Government Updates
Important Updates
The International Office will be updating this page as we receive updated Immigration registration guidelines from the Irish government for the academic year 2021/2022. As soon as the information becomes available to us we will update our website accordingly- updated 15 December 2022.
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21 February 2023- Proof of access to finances
Visa Requiring Students
- All visa required students who intend commencing their studies in Ireland after 01 July 2023, will be required to show evidence that they have access to at least €10,000 per year of their studies.
- If the duration of the course is less than 6 months, they must have access to €700 per month of their stay or €4,200, whichever is the lesser.
- This does not need to be shown at first time immigration registration, but does need to be shown at each subsequent renewal of permission.
Non Visa Requiring Students
- From 1st July 2023 all non-EU students will be required to show evidence to immigration that they have access to at least €4,200 if staying for longer than 6 months, or €700 per month if staying for less than 6 months.
- This is to be shown at each subsequent renewal of permission.
Statement here.
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9 December 2022 -ISD Announces initiative to facilitate custoemrs travelling at Christmas.
The Immigration Services Registration Office Burgh Quay Dublin is currently experiencing a very large volume of applications with a current processing time to renew an IRP card of 5-6 weeks. Following the completion of the renewal of Registration it may take a further two weeks to receive the new IRP card via post.
To facilitate Non EEA Nationals legally resident in the State who are required to renew their current permission and who wish to travel internationally during the Christmas period, the Minister is issuing a Travel Confirmation Notice requesting carriers to allow individuals to travel on their recently expired IRP card where an application to renew their IRP card was submitted in advance of the expiry date of their IRP card.
Non EEA Nationals in the State who are required to apply for a renewal of their IRP card may use their current recently expired IRP card to enable them to travel in confidence from 9 December 2022 to 31 January 2023, provided an application to renew their registration permission was submitted in advance of the expiry date of their IRP Card.
This Travel Confirmation Notice is valid from 09 December 2022 to 31 January 2023 only.
Customers should download and print this notice and present it, along with their expired IRP card, and proof of renewal application (email confirmation which details the date of application and OREG number) to immigration authorities
and airlines if requested to do so.
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27 May 2022 - Statement from the Minister for Justice on the arrangements for the renewal and registration of immigration permissions post – 31 May 2022.
During the pandemic, Minister McEntee has generously extended immigration permissions nine times to allow people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 to be legally permitted to remain here until 31 May 2022.
These extensions were made in the context of an uncertain health and international travel situation to provide assistance and assurance to people who use our immigration services.
Now that those circumstances are returning to normal, it is important that we also return to a more normal way of doing business. This includes in relation to first-time registrations and renewals, and processes and procedures have been in place to allow customers to do so for some time now.
Statement here.
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24 January 2022 - New Rules for Travelling to Ireland.
Passengers to Ireland with:
- an accepted proof of vaccination, or
- proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the prior 6 months
do not have to show an additional pre-departure COVID-19 test result.
From 1 February 2022, vaccine certificates for primary vaccination series will not be accepted for travel if more than 270 days have passed since the final dose in the primary vaccine series.
Vaccine certificates based on booster/additional doses are not time limited.
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17 December 2021 - Minister McEntee announces further temporary extension of immigration permissions.
- applies to permissions due to expire between 15 January 2022 and 31 May 2022
- extension applies to people with permissions extended under previous notices
- for permissions registered by the Immigration Service in Dublin and An Garda Síochána nationwide.
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5 December 2021 - New Rules for Travelling to Ireland.
If you are travelling to Ireland from overseas you must fill out a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) before departure.
Since Sunday 5 December 2021, passengers to Ireland are asked to show a negative test for COVID-19.
| Your status | Antigen test | RT-PCR test |
| Vaccinated or recovered | Negative test no more than 48 hours before you arrive | Negative test no more than 72 hours before you arrive |
| Not vaccinated | Not valid | Negative test no more than 72 hours before you arrive |
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30 November 2021 - New Rules for Travelling to Ireland.
If you are travelling to Ireland from overseas you must fill out a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) before departure.
After 00.01am on Friday 3 December 2021, anyone travelling to Ireland has to show a negative test for COVID-19.
- if you do not have a Digital COVID Certificate based on vaccination or recovery, you have to show a negative ('not detected') RT-PCR test which was carried out no more than 48 hours before you arrive in Ireland
- if you have proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19, you have to show a negative ('not detected') antigen test which was carried out no more than 48 hours before you arrive in Ireland. Alternatively, you can show a negative ('not detected') RT-PCR test which was carried out no more than 72 hours before you arrive.
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15 November 2021 - Expired IRP and Plans to travel outside the State.
For customers in the State benefitting from the extension of immigration permissions to 15 January 2022, and who intend travelling with an expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card.
From 15 November 2021, non-nationals living in Ireland with an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card that expired on or after 20 March 2020, may use these expired cards as proof of their entitlement to re-enter the country until 15 January 2022.
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14 September 2021 - Minister McEntee announces final temporary extension of immigration permissions.
- for permissions due to expire between 21 September 2021 and 15 January 2022.
- extension is the final one and applies to people with permissions extended under previous notices.
- for permissions registered by the Immigration Service in Dublin and An Garda Síochána nationwide.
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29th August 2021- Designated States for Mandatory hotel Quarantine
Please see here for updated list.
To see how the Designated State list affects the arrival protocol, please see here.
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From 19th July 2021- EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC)
Government advice to avoid non-essential travel, and related penalties will remain in place until 18 July. As and from 19 July this will be changed to advise citizens to travel safely and in accordance with public health guidance and restrictions.
Passengers arriving into Ireland from EU/EEA
From 19 July, subject to the prevailing public health situation, Ireland will operate the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) for travel originating within the EU/EEA.
A DCC will show if a passenger:
- is vaccinated against COVID-19;
- has recovered from COVID-19; or
- has a negative test result
Passengers arriving into Ireland with a DCC will not have to undergo quarantine.
Passengers arriving into Ireland from outside the EU/EEA
From 19 July, Ireland will also broadly align itself to the EU approach to non-essential travel into the EU from third countries.
To protect its citizens against importation of variants, an ‘emergency brake’ mechanism will be coordinated at EU level to react swiftly to the emergence of a variant of concern or variant of interest.
Government advice will be to avoid travel to a country where the emergency brake has been applied. Please see website below for further details.
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15th June- Minister Humphreys announces lifting of temporary visa restrictions
- Restrictions, including the suspension of visa-free travel, lifted for nationals of South Africa, Brazil and other South American countries
- Move is in line with the Government’s Resilience and Recovery Plan for Living with COVID-19
- Travellers arriving into Ireland must continue to comply fully with all public health measures
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12 May 2021 - Designated states: Mandatory Hotel Quarantine Exemptions
There are now exemptions for fully vaccinates persons.
If you are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine and have the documents to prove that, you do not have to complete mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival in Ireland. Any dependents travelling with you, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine.
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11 April 2021 - Designated states: Mandatory Hotel Quarantine
New countries to be added from April 15:
Kenya, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Turkey, Ukraine, Bermuda, Canada, United States of America, Curaçao.
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26 March 2021 - Minister McEntee announces further temporary extension of immigration permissions.
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23rd March- Mandatory Hotel Quarantine
All passengers arriving into Ireland from designated States after 4am on the morning of Friday, 26 March are now required to pre-book accommodation in a designated quarantine facility, and to pre-pay for their stay.
You must complete a mandatory hotel quarantine if you come from any country deemed 'high risk'.
This includes:
- if you have been in a 'high risk' country at any time in the 14 days before you arrive in Ireland
- if you have travelled through an airport or port in a 'high risk' country.
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5th March 2021 - Mandatory Hotel Quarantine
The government intends to implement a system of Mandatory Quarantine for passengers arriving into Ireland from a list of designated high-risk countries.
Under current restrictions, passengers arriving from these countries must quarantine in their home for a period of 14 days.
Under current proposals, once the new system of mandatory quarantine is in place, it is intended that the following will apply to passengers arriving from designated States:
- passengers will be required to complete 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a designated facility, this could be reduced if a not-detected COVID test is taken after ten days.
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2nd March 2021 - Notice | Third Level Graduate Programme Update
Given the ongoing difficulties caused by Covid 19 and strictly on a one off basis, 2020/2021 international students who are otherwise eligible to apply for the Third Level Graduate Programme may remain in or return to their own countries to study online for semester 2.
Please read full advisory, as conditions apply.
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17th February 2021- Mandatory Quarantine for Arrivals from 20 Countries
People arriving into Ireland from these countries will have to self-quarantine for a mandatory period of 14 days. The Government is due to publish legislation that will require such passengers arriving here to complete this quarantine at a designated facility.
Angola, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Eswatini, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, Zimbabwe
*Mandatory quarantine at a designated facility already required for persons who arrive from Brazil and South Africa.
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29th January 2021 - COVID-19 Visa Arrangements
As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has signed an order that will impose new visa requirements on passport holders from a number of South American countries and South Africa. This order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight on Wednesday 27th January 2021.
As of midnight 27th January 2021, in addition to countries who were visa required prior to that date, passport holders of the following countries are now also required to apply for an entry visa or transit visa, as appropriate, before travelling to Ireland:
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
- Ecuador (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
- South Africa
- Suriname (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
- Uruguay
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26th January 2021 - Government Introduction of Measures for International Travel
A range of mandatory quarantine measures will be introduced, applying to all international arrivals:
- mandatory quarantine at a designated facility will be required for passengers who arrive in breach of the pre-departure negative/'not detected' PCR requirement
- mandatory quarantine at a designated facility will be required for persons who arrive from Brazil and South Africa
- in other cases, passengers will be required by law to quarantine at home
Application of these measures to passengers who are not EU/EEA citizens can be introduced by regulations. For all other passengers, it will be necessary to amend primary legislation. The detailed legislative work to implement this will get under way immediately.
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25th January 2021 - Update from Cork Immigration Office
This notice is for IRP Renewals. Please do not present with Letters from Student Central as these letters do not confirm fees are in order. The IRP Renewal form clearly states that the correct letter comes from the Student Records & Examinations Office. This is the only letter that confirms fees are in order.
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Government extends requirement for pre departure Covid-19 testing to all countries
The Government has announced the extension of the requirement for a pre-departure negative/not detected PCR tests to passenger arrivals from ALL countries from Saturday 16th January 2021. The test must be taken within 72 hours prior to arrival. See full press release for further details.
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22nd December 2020 - Minister Announces Further Temporary Extension of Immigration Permissions
This notice applies to Immigration and International Protection permissions to reside in the State that are due to expire between 21st January 2021 and 20th April 2021 and supplements all previous extension notices. This is the sixth, and expected to be the final, extension of permissions implemented since the outset of the pandemic. All such permissions that are due to expire from 21st January 2021 - 20th April 2021 are automatically renewed by the Minister to the 20th April 2021. The renewal of permission is on the same basis as the existing permission and the same conditions attach.
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27th November 2020 - Update from Cork Immigration Office
Letter of Registration- All students need to have the original hard copy of their UCC Letter of Registration. For anyone unable to visit the Exams and Records Office in person immigration will accept a pdf copy, but it must be printed off. This will be kept by immigration for their records.
All other documents required by immigration need to be original hard copy documents. Digital copies will not be accepted.
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10th November 2020 - Visa Requiring Students
If you are visa requiring you will need a valid multiple entry/single entry visa OR a valid IRP card to leave and re-enter Ireland. If you have an IRP card that has been automatically extended (see advisory dated 18th September below) you will still need a visa to re-enter Ireland.
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28th October 2020 - Update from Cork Immigration Office
(i) Current wait times for acknowledgement of appointment request is 4-5 weeks.
(ii) Following the acknowledgement of your email the current wait time for appointments is 2-3 months.
(iii) If you are visa requiring you need a valid multiple entry visa or valid IRP card to leave and re-enter Ireland. If you have neither, you will need a visa to re-enter Ireland.
(iv) If you are not visa requiring and have no valid IRP card you will need evidence you have initiated the immigration process to re-enter Ireland.
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18 September 2020 - Minister Announces Further Temporary Extension of Immigration Permissions
All such permissions that are due to expire from 20th September 2020 - 20th January 2021 are automatically renewed by the Minister to the 20th January 2021. The renewal of permission is on the same basis as the existing permission and the same conditions attach.
Any permission that was renewed by the previous notices which therefore has a new expiry date between 20th September 2020 and 20th January 2021 is automatically renewed by this notice until 20th January 2021.
For full details please visit Inis.
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