September Intake in Ireland in 2026: Deadlines & Universities

There are two major intakes in Ireland, i.e. the September intake and the February intake, commonly called the autumn/fall intake and spring intake, respectively. The September intake in Ireland is the main (major) intake in Ireland. A majority of courses, scholarships and colleges/universities are available during this intake, and to get a course and university of your choice, you must submit your application as early as you can. The availability of all the scholarships and courses in this intake makes it highly competitive.

Students planning to target the September intake in Ireland get almost a year for preparation. If you are an Indian student planning to move to Ireland for your higher education, then here is a student guide to study in Ireland in 2026 for you. This article covers all the information you need about the September intake in Ireland 2026. 

Ireland September Intake Timeline 2026

Below is the timeline for the September 2026 intake in Ireland:

Preparing for Ireland's September Intake 2027

Now, as we're nearing the September 2026 intake, it's better for students who couldn't make it this year to start preparing for the September 2027 intake in Ireland. Here are the steps to be followed (as per months) to get admitted to an Irish university in the September 2027 intake: 

• Start looking for universities from September 2026 to October 2026, and shortlist 8-12 universities that you would like to apply to.
  • Visit university websites, visit your preferred course's page and note the specific application and documentation requirements, deadlines, key learnings, etc.
  • You can also familiarise yourself with bank loan options and scholarships during this time.
  • Also, contact your professors and direct managers for the required 2-3 reference letters (LORs) at least a month before your application deadline.
  • Begin drafting your SOP and essays. Give a month’s time to structure these documents properly.
• From October 2026 to November 2026, start working on individual college admission forms (for both UG and PG courses). 
  • Do some initial research on various accommodation options in Ireland. At this time, you can also research how much it does cost to live in Ireland as an international student.
  • Prepare for required standardised tests like GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS or PTE - depending on the course and university.
    
    • Take the required tests around September, which includes the buffer time that you might need to retake the test. Check test-taking and retake processes and guidelines thoroughly.
• By December 2026, you will start getting decisions (along with conditional or unconditional offers) on your college applications, and you will be required to select the best offer for you, or the offers from the best Irish universities. Shortlist the colleges and prepare for your application. Think hard about what makes you unique as an applicant and sketch out your strengths and self-assessment.
• By Jan 2027, you must pay your fee deposit towards the university you want to study at. The deposit amount may cost up to EUR 1000, depending on your course fee and college conditions. 
• From February 2027 onwards, you must start your application for the education loan to study in Ireland. Alongside this, you must also work on fulfilling the conditions mentioned in your conditional offer letter provided by the university. This may include getting satisfactory scores on the English exams, if you have not already taken the exam.
• In March 2027, start applying for the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
• In April 2027, try to get your loan sanction letter and pay half of your tuition fee towards your university.
• By May 2027, you must collect all your documents required for the Ireland student visa and start applying for it. Keep in mind the time taken for visa processing! 
• As soon as you get your visa approved, book your flight tickets as per your course start date, collect all the documents and their photocopies to take along (tip: do check out the pre-departure checklist!) and complete all your travel arrangements. 

Note: Don’t delay replying to college emails anytime during the application process. And there will be quite a few!

Top Irish Universities Participating in September Intake

As we know, all of the universities and colleges participate in the major intake of Ireland, i.e., the September intake. Here are the top 5 universities in Ireland that most students look up to:

This was all about the September intake in Ireland 2026. In case you still have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below. 

You may also read further about the January Intake in Ireland.

FAQs on September Intake in Ireland