IRELAND

The Republic of Ireland do not have an Au Pair Programme. However, many students come to study in Ireland and become Au Pairs.

Travelling to Ireland to Study

Citizens of certain countries who wish to pursue a course of study in Ireland must apply for a visa to enter Ireland before they travel. Students from the EU/EEA do not require a student visa to study in Ireland.

If you would like to study in Ireland and require a visa, you need to present the following to your nearest Irish embassy or consulate with your visa application.

• Copies of your educational qualifications
• Letter of acceptance from a recognised school/college/university in Ireland confirming that you have been accepted on a course of study. This course of study must be full-time (lasting an academic year) an have a minimum of 15 hours per week study time.
• Evidence that the fees for the course have been paid in full
• Evidence that you have enough funds to maintain yourself for at least part of your stay.

Access to Employment while in Ireland on a Student Visa

Citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA (that is 25 EU member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) who are registered as full-time students with Garda National Immigration Bureau are permitted to work part-time in Ireland (up to a miaximum of 20 hours per week and full-time during vacation periods) to support themselves. For more information on employment rights of part-time workers in Ireland Click Here.

From the 18th April 2005 new students given permission to remain in Ireland for study will not be given permission to work unless they are attending a full-time course of at least a year leading to a recognised qualification (recognised qualifications include those issued by the Dublin Institute of Technology, the Universities, FETAC and HETAC). This change will not affect students who have permission to remain on the 18th April 2005. These students can continue to work part-time and study in Ireland for the remaining period of their visa. (See renewal of visas' below).

The Department of Education and Science has compiled a 'Register of Programmes Recognised by the Minister for Education and Science for purposes of student access to employment'. The Register of Programmes is divided into two parts:

1. Programmes in a range of disciplines offered to students in third level and further education colleges that lead to qualifications validated under the National Framework of Qualifications or a similar awarding body in another jurisdiction or qualifications validated by a professional body with a basis of Irish law.
2. English language programmes that are approved by the department of Education on the basis of the Advisory Council for English Language Schools (ACELS) inspection scheme.

Full-time courses are courses of at least one year’s duration. The academic year is considered to be 25 weeks (rather than 52) so courses of this length will qualify for inclusion on the register.

Renewal of Student Visas

From January 1^st 2005 students who are not on full-time courses of at least a year leading to a recognised qualification will only be allowed to extend their study visas when the total period of permissions granted (and requested) is no longer than 18 months in total.  If the student had permission to remain before 1^st. January 2005 this 18-month period is calculated from 1^st January 2005.

Extending a Student Visa

If you wish to study in Ireland for less than three months you should apply for a ‘C study visa’.  If your course lasts longer than three months, you should apply for ‘D study visa’.

If you hold a ‘C study visa’ and wish to extend the period of your stay in Ireland, you should visit your local Garda station (police station) and present yourself to the Registration Officer for the area where you live. (The Registration Officer for the area will be a member of An Garda Siochana (the Irish police force).  You may be also be requested to apply in writing for your visa extension to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Generally speaking, the duration of a ‘C study visa’ (that is, a three months visa for study in Ireland) is not extended once you have arrived in Ireland.    Extensions will be granted in exceptional cases only.  It’s very important therefore to make sure you know the duration of your course before you apply for a visa.  Further information on how to apply to extend a student visa is under ‘How to apply’ below.

Visa Rules

People who do not require visas to visit Ireland

You do not require a visa to visit Ireland if you a citizen of an EU/EEA member state

You do not need a visa to visit Ireland if you are from one of the countries listed below.

You require a visa if you are from a country not listed below.

• Andorra, Antigua, Argentina, Australia,
• Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei,
• Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia,
• Dominica,
• El Salvador,
• Fiji,
• Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana,
• Honduras, Hong Kong*,
• Iceland, Isreal,
• Japan,
• Kiribati,
• Lesotho, Liechtenstein,
• Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Macau, Maldives,
• Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway,
• Panama,
• Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Switzerland,
• Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvala,
• United States of America, Uruguay,
• Vanuata, Vatican City, Venezuela,
• Western Samoa.

Travellers from Hong Kong

If you have a Hong Kong Certificate of Identity, you will need and entry visa if you want to travel to Ireland.  You do not need an entry visa if you hold a British Hong Kong passport and have a right of abode in Great Britain.

If you have a British Hong Kong passport but have a right of abode in Hong Kong only, you will not need an entry visa but will be subject to full foreign national controls relating to registration, permission to remain, work permits, etc.

Travellers from British Dependent Territories (Colonies)

You do not require a visa if you are from British Dependent Territories (Colonies), which are:

• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Antarctic Territory (South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands)
• British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago, Peros Banos, Diego Garcia, Danger Island)
• Caymen Islands
• Falkland Islands and Dependencies
• Gibraltar
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn (Henderson, Ducie and Oneno Islands)
• St. Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island, Tristan Da Cunha)
• The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Turks and Caicos Island
• British Virgin Islands.

If I don’t need an entry visa to enter Ireland, do I need a student visa to study?

No. If you do not require an entry visa to enter Ireland (that is, if you are from a country listed in the list above), you do not require a student visa to study in Ireland.  However, you should have all your documentation relating to your studies on your person when coming through immigration.  In other words, you should have your letter of offer of a place at the school, or educational institution ready for inspection at immigration.

You must also bring this documentation to the immigration office in your nearest Garda (police) Station in order to have your passport stamped.  If you will be studying in Dublin, you must bring this to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (see ’Where to apply’ below) when you come to have your passport passed.

Visa Rates

Standard non-refundable visa application processing fees are:

Single-journey visa: 60 euro

Multiple-journey visa: 100 euro

Certain applicants are not required to pay a fee. They include non-EU Spouses of EU citizens and nationals of the countries listed below: 

• Bosnia
• Bulgaria
• Ecuador
• Indonesia
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Kirghizstan
• Morocco
• Peru
• Sri Lanka
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Uganda
• Serbia and Montenegro
• Zambia

How to apply

Send your application for a student visa to the Irish Embassy or Consulate in or accredited to the country in which you normally live.  If there is no Irish Embassy or Consulate in your country, send you visa application to your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate or the Visa Office, Department of Foreign Affairs, 13 – 14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 Republic of Ireland.

 Extending a Student Visa for Ireland

The police registration officer in the area in Ireland where you live can advise you on any application forms you will need to complete to extend your student visa. Your application to extend your visa should contain the following information:

• Details of and proof of payment of course/study fees
• Details of the course of study
• Information on where you will live
• Evidence that you are self-sufficient
• Copy of your passport with your original study visa
• Visa reference number and your nationality
• Details of attendance if this is a further education course.

Where to apply

Your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate or:

Visa Office

Department of Foreign Affairs,

13 – 14 Burgh Quay,

Dublin 2

Republic of Ireland.

Tel: (01) 6331000, intl: +353 1 6331000 (Monday – Friday 2:30p.m. – 4:00p.m.)

E-mail: visa@iveagh.gov.ie

Garda National Immigration Bureau,

13/14 Burgh Quay,

Dublin 2

Tel: (01) 6669100, from abroad: +00 353 1 6669100