Visa cost

Ireland student visa cost — Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2)

$418 in fees nobody can skip , up to $812 if every situational extra applies . Checked August 2026.

How much does a Ireland student visa cost in 2026?

Applying for a student visa in Ireland — the Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2) — costs $418 in fees you cannot skip: Long stay 'D' study visa — single journey ($70) and First-time immigration registration (IRP card) ($348). Situational extras (registration renewal for each further year of study and multi-journey visa instead of single journey) add up to $394 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2) cost breakdown

Every line the Ireland application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

Line item Amount (USD) What it is
Long stay 'D' study visa — single journey $70 EUR 60 — non-refundable if you withdraw or are refused Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Preclearance and entry visas fees
First-time immigration registration (IRP card) $348 EUR 300 per person, paid by card at the registration appointment Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Registration: required documents and fees
Mandatory total $418 What the Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2) costs before any optional service.
Situational extras — only if they apply to you
Registration renewal for each further year of study $348 EUR 300 per year — registration runs 12 months at a time, up to seven years Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Registration: required documents and fees
Multi-journey visa instead of single journey $46 EUR 100 replaces the EUR 60 single-journey fee, so EUR 40 extra Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Preclearance and entry visas fees
If every extra applied $812 Worst case — most applicants pay none or one of these.

Amounts are US dollars. Ireland bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate — the native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

Things to watch

  • USD figures use EUR 1 = USD 1.16 (August 2026); Ireland bills in euro and local offices may add consular or document-submission charges on top.
  • Citizens of Indonesia and Sri Lanka are exempt from the visa fee entirely, so their mandatory cost is the €300 registration alone.
  • Tuition is paid before you apply, not with the visa: fees under €6,000 in full, fees above €6,000 to at least the €6,000 mark.
  • You must also evidence €10,000 of living costs for the year — that money is proved, not spent on fees.
  • Appealing a refusal is free and must be lodged within two months of the refusal letter.
  • Staying on afterwards under the Third Level Graduate Programme costs another €300 registration fee per person.

How much bank balance do you need for a Ireland student visa?

For the Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2), Ireland asks you to show EUR 10,000 (about $11,600). The accepted form is Six months of bank statements, or a €10,000 education bond, and it covers One academic year of living costs, on top of your tuition fees. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Information on Student Finances, checked August 2026.

Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Information on Student Finances · checked August 2026

Ireland student visa requirements

  • A place on a full-time, daytime ILEP-listed programme

    Your course must appear on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes and lead to a major award at NFQ Level 7 or above. Part-time and distance-learning courses do not qualify for student permission, and you must progress up the NFQ levels through your studies.

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  • Tuition paid before you apply

    Where your fees are below €6,000 you must pay the full amount in advance. Where they exceed €6,000 you must pay at least that much in advance. Colleges cannot take cash — fees go through a bank transfer or an approved money-transfer service.

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  • Immediate access to €10,000 for the year

    Visa-required applicants must evidence €10,000 available now, and show that you or your sponsors can reach another €10,000 for each subsequent year on top of that year's fees. Credit cards are not accepted as proof.

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  • Six months of bank statements, or an education bond

    Statements must be on headed paper showing your name, address, account number and account type, with any large or irregular lodgement explained. Degree students may instead lodge a €10,000 education bond with an approved fee-payment service and hold it from the visa application through to registration.

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  • Private medical insurance

    Every non-EEA student needs private medical insurance covering accidents and medical incidents including hospital stays, either personally or through a college group scheme. Travel insurance is not accepted, and cash-back policies are refused.

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  • Evidence of English or Irish language ability

    The long-stay visa document list requires evidence of your English or Irish language ability. Immigration Service Delivery does not set one national score — each higher-education provider sets its own admission standard, including the standard of English.

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  • Evidence of academic ability and an explanation of any gaps

    You supply your academic record plus a written account of any break in your education history. A visa officer weighs each application on its merits and may ask for more.

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  • Passport, photographs and a signed AVATS summary form

    Original documents only — photocopies are refused except where the guidance says otherwise, and anything not in English or Irish needs a full certified translation. Letters from a company or organisation must be original, on headed paper, with a landline number and a handwritten signature.

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  • Declaration of any previous visa refusals

    You must disclose earlier refusals. False or misleading information can get the application refused with no right of appeal and a five-year block on further Irish visas.

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  • Biometrics where your application office requires them

    Some offices collect biometric information as part of the application. Contact the office named on your AVATS summary form to confirm whether and how you must provide it.

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How to apply for a Ireland student visa

  1. Enrol on an ILEP-listed programme and pay your fees

    Secure a letter of acceptance confirming full-time daytime enrolment and stating your learner-protection arrangements, then pay the fees — in full if they are under €6,000, or at least €6,000 if they are higher.

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  2. Create your application on AVATS

    Apply online through the Automated Visa Application and Tracking System up to three months before you travel, from your home country or a country where you are legally resident. Print, sign and date the summary form the system generates.

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  3. Pay the visa fee and send your documents within 30 days

    A single-journey visa costs €60 and a multi-journey visa €100; neither is refunded if you withdraw or are refused. Your summary form names the office to send everything to, and the application is not processed until it arrives — you have 30 days from creating the AVATS application.

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  4. Wait roughly eight weeks for a decision

    Applicants can expect a decision within about eight weeks of the office receiving the application, longer if documents are missing or need verification. Do not buy travel tickets before you know the outcome. A refusal can be appealed free of charge within two months.

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  5. Register with Immigration Service Delivery after you arrive

    Anyone staying over 90 days must register within 90 days of arrival by booking a first-time appointment through the Customer Portal. The fee is €300 per person, payable by credit or debit card only, and your Irish Residence Permit card follows in roughly 10 to 15 working days.

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  6. Renew your registration every year

    Registration runs for one year and is renewable annually up to the seven-year student limit, at €300 each time. Renewal needs proof of academic progress, paid fees and continuous private medical insurance.

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Ireland student visa work rights, dependants and processing time

Work rights

Students holding Stamp 2 permission may work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week during June, July, August and September and from 15 December to 15 January. The cap is a hard weekly maximum across all employers, not an average, and Stamp 2A holders cannot work at all. Course placements that earn ECTS credits can exceed 20 hours and do not count against the limit.

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Dependants

Students are generally not permitted to bring family. A spouse, civil partner or child must apply in their own right and is judged on their own merits, and students cannot be joined by children other than those born during the stay. Exemptions are considered mainly for PhD students, participants in state-to-state academic programmes, and students with private means large enough to support the family without working.

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Processing time

Applicants can expect a decision within approximately eight weeks from the date the visa office, embassy or consulate receives the application. Applications sent to the Dublin Visa Office have their decisions and waiting times published every Tuesday.

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After graduation

The Third Level Graduate Programme lets non-EEA graduates of a recognised Irish awarding body stay to look for graduate-level work on Stamp 1G, with full 40-hour work rights. A Level 8 award earns 12 months; a Level 9 or higher award earns 12 months renewable for a further 12, up to 24. You must hold current Stamp 2 permission and apply within six months of being told you achieved the award, and registration costs €300 per person.

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Language requirement

You must submit evidence of English or Irish language ability with the long-stay study visa application, but Ireland publishes no single national test score for it. Higher-education providers set their own admission requirements, including the standard of English, so the level you need comes from your course rather than from immigration rules.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Indonesian students

You pay no visa fee

Indonesia is on Immigration Service Delivery's list of nationalities exempt from visa fees, so the €60 single-journey charge does not apply to you. You still pay the €300 registration fee after you arrive in Ireland.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Sri Lankan students

You pay no visa fee

Sri Lanka appears on the list of nationalities exempt from Irish visa fees, so the €60 single-journey charge is waived. The €300 first-time registration fee still applies once you land.

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You need a transit visa even to change planes in Ireland

Sri Lankan citizens are on the list of nationalities requiring a valid Irish transit visa when landing in the State on the way somewhere else. A transit visa costs €25 and does not let you leave the airport.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Nigerian students

Biometrics are compulsory for applicants resident in Nigeria

All visa applicants residing in Nigeria must provide biometric data as part of the application, which means an in-person appointment on top of the AVATS submission and document courier.

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You need a transit visa even to change planes in Ireland

Nigeria is on the list of nationalities that need a valid Irish transit visa when landing in the State en route elsewhere. That visa costs €25 and is separate from the study visa.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Indian students

Fingerprints are compulsory for applicants resident in India

Applicants residing in India must provide fingerprints with the visa application, so budget time for a biometrics appointment inside the 30 days you have to lodge your documents.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Pakistani students

Fingerprints are compulsory for applicants resident in Pakistan

Applicants residing in Pakistan must give fingerprints as part of the Irish visa application, an extra in-person step beyond the online AVATS form and posted document pack.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Chinese students

Fingerprints are compulsory for applicants resident in China

Applicants residing in China must provide fingerprints with the visa application. China was Ireland's third-largest source market in 2024/25 at 9.9% of international enrolment.

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Ireland student visa requirements for Ghanaian students

You need a transit visa even to change planes in Ireland

Ghana is on the list of nationalities requiring a valid Irish transit visa when landing in the State on the way to another country. It costs €25 and does not permit you to leave the airport.

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United States
From $535 all-in
United Kingdom
From $1,760 all-in
Canada
From $175 all-in
Australia
From $2,250 all-in
Germany
From $190 all-in
France
From $183 all-in

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Ireland student visa fee?
The Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2) application charge is $70 (Long stay 'D' study visa — single journey). Add the other mandatory items — First-time immigration registration (IRP card) $348 — and the all-in mandatory total is $418. Optional extras add up to $394 on top.
How much bank balance is required for a Ireland student visa?
EUR 10,000 (about $11,600), held as Six months of bank statements, or a €10,000 education bond, covering One academic year of living costs, on top of your tuition fees. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. €10,000 for any academic course starting after 1 July 2023, plus another €10,000 for each further year of study. Courses under eight months need €833 a month or €6,665, whichever is less. USD figure at EUR 1 = USD 1.16, August 2026. Source: Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Information on Student Finances (August 2026).
Can you work on a Ireland student visa?
Students holding Stamp 2 permission may work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week during June, July, August and September and from 15 December to 15 January. The cap is a hard weekly maximum across all employers, not an average, and Stamp 2A holders cannot work at all. Course placements that earn ECTS credits can exceed 20 hours and do not count against the limit. Source: Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Planning to study in Ireland? (August 2026).
How long does a Ireland student visa take?
Applicants can expect a decision within approximately eight weeks from the date the visa office, embassy or consulate receives the application. Applications sent to the Dublin Visa Office have their decisions and waiting times published every Tuesday. Source: Irish Immigration Service Delivery — How to apply for a long term study visa (August 2026).
Can you bring your family on a Ireland student visa?
Students are generally not permitted to bring family. A spouse, civil partner or child must apply in their own right and is judged on their own merits, and students cannot be joined by children other than those born during the stay. Exemptions are considered mainly for PhD students, participants in state-to-state academic programmes, and students with private means large enough to support the family without working. Source: Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Guidelines for Degree Programme Students (August 2026).
What's not included in the Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2) fee?
Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
When are these fees due?
Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

Official sources

Last verified August 2026.