Ireland student visa for Indian students: All you need to know

Ireland is quickly becoming a popular destination for Indian students. With a few thousand students from India studying there every year¹, Ireland can be a good option for further studies. Read on to learn more about how to get an Irish student visa and what you can expect from the process.

📝 Table of contents
Application Process Visa requirements Student visa checklist Application fees

There are many factors that contribute to a successful student visa application. So while this guide can shed light on the process, it is in no way a substitute for professional advice or guidance. It is recommended to consult the Irish embassy directly or an immigraiton professional for your specific migration needs.

🎓 Ireland student visa application

If you are looking to study in Ireland for 3 months or more, you will need a study visa to enter the country. This is for all programs including:

• Semester exchanges at an Irish university
• English or Irish language programs
• Undergraduate degrees
• Master degrees
• National diplomas
• PhDs

But before that, you will need to first be accepted and confirmed to enroll in an Irish educational institution. If you haven’t applied to a school or university in Ireland and gained admission, you are not eligible to apply for a Irish student visa.

Once you have confirmed your acceptance, you can start on the student visa process. It is advised to begin your Irish student visa application 3 months in advance of your start date in Ireland.

There are 2 main types of visas you can get to study in Ireland in general.

If you are looking to study in the country for less than 3 months and then return home, you can get a Visit Visa, also called a “C” visa. This can be for a language course or short term study course.

If you are looking to complete an undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD degree, then you will specifically need the “D” Visa, or Study Visa. This allows for full time academic coursework from theInterim List of Eligible Programmes at an National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) approved institution for international students.

In both visa cases, you will need to apply and be accepted into an approved program in Ireland before applying for the visa.²

For now, let’s focus on the official Irish long term student visa.

The Irish student visa application must be completed online through the immigration authorities website. Upon completing the online application, Indian students will be notified of additional documents and registration requirements.

✋ All Indian students will be required to submit their fingerprints as biometric information. Failure to complete the biometric registration will cause your application to be incomplete.

The biometric information can be gathered from your nearest VFS Global location in India. VFS GLobal handles all the visa biometric processing and registration for Ireland in the country.³

Additionally, Indian students will be required to submit a Police Character Certificate and a Supplementary Student Application form alongside their application. But more on documents you need in the next section.

What can you do on a student visa for Ireland? Here is a quick do’s and don’ts for an Irish student visa:

Do’s ✅	Don’ts ❌
Study in Ireland at a full time academic degree program	Stay more than the term on your visa or 7 years, whichever is less
Show proof that you have paid your academic tuition fees	Try to enter Ireland without paying your academic tuition fees in advance
Sign up for private medical insurance, typically with the school or university	Enroll in a part time course or distance learning course in Ireland to qualify for a student visa
Check your school or university’s conditions for working during your program	Take on employment without checking if it is permissible with your visa
Submit truthful and accurate information and documents with your application and complete all additional requirements.	Submit inaccurate or false documents or information with your application. You can get banned from an Irish visa for up to 5 years
Be enrolled in a program that is on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes	Bring family members with you for your study program

📝 Ireland student visa process

Here is a quick step by step guide on navigating the Ireland student visa process⁴:

1. Apply, gain acceptance and pay the tuition fees for a qualified program in Ireland
2. Check you meet the financial requirements
3. Gather all your documents and ensure your passport is valid
4. Apply for a “D” visa, or long-term study visa, using the online application; or for short stays, the “C” visa
5. Pay the application fee
6. Submit your application online and receive further instructions for Indian students
7. Complete the Supplementary Student Application form
8. Make an appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) VFS Global for biometric registration and passport submission
9. Track your application online and await approval

The Irish government advises that all Indian students use the VFS Global Check and Verify Service. Indian applicants will find the VFS Global Check and Verify Service as an add-on when they make their biometric appointment and payment.

This service allows for VFS Global to verify your documents and check for authenticity to ensure your application has been submitted correctly. Not doing the Check and Verify Service can result in refusal of your application.⁵

VFS Global has offices across India and you can set up an appointment at the one closest to you. Here are where they are located in the country⁶:

• Delhi
• Mumbai
• Chandigarh
• Jalandhar
• Mumbai
• Pune
• Ahmedabad
• Goa
• Chennai
• Bangalore
• Hyderabad
• Cochin
• Kolkata

🔎 Ireland student visa requirements for Indian students

Ireland has clear rules, eligibility requirements and documents that applicants from India will require. Let's take a look.

🏦 Ireland student visa financial requirements

One of the biggest criteria for approving an Irish student visa application is to show imimgration authorities that you have enough money to support your tuition and living expenses during your stay.

You must be able to show that you have immediate access to at least €7,000/ ₹6,23,753* through supporting documentation with your application. This is the minimum estimate for living expenses for 1 academic year.

For every additional year of your program, you need to demonstrate you have easy and ready access to at least €7,000 per year. If your program is 6 months or less, you must show access to either €500 per month of your stay or €3,000.⁷

Here is what the financial requirement looks like in Indian rupees:

Amount to show for	Euros	Indian Rupees
1 academic year	€7,000	₹6,22,625
Each additional year	€7,000	₹6,22,625
6 month program	€3,000	₹2,66,839
Less than 6 months but greater than 3 months	€500 per month	₹44,473 per month

*All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of AUD $1 = ₹88.95 as of May 24, 2021

To show evidence of meeting the financial requirement criteria, you can show:

• Official bank statements for the past 6 months
• A deposit statement plus a letter from the bank stating you can immediate access to the funds
• Student loan documentation or the sale of a large asset, but documentation of the sources of funds must be provided

If a family member is going to be supporting your expenses, they are considered a sponsor. You will need to show evidence of your relationship through either a birth certificate or records or marriage certificate. For sponsors, they can submit:

• Bank statements for the past 6 months
• Employment record showing ongoing income plus 3 recent payslips from an employer OR a certificate of business ownership
• A deposit statement plus a letter from the bank stating the sponsor and you have immediate access to the funds
• Fixed deposit statements with evidence of the source of funds
• Evidence for any large sale or income to fund the financial requirement

🚫 A credit line or credit card is not an acceptable form of evidence to meet the financial requirement.

📋 Documents required for Ireland student visa

Here are the documents required to support your application for a Ireland student visa. Certain additional items are required for Indian students, such as the Supplementary Student Application form and the Police Character Certificate⁸:

• The letter of acceptance from the Irish school or university, outlining the details of your program
• Evidence of having paid your tuition to the Irish program you have been accepted in.
• Your academic qualifications and completion certificates in India
• Evidence or support of any gaps in your education
• English language test result if necessary
• Evidence of meeting the financial requirements
• A completed Supplementary application form, including the statement of purpose
• Police Character Certificate
• Any employment history documentation if applicable

The Supplementary Application Form will need to be fully completed and submitted to the VAC.

Depending on your application, you may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your application.

As part of the process, the Ireland student visa application requires evidence of payment towards the tuition of the accepting Irish school or university. For your application to be successfully reviewed, you must show⁹:

You have paid at least** €6,000/ ₹5,33,679*** towards tuition fees if your total fees are €12,000 or less

OR

If your tuition fees are more than €12,000/ ₹10,67,357 you must pay at least 50% of your total tuition amount

*All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of AUD $1 = ₹88.95 as of May 24, 2021

⌛ Ireland student visa processing time

As of May 24, 2021, the student visa application processing time in India is 15 days to 3 weeks upon receiving a fully completed application.¹⁰

it is advisable to not purchase any flight or travel tickets to Ireland until your visa has been successfully issued.

✔ Ireland student visa checklist

Got everything you need? You can double check against this quick checklist, but of course stay updated with the latest information on the Ireland Embassy in Indiawebsite.

• A valid passport that will be valid for at least 12 months before your arrival date in Ireland
• 2 color passport size photos with your name and visa application reference number on the back
• Signed colored copy of your application (to submit to the VAC)
• The letter of acceptance from the Irish school or university, outlining the details of your program
• Evidence of having paid your tuition to the Irish program you have been accepted in.
• Your academic qualifications and completion certificates in India
• Evidence or support of any gaps in your education
• English language test result if necessary
• Evidence of meeting the financial requirements
• A completed Supplementary application form, including the statement of purpose to submit to the VAC
• Police Character Certificate
• Any employment history documentation if applicable
• Evidence of payment of the visa application fee
• Payment of the VFS global processing fee

Ireland student visa fees

There are 2 main fees for an Ireland student visa:

• Application fee
• VFS service fee

For the application fee, it depends on what type of long-stay student visa you prefer¹¹:

• €60 for one time entry student visa (you will not go back and forth between India and Ireland)
• €100 for multi entry student visa

The Visa Application Centre, VFS Global, has their own processing service fee¹²:

• ₹3,380

Ireland student visa fees in Indian Rupees

So if you are an Indian student applying to study in Ireland, here is what you can expect to pay for the application process. But note, you may have to pay additional fees or costs as part of your application if required.

	Ireland - Euros	Indian Rupees
Visa fee- single entry	€60	₹5,300
Visa fee- multiple entry	€100	₹9,000
VFS Global service fee	€38	₹3,380
Total	€198	₹17,680

This is in addition to showing evidence of having the financial requirements in your bank accounts.

All fees are non-refundable, so even if your application is refused a study visa you will not receive the fees back.

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**Sources **

1. Indian students in Ireland
2. Study in Ireland
3. Biometric registration
4. Visa application process
5. VFS Global check & verify service
6. VFS Global offices
7. Financial requirements
8. Documents required
9. Tuition payment
10. Processing time
11. Application fee
12. VFS Global fee in India