do not rely on old exam prices shown on archived pages
Working While Studying
Your stamp conditions decide whether you may work
Check the conditions on your current Irish Residence Permit before accepting work. Employment must remain secondary to your studies and must not interfere with attendance.
Stamp 2
Stamp 2 normally allows limited casual employment alongside qualifying full-time study.
- Up to 20 hours per week during term time
- Up to 40 hours per week during June–September
- Up to 40 hours per week from 15 December–15 January
- Business, trade and self-employment are not permitted
Stamp 2A
Stamp 2A does not permit employment, self-employment, business, trade or professional work.
- Do not accept paid work on Stamp 2A
- Check the exact wording on your current permission
- Contact Student Welfare if you need help finding official guidance
You need a PPS Number for payroll
Apply through the current MyWelfare process and register your first job with Revenue as soon as possible to avoid Emergency Tax. Emerald can provide supporting student documentation where required.
Evidence of Finances
Show that you can support your stay
The amounts below reflect the finance rules effective from 30 June 2025. Always check ISD immediately before a visa application or registration because amounts and accepted evidence can change.
€833
Monthly requirement
For courses resulting in residence of eight months or less.
€6,665
Eight-month total
The current maximum total for a course resulting in residence of eight months or less.
Visa status
When funds are checked
Visa-required students are normally checked during the visa process; non-visa-required students may be checked after arrival.
When and how evidence is checked
- Visa-required students normally demonstrate finances during the visa process
- Non-visa-required students must demonstrate finances after arrival when required
- Evidence must be current, verifiable and connected to the student or documented sponsor
- Use the official finance page for the complete accepted-evidence rules
Emerald will support you through the process
Students receive an immigration orientation after arrival. Ask Student Welfare for school documents or help finding the correct official service.
Need help with Emerald documentation?
Admissions can help with course, payment and Emerald-issued application documents. Immigration Service Delivery remains the authority for visa decisions and requirements.