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Routes to Ireland: student or trainee
Study is open on full-time courses offered by TrustEd Ireland-authorised providers or still listed on the ILEP, with a 20-hour work cap and a graduate job-search stamp afterwards
Non-EEA students register for Stamp 2 permission, which allows casual work of up to 20 hours a week in term and 40 hours in holiday periods. Student time does not count towards long-term residence, family sponsorship is closed to students except ISD-approved scholarship students and PhD students (conditions apply), and private medical insurance is required. Students must show access to EUR 10,000 for a one-year course, and part-time or distance courses do not qualify. After a Level 8 or Level 9 award from a recognised Irish body, the Third Level Graduate Programme gives 12 months (24 for Level 9 and above) to find graduate work, but the graduate must secure an employment permit before it ends and late extensions are generally refused. Overall student permission is capped at seven years. Application processing time for the student visa is not published as a figure on the pages we checked, so none is shown. Whether a given nationality needs a visa is NOT VERIFIED here: ISD says it depends on nationality and the page we checked lists no countries.
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0 study paths are named in Ireland's official demand list, ranked below.
What Ireland wants, in its own order
This order is the official shortage analysis, not our opinion. The source is linked under the list.
The routes
Each route below is a separate permit with its own listed requirements. A requirement you do not meet can stop an application for that route, however strong the rest of the case is. A requirement we cannot confirm is shown as unknown, not as a failure.
Full-time student permission (Stamp 2) (Stamp 2 student permission)
Preview — under verificationFull-time daytime study on an eligible programme (TrustEd Ireland-authorised provider, or a provider still on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes); casual work allowed, family sponsorship only for scholarship and PhD exceptions, time does not count towards residence.
Who this is for
- People enrolling on a full-time eligible degree or language programme
You must have every one of these
- Enrol in a full-time, daytime eligible programme: ISD says visas and Stamp 2 are granted only for eligible programmes of providers authorised to use the TrustEd Ireland mark, and the ILEP is being superseded (providers stay listed only while they meet ILEP criteria; the policy statement gives no end date). Holding the mark does not make every course eligible. Part-time and distance courses do not qualify
- Show access to EUR 10,000 for a one-year course (EUR 833 per month for 6 to 8 month stays); visa-required nationals are checked at visa stage, others at registration
- Hold private medical insurance
- Register within 90 days of permission being granted, fee EUR 300
- Language programmes: at least 25 weeks, at least 15 class hours per week, 85% attendance and a recognised end-exam
- Show academic progression each year; total student permission capped at seven years
Source: ISD — Frequently asked questions for students (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · ISD — Reminder on Student Finance requirements from 30 June 2025 (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2025-06-30; Government or public body) · ISD — Immigration permission/stamps (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G) (Stamp 1G)
Preview — under verification12 months after a Level 8 award, up to 24 months after Level 9 or above, to find graduate employment; an employment permit must follow before it ends.
Who this is for
- Irish-educated non-EEA graduates with a Level 8 or Level 9+ award from a recognised body
You must have every one of these
- Hold a Level 8 or Level 9 award from a recognised Irish awarding body, notified on or after 1 January 2017
- Hold a current Stamp 2 and apply within six months of the award notification
- Not have exceeded the seven-year student limit (eight for Level 9+ pathway)
- Pay EUR 300 registration; the programme may be used on no more than two occasions
Source: ISD — Third level graduate programme (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · ISD — Immigration permission/stamps (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
English language programme (TrustEd-authorised or ILEP-listed provider)
Preview — under verificationAllowed but capped: full-time eligible courses, three courses at most, and no switch from a language course into a degree route except by enrolling on a higher-education ILEP programme.
Who this is for
- People coming mainly to study English
You must have every one of these
- Programme at least 25 weeks and 15 class hours a week, 9am to 5pm on at least four weekdays
- 85% attendance and a recognised end-of-programme exam
- Holidays not before the course starts and not exceeding one-third of weeks studied
Source: ISD — Frequently asked questions for students (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
What it costs
Per person, at registration. Stated on ISD pages.
Source: ISD — Frequently asked questions for students (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
EUR 300You payEUR 60 single entry, EUR 100 multiple entry. Not refundable if refused. The page prints no effective date; the web page itself was modified 25 February 2025. Whether the long-stay D student visa uses these figures is NOT VERIFIED.
Source: ISD — Preclearance and entry visas fees (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
EUR 60 to EUR 100You payAccess to EUR 10,000 for a one-year course, from 30 June 2025.
Source: ISD — Reminder on Student Finance requirements from 30 June 2025 (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2025-06-30; Government or public body)
EUR 10,000Your own money, not an expenseHow long it takes
Timeline not published by the authority
ISD publishes no end-to-end timeline for student permission on the pages we checked; none is shown. Tuition fees are set by each institution and were not sourced.
Published figures for this route
Published figures on how often this route is used, with their sources.
Documents, insurance, housing and money
These needs are the same whichever track you choose, so they are published once for Ireland, with sources and check dates.
Quick answers
Which routes to Ireland exist on the student or trainee track?
Study is open on full-time courses offered by TrustEd Ireland-authorised providers or still listed on the ILEP, with a 20-hour work cap and a graduate job-search stamp afterwards
How long does it take?
Timeline not published by the authority. ISD publishes no end-to-end timeline for student permission on the pages we checked; none is shown. Tuition fees are set by each institution and were not sourced.
How much does it cost?
The published costs on this page total EUR 360 to EUR 400. Items that are not in that total, such as proof of funds or later permit fees, are labelled on this page where our sources state them.