• You must submit the original passport as VFS requires it to process the application. If you are unable to leave your passport during the processing period, you should mention this in your application letter and attach the corresponding supporting documents. Additionally, you must provide a letter explaining the reasons why you cannot submit your passport.
• Your passport must be valid for at least twelve months from the expected date of arrival in Ireland.
• You must submit a clear, coloured copy of all pages of your previous passports. There is no need to authenticate or apostille these copies.
• If you do not have a passport due to loss, theft, etc., indicate this in your application letter and, if possible, attach additional supporting documents.

Attach a high-resolution colour photograph to your application. The photograph must be no more than 6 months old.

It is necessary to have private health insurance.

Your letter must include:

• Your full name, address, postal code, email address, and phone number.
• The dates you plan to arrive in and leave Ireland.
• A detailed explanation of why you chose Ireland as your educational destination. We suggest emphasising professional and career development.
• Details of any family members currently residing in Ireland or in any other EU country.

Your letter must also include a commitment from you that you will:

• Comply with all the conditions of your visa.
• Not rely on public services, such as public hospitals, nor become a financial burden on Ireland.
• Leave Ireland before your immigration permission expires.

To consider:

• If the course you now wish to study does not naturally follow from or relate to your educational/work background, provide valid reasons, supported by documentary evidence (if available), for this change.
• Mention any specific circumstances relevant to your application.

If you have been refused a visa in the past for any country, you must provide details in your current application. You must also submit the original letter issued to you by the authorities of that country. If you do not provide these details, your application will be refused.

You must submit a letter of acceptance from the university offering the course.

The letter must:

• Confirm that you have been accepted and enrolled in a full-time education course, involving a minimum of 15 hours of organized daytime tuition each week
• State the details of the course you will be studying
• State the amount of fees to be paid for your course
• State the amount of fees you have paid
• Indicate whether the college has arranged health insurance on your behalf, if applicable

You will need to provide information about any periods that have elapsed since your last period of full-time study. This must include the time elapsed up to your application to study in Ireland.
You must provide detailed information about your employment history. This is necessary to verify if any gaps in your education have been filled by periods of employment.

You must submit a copy of an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to the Irish bank account of the college. It must include:

• The name, address, and bank details of the beneficiary college
• Your name, address, and bank details

Alternatively, you can provide:

• A valid receipt showing that the course fee has been paid to an authorized tuition fee payment service. An example of this is the electronic fee payment service offered by Pay to Study, previously known as the International Student Payments Service (ISPS).

Note: If the course fee is less than €6,000, you must pay it in full to the college before applying for a visa.

If the course fee is more than €6,000, you must pay at least this amount before applying for a visa. Proof of this must be included in your letter of acceptance. This minimum amount is an immigration requirement. However, the university you wish to attend may require the full payment of fees.

You must demonstrate that you are capable of following the chosen course. Examples of this include previous exam results or qualifications.

You must demonstrate that you are capable of undertaking the chosen course through the English (or Irish) language.

If you are applying for an English course, you must have a basic level of English before coming to Ireland. The minimum English level for visa purposes is B1 / IELTS 4.0 / Duolingo 55.

Attach a certificate from the exam provider to your visa application. It must include your English exam results.

If you are taking a course taught in the Irish language, you must demonstrate your ability to do so. You will need to include a written statement from the school or university, confirming how they assessed your ability to speak and write in Irish.

• We suggest writing an additional financial support letter where you explain your financial situation in as much detail as possible, especially emphasising: specific dates of large deposits, sources of income, loans, sponsors, etc. If you attach income proofs from severance pay, trust accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), etc., you must explain in detail how these work.
• Remember that student visas are reviewed by visa officers in Dublin, who may not be familiar with the Latin American context.
• You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your stay in Ireland without relying on public funds or temporary employment.
• This includes the evidence that you must provide with your visa application.
• For all academic courses, by submitting the bank statements of the last 6 months, you or your sponsor must demonstrate immediate access to a minimum of €10,000. This is the estimated living cost in Ireland for a student during an academic year. This amount is in addition to the course fees.
• You must also demonstrate that you and/or your sponsor(s) have easy access to a minimum of €10,000 for each subsequent year of study, in addition to the course fees for each of those years.
• The funds shown to support your stay must cover the entire period, including vacations. For example, if it’s an English course under an 8-month programme and the course duration is less than 6 months, you must have €700 per month of stay or €4,200, whichever is lower.
• The Summary of Finances Form must be fully completed and signed.
• Any large deposits evidenced in bank statements must be explained in detail in the financial support letter. If there are deposits from the sale of vehicles, properties, loans, credits, etc., they must be accompanied by supporting documents.
• You must provide certificates that show the source of the student’s or sponsor’s funds, such as employment certificates, payslips, accountant certificates, or business registration documents for self-employed individuals, etc.
• A sponsor is considered anyone who deposits a large amount of money into the applicant’s bank account to justify access to €10,000; therefore, all supporting documents related to each sponsor must be attached.
• If you have one or more sponsors, they must write a letter indicating that they will cover the expenses, along with a copy of an identification document and a certificate showing the source of their income. We suggest the sponsor include in the letter details of their income sources.
• If you have one or more sponsors, they must attach birth certificates to prove their relationship to you. If your sponsors are not relatives, you must attach a document demonstrating the nature of your relationship.
• All the information listed here must be supported by documentary evidence, and when sponsors are involved, it must be clear that their documents are related to them.

All applicants for long-term Irish study visas must complete this form.

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Unaccompanied students under 18 years old must also include the following documents:

• Birth Certificate
  You must include the birth certificate of the minor student with your application.

• Consent from Parents or Legal Guardians
  We need consent from both parents or legal guardians. This consent must be a notarized document, meaning it must be witnessed by a lawyer or a public notary. It should include all the details of the person who will be responsible for the minor during their stay in Ireland. It must confirm:

  • The consent of the parents or legal guardians for the minor to come to Ireland to study.
  • That the school, host family, or educational agency will be the legal guardian of the unaccompanied minor student during their stay in Ireland.

• It must also include:

  • Copies of the biometric page of the passports of the parents or guardians, or
  • National identity document signed by the parents or guardians.

NOTE: If only one parent has full custody, a court order granting exclusive custody of the child must be provided.

You must provide details of your accommodation, even if it is temporary, whether provided by the school, booking platforms, family, friends, etc. It is not mandatory to provide proof of accommodation for the entire duration of the course; a booking for the first few weeks is sufficient.

If one of the parents will meet the student during their stay in Ireland (while the student is under 18 years old), the parent must include their own visa application details, if applicable.

If the parent does not require a visa to travel to Ireland, they must include a statement confirming that they will be staying with the student during their time in Ireland.

If one of the parents will not be meeting the student during their stay in Ireland (while the student is under 18 years old), the parent must include a Garda Síochána (Irish police) authorization regarding the student’s place of residence.

The school will request this authorization from the Garda Síochána. You must provide proof of having received the authorization as part of the visa application.

It is essential to provide documentary evidence of obligations to return to your country once the course is completed, whether through employment, studies, family, properties, etc.

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