Visa & Medical Insurance

Visa Information

Most international students need to apply for a study visa before arriving to study in Ireland.  The visa permits you to pursue a full-time educational course for longer than three months in Ireland.   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.  Check out the Irish Government guide at this link.  We will ask for visa-related information at the application stage to help advise you about if and how to secure the visa to study our programme. Contact us if you need to clarify anything about applying for the correct visa to come to study in Ireland. Students should also contact their local Irish Embassy for information. The College cannot give any guarantees for successful visa applications. To apply, you will need:

• Application Summary document

• Application letter

• Two colour passport sized photograph not more than 6 months old

• A valid passport.

• Evidence that you have enrolled on a privately funded course.

• Evidence accounting for any gaps in your educational history.

• Evidence of fee payment to college

• Evidence that you have the academic ability to follow your chosen course.

• Evidence of your level of English.

• Finances

• Private Medical Insurance.

• Previous Visa Refusals.

• Summary of finances for study visa application.

For financial requirements, students must show they have sufficient funds to support their stay in Ireland without recourse to public funds, or the reliance on casual employment. 10,000 euros per year of study is needed for visa application purposes with specific evidence required to be provided as proof of funds. Full details can be found from the Irish Immigration website here.

All non-Irish nationals, who are not citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, must register in person with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) after arrival and after completion of registration at your education institution. The GNIB will issue you with a residence permit/GNIB card. The fee for this card is €300 and must be paid by credit card, laser card or bank giro to the Irish Immigration authorities. If the immigration officers at Border Control decide to allow you entrance into Ireland, your passport will be stamped. The stamp states clearly the number of days, months or years you are allowed to stay in Ireland. You must register for an Ireland residence permit with the GNIB before those days run out. You will also receive the Ireland Stamp 2, which is the stamp awarded to full-time international students. This allows you to work in casual employment for 20 hours a week during term time and 40 hours a week in approved holiday times.

To comply with the Irish Immigration regulations, you must attend a minimum of 85% of all classes to maintain visa compliance. Attendance is recorded for every class and is monitored regularly. Poor attendance is a serious issue and will be followed up immediately. If not addressed, it can lead to warnings up to and including expulsion from the programme. See the UniHaven Attendance Monitoring Policy for full details.

Medical Insurance 

You are required to have medical insurance for the duration of your programme at the College. This must be purchased in advance of programme commencement to obtain a student visa to enter Ireland. Students can purchase medical insurance through the College, or you can arrange your own medical insurance provided it is in English. Students from the EU should travel to Ireland with their European Health Insurance Card to cover public medical care.