Ireland

⇑Universities

Higher education in Ireland is made up of universities, technological universities, institutes of technology and private colleges. The Higher Education Authority (HEA), which funds public institutions, lists:

• 7 universities – Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, University College Cork, University of Galway, University of Limerick and Maynooth University,
• 5 technological universities – Technological University Dublin, Atlantic TU, Munster TU, South East TU and TU Shannon: Midlands Midwest,
• other public institutions – including RCSI (medicine and health sciences), National College of Art and Design, Mary Immaculate College and Dundalk Institute of Technology.

There are also private independent colleges – their programmes are not always covered by free tuition, so check before you choose.

Universities in Ireland – profiles

⇑Study system

Degrees are linked to levels of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). At undergraduate level you will come across three levels:

• Level 6 – Higher Certificate – short vocational programmes,
• Level 7 – Ordinary Bachelor Degree,
• Level 8 – Honours Bachelor Degree – a full bachelor's degree that gives access to master's programmes.

After a bachelor's you can go on to a master's and then a doctorate (PhD). EU applicants apply for undergraduate programmes through the CAO; for master's and doctoral programmes you apply directly to the institution.

Minimum entry requirements differ for Level 8 and for Levels 6 and 7 – the CAO guidelines for EU/EFTA/UK school leaving certificates give the details.

Ireland – bachelor's programmes
Ireland – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Ireland – master's programmes
Ireland – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

For the first year of a bachelor's programme you apply through the CAO (Central Applications Office) – one application for all institutions. The 2026 timetable was:

• 5 November 2025 – online applications open,
• by 20 January 2026 – application at the reduced fee of €35,
• 1 February (17:00) – normal closing date,
• from 5 March – late applications,
• 5 May – 1 July – free Change of Mind (you can change your list of courses),
• offers: Round A on 6 July, Round Zero on 6 August, Round One on 26 August, further rounds until 29 September 2026.

Check the 2027 dates on cao.ie – they are similar every year. Institutions (e.g. UCD) ask you to send certified copies of your certificates with an English translation within 10 days of applying. Send your final exam results as soon as possible – results that arrive after 1 August may be too late for the first round of offers.

If you are from outside the EU/EEA, Education in Ireland advises you to contact the international office of your chosen institution first – it will tell you how to apply. Do it early: you need a letter of acceptance and proof that you have paid your fees before you can apply for a visa, and a decision can take around 8 weeks (see: Residence and formalities).

For a master's programme you apply directly to the institution.

⇑Entrance exams

Most programmes have no separate entrance exam – admission depends on CAO points calculated from your school leaving exam results. First you have to meet the minimum requirements (number and level of subjects); then the institution compares you with other EU applicants using the CAO equivalence tables. Some programmes have extra requirements – check them in the CAO Handbook for your chosen course.

⇑Language

Ireland's official languages are Irish and English, but almost all programmes are taught in English. Every applicant has to prove their English.

EU applicants usually do this with their English result in the school leaving exam – the minimum level is given in the CAO guidelines for EU certificates. If your exam is more than two years old or the institution asks for more, you can prove your English with a certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL.

For master's programmes and for applicants from outside the EU, institutions set their own requirements – you will find them on the programme page.

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don't need a visa or immigration permission – an ID card or passport is enough. Bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Students from outside the EU/EEA need permission to study (Stamp 2). If you are from a visa-required country, you apply for a long-term study visa online (AVATS) from your home country or country of residence, up to 3 months before you travel; a decision takes around 8 weeks. You will need, among other things, a letter of acceptance for a full-time course, proof that you have paid your fees (in full if they are under €6,000, otherwise at least €6,000), private medical insurance, a passport valid for at least 12 months and proof of access to €10,000 for a year of study (since 30 June 2025; €833 a month for stays of 6–8 months). If you don't need a visa, you show the same documents after arrival. All non-EU students who stay longer than 90 days must register their immigration permission after arrival – the fee is €300 – and receive an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card.

If you have lived outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK in recent years, check the residence condition of the Free Fees Initiative (see: Tuition fees).

⇑Tuition fees

Under the Free Fees Initiative the state pays your tuition at a public institution if:

• you are a citizen of the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK,
• you have lived in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your studies,
• you are starting your first full-time undergraduate programme lasting at least 2 years.

You do pay the Student Contribution – a charge for student services and exams. In 2026/27 it is at most €2,500, and students from families with an income of up to €120,000 pay no more than €2,000. Institutions also add their own charges (e.g. UCC – €207 in 2025/26).

Master's programmes are not covered by Free Fees – the institution sets the fee. Students from outside the EU pay tuition fees for every programme: usually around €9,850–25,500 a year for a bachelor's, and as much as €39,500–55,000 for medicine.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Ireland, and Dublin in particular, is expensive. Study in Europe estimates monthly costs in big cities such as Dublin at around €950–1,500 or more – including housing, food, transport and going out.

Housing is the biggest cost, so start looking as early as possible – ideally as soon as you get your offer. Ask your institution's accommodation office about campus residences, and also look at rooms in shared flats.

Don't count on a SUSI maintenance grant if you haven't lived in Ireland before – it is only for people who meet the Irish residence condition (see: Scholarships). Plan your own budget for the whole year. For non-EU students, the €10,000 required for immigration is a minimum, not a full budget.

⇑Scholarships

What you can count on:

• SUSI – the Irish student grant scheme. An EU citizen who has lived in the EU, but not in Ireland, for 3 of the last 5 years is treated as a "tuition student" – they can get a grant towards fees (including the Student Contribution), but not towards living costs. For 2026/27 the priority deadline for new applications passed on 9 July 2026; the final deadline is usually in November,
• Erasmus+ – a semester or a year in Ireland as part of an exchange with your home university,
• Erasmus Mundus – joint master's programmes run by several universities, with a chance of a scholarship,
• university and government scholarships – conditions differ from programme to programme; ask the institution directly.

⇑Working while studying

EU/EEA citizens can work in Ireland without restrictions, also while studying.

Students from outside the EU/EEA with Stamp 2 can work without an employment permit: up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week in June, July, August and September and from 15 December to 15 January.

English is the everyday language, so casual jobs are easier to find than in many other countries. Start with your institution's careers service.

Ireland – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Ireland – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Education in Ireland – the official portal for international students: institutions, admission, visas,
• CAO – central admissions for bachelor's programmes, courses and deadlines,
• Irish Immigration Service – coming to study in Ireland – visas, registration and Stamp 2 for students from outside the EU/EEA,
• HEA – Free Fees Initiative – conditions for free tuition,
• SUSI – student grants,
• Citizens Information – fees – tuition fees, Student Contribution and support,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.