Long Term Study Visa
You can apply for a study visa if you are planning to come to Ireland to undertake a course of study for more than 3 months.
You can apply for a study visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland.
If you are visiting another State before travelling to Ireland, you must have the relevant visa for that State in your passport before applying for an Irish visa.
How to apply
You must apply online for a visa.
-First, complete the online application process. The online system will then create a summary application form
-Follow the instructions on the summary application form. The summary form will contain information on how to submit your supporting documentation
-You must print, sign and date the summary form and submit it with your supporting documents.
How long will it take?
The Department of Justice process applications in date order and they ask you not to buy travel tickets before you know the outcome of your visa application.
Processing times can vary between countries and visa office, embassy or consulates. They can also vary during high volume periods during the year. Generally, you can expect a decision within 8 weeks from the date on which you lodge your application.
Your application may take longer:
-If you have not submitted all necessary supporting documentation
-If visa officer needs to verify your supporting documentation
-Because of your personal circumstances. For example, if you have a criminal conviction.
Visit the website of visa office, embassy or consulate that is handling your application. There you can check the processing times for applications.
Guide to supporting documentation
The documents below are important. They provide information about your personal circumstances in the country from which you are applying.
The onus is on you to meet the requirements that are necessary to enable a Visa Officer to grant a visa for the purpose sought.
The submission of documents does not guarantee that your application will be successful.
You must provide original documents.
If you submit a document that is not in English or Irish, you must also supply a full translation. Each translated document must contain:
-Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
-The date of the translation
-The translator’s full name and signature, and
-The translator’s contact details.
Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State outside of the EEA or Switzerland, must be attested/apostilled as genuine by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the State that issued the document, in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Such documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary. Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State within the EEA or Switzerland do not require to be attested as genuine from Member States. A translation of these documents is not required where a multilingual standard form (MSF) is also provided. Such MSF forms are available from Member States on request. If an MSF is not provided by you then those documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes.
Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Extract of a European marriage certificate will also be accepted, issued in accordance with the “Convention on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records“, as proof of a marriage within the EEA or Switzerland. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations.
All letters submitted by a business, company or other organisation should be on official headed paper. They must also provide full contact details so that visa officer can verify them. These must include:
-A full postal address
-Name of contact
-Their position in the organisation
-Telephone number (landline)
-Website, and
-Email address – Please note that email addresses such as Yahoo or Hotmail are not accepted.
The Visa Officer will consider each application on its own merits. They may also request further information or documentation.
