A visa-required national, including a Russian or Kazakh citizen, needs a long-stay (D) study visa to study in Ireland for more than three months. You complete the AVATS online form no earlier than three months before travel and lodge the documents at a VFS Global centre; in Russia there are 11 of them, and they forward files to the Embassy of Ireland in Moscow. Before applying you must pay the tuition (the full fee if under €6,000, otherwise at least €6,000) and show access to $11,380 (€10,000) for the first year. A decision normally takes about eight weeks, and within 90 days of arrival you register your Stamp 2 permission in Dublin and pay $340 (€300) for the IRP card.
This guide sets out the steps, the full document list with practical notes, the rules on money, insurance and English, the extra requirements for minors, a timeline, what to do after a refusal, and what happens at the border and at registration. Rules come from Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) and the Embassy of Ireland in Moscow, checked on 28 September 2026; conversions use the ECB rate of that date (€1 = $1.1378). How to obtain the offer you need first is covered in applying to Irish universities; the country overview is studying in Ireland.
Visa, Stamp 2 and IRP: what each one is
| Term | What it is | When you get it |
|---|---|---|
| D visa (long stay study visa) | permission to travel to Ireland to study for more than 90 days | placed in your passport before travel |
| Landing stamp | the border officer's permission to enter and the period allowed | at the airport |
| Stamp 2 | student immigration permission with limited work rights | granted at registration |
| IRP (Irish Residence Permit) | the card proving your Stamp 2 permission | posted to you after registration |
A visa does not guarantee entry: ISD stresses that you can still be refused at the border if you cannot show a valid reason for coming. Ireland is not in the Schengen area, so an Irish visa does not replace a Schengen one.
Who applies through visa centres in Russia and Kazakhstan
The Embassy of Ireland in Moscow no longer accepts applications from visa-required nationals. VFS Global accepts applications and fees on its behalf from citizens of Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and from visa-required nationals resident in those countries, then forwards them to the embassy and returns passports after a decision.
In Russia, Irish visa centres operate in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnodar and Saratov. In Kazakhstan there are centres in Astana and Almaty. You must apply from your country of nationality or legal residence.
For questions about a lodged application, the embassy asks applicants to write to Irishvisamoscow@dfanet.ie quoting the application number.
Step by step
- Secure an unconditional offer and pay. Pay the full fee if the course costs under €6,000, otherwise at least €6,000. The payment must appear in your letter of acceptance.
- Complete the AVATS form. Answer every question fully and honestly; the system produces a Summary Application Form telling you where to lodge the documents.
- Print and sign the summary form and attach the documents listed below.
- Pay the visa fee: $68 (€60) for single entry or $114 (€100) for multiple entry. It is not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn, and the visa centre may add its own service charge.
- Lodge the documents with VFS Global and give biometrics if the visa office asks you to.
- Wait for the decision. ISD indicates about eight weeks from receipt at the visa office, longer if documents are missing or checks are needed.
- Do not book flights before the decision, as ISD explicitly advises.
You can apply no earlier than three months before your travel date.
Documents for a study visa
| Document | ISD requirement | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | valid for at least 12 months after arrival, plus copies of every page of previous passports | missing copies can delay processing |
| Two photographs | colour, no older than 6 months, signed on the back with your AVATS number | see ISD's photo rules |
| Application letter | full name, address, reason for coming, arrival and departure dates, family in Ireland or the EU; commitments to obey visa conditions, not use public services and leave before permission expires | if the course does not follow from your education or work, explain the change with evidence |
| Letter of acceptance | full-time course with at least 15 hours of daytime tuition a week; fee payable and amount paid; insurance if the college arranged it | a conditional offer is not enough: UCC says so explicitly |
| Proof of fee payment | an electronic transfer to the college's Irish account or a receipt from an approved payment service such as TransferMate (Pay to Study) | must show the college's and your bank details |
| Academic evidence | proof you can follow the course: certificates, degrees, grades | with certified translations |
| English | a test certificate issued within two years of the course start | the visa minimum is below university requirements; see the table below |
| Finances | access to €10,000 for the first year and €10,000 for each later year plus fees; six months of statements | the Summary of Finances form is mandatory |
| Medical insurance | private cover, which the college may arrange | see the insurance section |
| Gaps in education | an account of every period since your last full-time study, with employment history | unexplained gaps are a common reason for queries |
| Previous refusals | details of any refusal by any country and the original refusal letters | not disclosing a refusal leads to a refusal |
Documents not in English or Irish need a full certified translation. Letters from organisations must be originals on headed paper with a full address, landline number, website, email (not Yahoo or Hotmail), the contact person's name and title, and a handwritten signature. ISD accepts hard copies only, not USB sticks or file-sharing links.
ISD warns that false or misleading information can lead to a refusal without a right of appeal and a five-year ban on Irish visas.
Money: showing €10,000
ISD requires you to support yourself without public funds or casual work. For visa-required students on courses starting after 1 July 2023 this means:
- immediate access to at least $11,380 (€10,000) for the first academic year;
- access, for you or your sponsors, to €10,000 for each later year plus that year's fees;
- for courses under eight months, €833 a month or €6,665, whichever is less.
Statements. Provide a current statement covering the last six months on bank headed paper, showing your name, address, account number and type. Internet printouts are accepted only if every page is stamped by the bank and a bank letter confirms authenticity. Large or irregular lodgements such as loans, savings or property sales must be explained with documents. A deposit or savings account needs a bank letter confirming you can withdraw the money. Credit cards are not accepted.
Sponsors. If family members pay, list each sponsor with proof of relationship (birth or marriage certificates), the support they will give, an employer letter with three recent payslips or business registration documents, and six months of their statements.
Education bond. Degree students at NFQ levels 7–10 may instead lodge a bond of at least €10,000 with an approved provider such as TransferMate. It must remain in place from the visa application until registration in Ireland and is released on arrival, on refusal, or if you do not take up the place. ISD may still ask for more evidence.
If the money comes from Russia, choose a legal transfer route early and keep every confirmation; you will need them for the visa and for paying the university. See how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.
English for the visa
ISD's thresholds are lower than university requirements, but a certificate is still required.
| Test | Minimum for degree courses | Minimum for foundation courses (NFQ level 5) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic or IELTS UKVI | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) | 61 | 47 |
| Duolingo English Test | 75 | 55 |
| LanguageCert Academic | 60 | 40 |
| Oxford Test of English | 100 | 81 |
| PTE Academic | 30 | 30 |
| Cambridge English | FCE, CAE, CPE or BEC Higher/Vantage | PET |
Universities usually ask for more, such as IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0 at UCD and University of Galway. If you take a preparatory English course of up to six months before the main programme, the visa file needs a study plan with dates for both courses and full payment for the English course and the first year of the main programme.
Health insurance
All non-EEA students need insurance. The college may cover you under a group scheme, in which case the letter of acceptance says so; otherwise you arrange a policy yourself.
At the first registration ISD may accept travel insurance if it:
- covers the whole year, or the whole stay if shorter;
- covers at least €25,000 for accident and €25,000 for disease;
- covers any period of hospitalisation.
From the second year, travel insurance is no longer accepted and you need private medical insurance bought in Ireland. Cancelling insurance after registration breaches your conditions. TCD budgets about $630 (€550) a year for insurance and UCD up to $790 (€690).
Applicants under 18
An unaccompanied minor includes a birth certificate, notarised consent from both parents or guardians naming who will be responsible in Ireland, copies of their passports, and a court order if one parent has sole custody. The file also needs the address where the student will live; if no parent is coming, Garda (Irish police) clearance of that accommodation is required and is requested by the school. A parent who will live with the student includes their own visa details or a statement that they will stay for the whole period. A minor's visa shows whether they travel accompanied or alone.
Timeline from offer to IRP card
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| 6–4 months before travel | unconditional offer; tuition payment of at least €6,000; six months of statements ready |
| 3 months before | AVATS form and document lodgement at VFS Global |
| 3 months to 1 month before | decision in about eight weeks |
| After approval | flights, insurance, accommodation |
| Arrival day | border control and landing stamp |
| Within 90 days of arrival | book an appointment and register with ISD at 13–14 Burgh Quay, Dublin |
| About 10 working days later | the IRP card is delivered to your Irish address |
Because processing takes about two months and you cannot apply earlier than three months before travel, the window is narrow. Have the tuition payment and statements ready before it opens.
If the visa is refused
ISD sends a letter explaining the refusal and returns your passport and original documents. You can appeal within two months of the date on the letter, free of charge. ILEP providers must process a refund request within 20 working days when a visa is refused, under their published refund policies, and an education bond is released on refusal.
Before reapplying, review the points ISD explicitly asks you to disclose: a complete file, the origin of large deposits, gaps in education and every previous refusal.
At the border and after arrival
At passport control you must satisfy the officer about the purpose of your visit. ISD suggests carrying copies of your visa documents: the letter of acceptance, fee receipt, financial evidence and insurance. The period you may stay is shown on your landing stamp.
Registration. Since 13 January 2025, ISD rather than the Garda National Immigration Bureau carries out first-time registration for everyone living in the Republic of Ireland, at the Registration Office, 13–14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. You book through the Customer Service portal, and only after arrival. Register within 90 days of arriving; if no appointment is available in that time, ISD will not cancel your permission.
What a degree or master's student brings to first registration:
- passport with visa and landing stamp;
- a letter from the college, dated on or after the course start, confirming full-time enrolment on an ILEP programme;
- proof of fees paid and of any scholarship;
- medical insurance;
- proof of address.
At the appointment your documents are checked, your photo and fingerprints taken and the $340 (€300) fee paid by card; it takes up to 30 minutes. Expect the IRP card in the post roughly two weeks (10 working days) later. Visa-required students do not show €10,000 again at registration because their funds were checked at the visa stage. Students under 18 at registration pay no fee.
With a valid IRP card, a visa-required student does not need a re-entry visa to return to Ireland after travelling.
Stamp 2 conditions
- Study only on a full-time daytime ILEP programme; part-time and distance courses do not qualify.
- Work up to 20 hours a week in term and up to 40 hours in June, July, August and September and from 15 December to 15 January. See working while studying and Stamp 1G.
- Renew every year; higher education students must show academic progression, along with current insurance and fee payment.
- The overall limit on student permission is seven years, or eight for level 9 graduates counting Stamp 1G.
- Students are typically not permitted to bring family members.
- Changing programme in the first year is allowed only in exceptional cases, and moving from a master's to an undergraduate degree is not allowed.
Common mistakes
- Applying with a conditional offer or before paying at least €6,000.
- Depositing a large sum just before applying without documenting its source.
- Showing a credit card instead of bank statements.
- Forgetting copies of old passports or previous refusal letters.
- Buying the wrong insurance: travel cover is not accepted in the second year.
- Looking for a regional Garda station to register. Since 2025, first-time registration is done by ISD in Dublin.
FAQ
ISD charges €60 for single entry and €100 for multiple entry; the visa centre may add a service charge. After arrival, Stamp 2 registration costs €300 a year.
ISD indicates about eight weeks from receipt at the visa office. Missing documents or verification checks extend this.
At VFS Global centres in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnodar and Saratov. The embassy in Moscow does not accept applications directly.
Not if you are a visa-required student, because your finances were checked with the visa. Only non-visa-required students show €10,000 at registration.
No. The acceptance letter must confirm a place on a full-time course, the fee and the amount paid, and UCC explicitly states that a conditional offer cannot be used for a visa.
Yes. With a valid IRP card a visa-required student does not need a re-entry visa. Travel to Schengen countries needs their own visa.
Read the reasons in the refusal letter, then either appeal free of charge within two months or reapply with a corrected file. Ask the university for a refund under its policy.
Sources
- ISD: long-term study visa — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: student finances — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: English requirements for study visas — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: visa fees — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: private medical insurance for students — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: FAQs for students — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: how to register for the first time, first-time registration and registration documents — checked September 28, 2026
- ISD: travel and re-entry — checked September 28, 2026
- Embassy of Ireland, Moscow: visas and application centres — checked September 28, 2026
- UCC: non-EU applications and offers — checked September 28, 2026
- TCD: cost of living and UCD: living costs — checked September 28, 2026
- USD conversions use the ECB reference rate of September 28, 2026: €1 = $1.1378.
Visa file checks, preparation of financial documents and the application letter, and support with submission are provided under an agreement with StudyU. The visa decision is made by Irish immigration authorities, and we do not guarantee it.
Next steps
- Applying to Irish Universities After School: Entry Routes, Exam Thresholds, Documents and Deadlines
- Working While Studying in Ireland and Stamp 1G: Hours, Pay and Staying After Graduation
- Studying in Ireland for international applicants
- How to Pay for Studies Abroad from Russia: What Works in 2026
- Master's Degrees in Ireland: One-Year Programmes, Degree Requirements, 2026/27 Fees and Post-Study Work
- Scholarships in Ireland for International Students: Who Is Eligible, Amounts and 2026/27 Deadlines
