With the US and the UK being the top choices for the Indian students looking to study abroad, countries such as Ireland haven’t been given the kind of attention that they deserve. However, a host of great higher education institutes, a good standard of living and proximity to England are a few of the many factors that make Ireland a great option for higher education for the Indian students. If you wish to consider Ireland as an option for your higher education and are looking for details regarding the student visa, here is everything that you need to know about it.

In order to obtain a student visa for Ireland you must be enrolled in a full time course mentioned on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes. Also, there are different kinds of visas on offer depending upon the type and duration of the program you wish to undertake. For instance, in case the course you want to enroll in a program that has duration of 3 months or less, you would need to apply for ‘C study visa’. And if your course would last longer than that, you would need to apply for the ‘D study visa’. When you submit your visa application, you need to make sure that it is accompanied by the following documents in original and in English language mandatorily.

• A letter of acceptance from the University in Ireland. This letter must mention the course that you would be undertaking. Also, this course must be full time having a minimum study time of 15 hours per week.
• If it is not an English language course, you would also need to submit a proof of your academic ability to comprehend such a course through the English language.
• Proof of submission of the entire fee to the concerned University or institute
• Proof of funds that you might need to sustain yourself in Ireland for at least the initial portion of your stay in the country. This should be a minimum of €7,000.
• Also, you would need to submit proof showing that your sponsor would have at least €7,000 for each year that you stay in Ireland for your studies. This amount must be exclusive of the fee that you owe to the institute.
• Proof of a valid private medical insurance of the applicant
• If you had taken any gaps in your studies, you would also need to submit a proper explanation for those
• Also, a written confirmation that once your course ends in Ireland, you would duly return to the country of your permanent residence.

How to stay back in Ireland

If the duration of your course is more than 3 months and you have applied for a ‘D study visa’, you would need to register yourself with the local immigration officer once you arrive in the country. If the applicant has children with him or her and is visiting the country for the first time, he or she may not get the permission to stay back.