Ireland Student Visa 2025: Requirements, Cost & Processing Time

An Ireland student visa is a primary requirement if you opt for studying in Ireland for a period exceeding 90 days of studies. Indian students, however, need to meet the policies outlined for non-EEA nationals to study in Ireland. This article contains all the necessary information about the Ireland student visa requirements, processing time, fee and more. 

International students belonging to non-European countries who wish to study in Ireland for more than 3 months are required to apply for an Ireland Student Visa. This is often termed as the long stay study visa in Ireland. Authorities suggest that any students who are non-EEA nationals must make sure that they abide by the policies for non-EEA students before applying for an Ireland Study Visa.

Only after being accepted by an Irish university can a student apply for the Ireland study visa, as their acceptance letter would be required during the visa application process. So, Indian students need to acquire a student visa to enter Ireland for the purpose of education. Read on to understand the entire application process for an Ireland student visa.

Related Reads:

Cost of Studying in Ireland	Top Universities & Colleges in Ireland
Exams Required to Study in Ireland	Timeline for September Intake to Study in Ireland

Ireland Student Visa Updates for Indian Students 2025

Starting June 30 2025, students who go for a course shorter than 8 months will have to show proof of an increased financial amount readily available to them per month for the entire period of their studies in Ireland.  

Ireland Student Visa Requirements

Non-EEA or non-Swiss national students need a certain set of documents to stay and study in Ireland. These are:

• A letter of enrolment (LoE) or letter of acceptance from their host country in Ireland
• Proof of payment of programme fee (at least €6,000 must be paid in advance, regardless of the amount of your academic tuition fee).
• An Ireland student visa (if their programme duration is longer than 3 months).  

Who Needs an Ireland Student Visa?

A student willing to pursue a degree programme in Ireland which is longer than 3 months in duration is required to have an Ireland Student Visa. The 6 types of major degree programmes available in Ireland for international students at different NFQ levels (for which a visa is required) are given below. 

• • NFQ Level 7 = Ordinary Bachelor Degree (3 years duration)
  • NFQ Level 8 = Honours Bachelor Degree (3-4 years duration)
  • NFQ Level 8 = Higher Diploma (1 year duration)
  • NFQ Level 9 = Postgraduate Diploma (1 year duration)
  • NFQ Level 9 = Master's Degree (1-2 years duration)
  • NFQ Level 10 = Doctoral Degree (approximately 4 years duration)

What can a Student do or not do on an Ireland Student Visa?

When on an Ireland student visa, international students can:

• Live and study a degree programme in Ireland for a maximum of 7 years only (except for a few longer courses like medicine).
• Students cannot come to study a part-time or distance-learning course in Ireland. 
• Students cannot enrol in a non-degree language course when on an Ireland study visa for a degree programme. However, students can opt to study a foundation course before their primary degree programme and the same must be mentioned on any visa application or leave to remain in Ireland. 

Also Read: Post Study Work Visa in Ireland for International Students

Ireland Student Visa Fees 2025

Candidates looking to apply for a long-stay D Study Visa in Ireland would be required to pay an Irish student visa fee of €60 for a single entry valid for 90 days and €100 for a long-stay D Visa with multiple entries. 

Applying for your Ireland Student Visa

Here are the application guidelines for your Ireland Study Visa:

• You must apply for an Ireland Study Visa at least 6 to 8 weeks before your date of travel to Ireland. We strongly advise you not to confirm your travel arrangements until you have received your visa.
• As mentioned earlier, candidates would be required to visit the official website of the Irish Immigration Service to create their online student visa application via AVATS.
• Visa applicants would be required to complete the online application form. Then print and sign the completed application form.
• Candidates would then be required to arrange their appointment with the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) and pay the Ireland Student Visa Application fee.
• Applicants would then be required to compile supporting documents and follow instructions on the summary application form generated by the system. The summary application sheet will also contain your application transaction number. This is important, as you will need it later.
• Once you have completed the payment and appointment booking process, the payment receipt and an appointment confirmation receipt will be sent to your email address. You must print the receipts and bring them with you to your appointment at VFS or the Embassy of Ireland.
• Wait for your visa outcome.

Note: Applicants should refrain from providing false or misleading information, as this would lead to the immediate termination of their visa application. In certain cases, the candidate could be banned from appealing the visa decision for a period of 5 years. Download: Ireland Student Visa Information.pdf 

For the benefit of our readers, we have provided a video guide on how to apply for your Ireland Student Visa below. 

Also, Read

• Universities offering MS in Business Analytics in Ireland
• January Intake in Ireland 2024: Universities, Deadlines, Application
• Top Master of Data Science Colleges in Ireland
• Top Colleges for International Business in Ireland

Documents Required for a Long-stay Ireland Student Visa

Applicants would be required to bring the following documents with them to the visa centre. These include: 

• Passport: Your current passport, along with a complete copy of all previous passports.
  • Your passport must stay valid for a period of at least 12 months from the date you plan your travel to Ireland.
  • You must include a photocopy of each page of all your previous passports, as failure to do so can increase your Ireland student visa processing times.
  • Whether or not you need to provide the biometric information depends specifically on your profile. Contact your application officer for confirmation on the same. 
• Passport-sized Photographs: Two coloured passport-sized photographs, not more than 6 months old, are required. You must:
  • Sign on the back of each photo - your name, in your own handwriting and language. 
  • Mention your unique Visa Application Transaction Number received from AVATS. 
• A signed letter and dated application form including your full contact details.
• An application letter containing your personal details, along with your reason for travelling to Ireland, your duration of stay and the course and university that you are going to attend during this period. 
• Evidence proving that you are enrolled on a privately funded course.
• Evidence accounting for any gaps in your educational history.
• Evidence of fees paid to the college.
• Evidence that vouches for your ability to follow your chosen course.
• Evidence of your proficiency in the Irish language or in English (often in the form of a TOEFL, IELTS or PTE test score).
• Evidence that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while studying in Ireland, which includes:
  • Applicants must show evidence that they have immediate access to at least €10,000 for each year of their studies in Ireland, along with their course fee for each of those years. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.
  • If the duration of the course is less than 8 months, then the applicant must have access to €833 per month of their stay or €6,665, whichever is the lesser.
• Private Medical Insurance:
  • If arranged by your college: A private medical insurance is mandatory for international students in Ireland. In most cases, your college or university in Ireland helps arrange it. The college must mention the details of it in its Letter of Acceptance.
  • If arranged on your own: A proof of a self-arranged private medical insurance should be provided at the time of an Ireland student visa application. 
• Previous Visa Refusals - if any information on previous visa refusals is not shared in your application, then the same might result in getting your application cancelled. 
• An agreement stating that the candidate intends to return to their home country upon finishing their course in Ireland.

Additional documentation for unaccompanied students under 18 years

• Birth certificate
• Consent of parent(s)/legal guardian
• Accommodation and vetting certificate
• No entitlement on the part of other family members to accompany or join the student in the State

All supporting documents must be original documents and in English, or accompanied by a notarised translation. The supporting documents that you submit are important because they provide information about your personal circumstances.

Check here the Ireland Student Visa Documents Checklist for the year 2025. 

Also, Read

Missing Documents or Copies

The visa application centre will not accept your application if you are missing one or more of the documents listed above. In such an event, the visa application centre will highlight the missing documents to you and will give you the opportunity to provide the missing documents on the same day. If you choose not to do so you can reschedule your appointment or cancel your application.

If your application is missing documents, other than the documents listed above i.e. common supporting documents, the visa application centre will highlight the missing documents to you before accepting your supporting documents and will give you the opportunity to:

• Provide the missing documents the same day before progressing with your application,
• Proceed with your application on the condition that you sign a confirmation that the omission was highlighted to you by the visa application centre,
• Reschedule or cancel your appointment

If you are missing copies of the original documents, the visa application centre will highlight this to you and give you the opportunity to provide the missing copies the same day. You will have the option of using the photocopying services available within the visa application centre at an additional cost or getting the photocopies done from elsewhere. Alternatively, you can reschedule or cancel your appointment.

Also, Read

• MBA in Ireland
• MS in Ireland

Attend Your Appointment

These are important to remember on your Ireland Student Visa application appointment date 

• On the day of your appointment, plan to arrive 15 minutes early at the visa application centre.
• Bring your documents with you.
• When you arrive at the visa application centre, you will receive a token. Wait until your token is called to make your application.
• Once the visa filing process is completed, you will be issued an acknowledgement receipt.

Ireland Student Visa Processing Time

The Ireland Student Visa processing time is variable, depending on the country you submit your application. Usually, the applicant would get an answer between four to eight weeks from the date on which his application is lodged at the Visa Office/Embassy/Consulate.

Students must note that the expected processing time is the number of working days from the date of application received at the Embassy to the date of decision in the Embassy. The processing time is exclusive of the time it takes to secure a VFS appointment, the time in which your documents reach the Embassy from the VFS or the time it takes to reach the applicant's home address after the decision. 

The first instance decision time for an Ireland study visa application processed at New Delhi is 40 working days. 

The Ireland visa decisions are posted every morning on the official site by 11 AM (IST).  

Ireland Student Visa Interview Preparation

Below is a video to help you prepare for your Irish student visa. 

Choose How You Want to Collect Your Documents

Choose whether you would prefer to collect your documents in person at the visa application centre or have them delivered to you by post.

Related reads

Also, read about student visas for study abroad and student visas for prominent international study destinations.