Student Visa for Ireland: Stamp 2, the €10,000 Rule and Registration

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Ireland is not in the Schengen Area: it runs its own visa system, and a Schengen visa does not let you in. This guide covers the rules for degree students published by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) as of October 2026.

Who needs what

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa and do not register with immigration. To stay over three months as a student you must be enrolled, able to support yourself and have comprehensive health insurance.
UK citizens live, work and study freely under the Common Travel Area.
Everyone else needs permission to study, called Stamp 2, and must register it after arrival.

Whether you also need a visa depends on your nationality (full list in the sources below):

Visa-required: for example India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, South Africa and Vietnam. You apply for a long stay "D" study visa before you travel.
Not visa-required: for example the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Japan and South Korea. You show your documents at the border.

What every non-EU student needs

A place on a full-time course listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP). Check that your course is on it before you pay anything.
Fees paid: the full fee if it is under €6,000, otherwise at least €6,000, before you apply for the visa or register.
Money for living costs: immediate access to at least €10,000 for a course of more than eight months, on top of your fees. You must also show access to €10,000 for each later year. Degree students can use an education bond of at least €10,000 instead of bank statements.
Private medical insurance covering accident, illness and hospital stays.

Applying for the visa

Apply online through AVATS up to three months before you travel, from your home country or country of legal residence.
Print and sign the summary form. It tells you where to send your documents and how to pay.
Pay the fee: €60 for a single-entry visa or €100 for multiple entry. Some nationalities are exempt.
Send your passport and original documents. If you send them to the Dublin Visa Office, they must arrive within 30 days of the online application.

Key documents: a passport valid for 12 months after arrival, a letter of acceptance showing fees due and paid, six months of bank statements, the summary of finances form, your exam results, proof of English, insurance, and a letter explaining why you want to study in Ireland and any gaps in your education. Documents not in English or Irish need a full certified translation.

ISD says to expect a decision in about 8 weeks. Do not buy tickets before then. A refusal can be appealed within two months, free of charge.

Health insurance

Your college may include you in a group scheme; otherwise you buy cover yourself. For the first registration, travel insurance may be accepted if it covers the whole year, at least €25,000 for accident and €25,000 for illness, and hospital stays. From the first renewal, travel insurance is not enough. See health insurance for students.

After you arrive

At the airport you get a landing stamp telling you to register within 90 days.
Start your course, then book your first registration on the ISD online portal. First-time appointments are at the Burgh Quay office in Dublin, usually within two to three weeks.
Bring your passport, a college letter dated on or after the course start, proof of fees paid, your insurance policy and proof of address. If you did not need a visa, also bring proof that you had access to €10,000 when you arrived.
Pay €300 by card. Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card arrives by post. Carry it at all times and tell ISD if you move.

Working and renewing

With Stamp 2 you may work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week in June to September and from 15 December to 15 January. See working while studying in Europe.

You renew online in the last 12 weeks of your permission, with proof of enrolment, exam results, fees paid and private medical insurance.

After graduation

The Third Level Graduate Programme gives graduates with an Irish honours bachelor's degree (level 8) a 12-month Stamp 1G permission to look for work. You must apply within six months of being told you passed, and student and graduate permission together cannot exceed seven years.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.