A group of students touring UCD's campus

Before you arrive

You’ve received an offer, what next?

Applying and receiving an offer is the start of your journey to study with us, there are a few more steps you need to take before we see you on campus.

Pay your Confirmation Payment and return your signed acceptance form to confirm your offer. For more information on what your Confirmation Payment consists of and your payment plan please visit our fees page.

Once you have confirmed, you will have access to our Welcome Hub with lots of useful information about preparing to study.

Once you have received your Letter of Acceptance and Visa Letter, you can now apply for your visa via the Irish Nationalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) up to three months before your course start date.

If you have requested accommodation on your application form, our Central Student Services Team will contact you directly regarding the options available. 

Should you choose to book your own accommodation, we suggest you live close to the Centre so you can make the most of your student experience, but your accommodation should be no more than one hour travel time from the Centre.

Find out more

Receive your visa and book your travel. When booking your travel, make sure you arrive before your first day of term, so you don’t miss our valuable induction programme. Accommodation with the International Study Centre is usually available two days before the start of term.

All students enrolled on a programme of study at Dublin International Study Centre require Learner Protection Insurance. The cost of this insurance is based on a proportion of tuition fees and paid at the same time as confirming a place to study. Prior to the course start date, students will receive a certificate of insurance from the insurance provider, Arachas, confirming that they are insured.

Learn more about Learner Protection Insurance.

In addition to Learner Protection Insurance, we require all international students have the protection of appropriate accident and medical insurance for the duration of their time in Ireland.

This type of cover is a visa requirement and is provided separately at no extra cost via StudyCare insurance. The policy will be automatically applied to your booking at the same time as the mandatory Learner Protection Insurance and covers loss of personal possessions as well as providing health and medical insurance until the end of your course.

Learn more about StudyCare insurance.

In your first week, you will take part in orientation activities and get to know the people and places around you. These normally include tours, information talks, and team games. You will receive further information when your place at the International Study Centre is confirmed.

Joining us on campus

Find out everything you need to know before you travel to Ireland and what to expect when you join us on campus.

We're looking forward to welcoming you

We are really looking forward to welcoming you to the International Study Centre. When you join us on campus, you will benefit from a high-quality learning experience with classes taking place face-to-face.

It is important that you are able to regularly attend your face-to-face classes, as this is a visa requirement. To help with this, we provide accommodation options and support with the booking process. Should you choose to book your own accommodation, we suggest you live close to the Centre so you can make the most of your student experience, but your accommodation should be no more than one hour travel time from the Centre.

Here to support you

From visa application through to booking accommodation, you’ll be fully supported by our dedicated team every step of the way. We’ll support you with:

  • What to pack
  • Planning for your arrival
  • Visa
  • Insurance
  • Accommodation
  • How to make the most of your time with us

When you confirm your place, you will be able to access our Welcome Hub, which will give you lots of useful information to help you prepare for joining us on campus.

Once you arrive

There’ll be plenty of induction activities for you to join once you arrive in Dublin. You will immediately be a part of a welcoming and supportive community, both at the International Study Centre and the wider university. Making friends should be easy and our nurturing staff are here to ensure you find the support you need to succeed both academically and socially.

What to pack for Dublin

  • Your passport and visa
  • International Study Centre offer letter
  • Evidence of funding for your tuition fees and living costs
  • Accommodation documents
  • Four passport-sized photographs
  • Notarised letter naming your designated guardian in Ireland (if you are under 18)
  • Any Insurance documents
  • Medical certificates and vaccination records including prescriptions for any medications.

You should bring any prescription medication with you, as well as your prescriptions translated into English. To help make your first few days as stress-free as possible you should also bring any essential toiletries for your flight and arrival with you too. You can purchase any other medications or toiletries once you arrive in Dublin.

There is no dress code at the International Study Centre, but we recommend you bring comfortable clothes that you’ll enjoy living and learning in. Dublin experiences all four seasons, so you should bring sensible clothing for all weather conditions – including a warm coat! Dublin has plenty of shops for you to buy clothes once you arrive.

  • It’s always useful to carry a small amount of Euros with you – we recommend bringing up to €150 with you as you travel to Ireland.
  • Bringing your own travel adapter means you can start using your electronic items straight away.
  • Even though you’ll find plenty of computer facilities on campus, you will need to bring a PC or Mac based computer for exams and assessments.
  • If you’re under 18 years old, you should also bring your Guardianship letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our expert teachers will deliver a high-quality learning experience. You can expect classes of no more than 25 students to ensure each student receives individual attention and support with plenty of discussion opportunities to improve your English. You will be assigned a Personal Tutor who is there to support you every step of the way to help you to stay on track to progress to university. Some teaching will be delivered through independent learning tasks that you can complete at a time of day that suits you.

You will have access to a Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the online hub for your programme. Here you will find recorded lessons, collaboration tools, helpful materials, and more.

To access course materials on a Learning Management System/Virtual Learning Environment or platform and undertake assessments, it is important that you come prepared with the appropriate technology. While it is possible to access and interact with most course content using tablets and smartphones, such as iPads, iPhones and android devices, these devices will not work for assessments. Therefore, you must have a PC or Mac based computer available for use. Please note that Linux and Chromebooks are not supported.

PC 

  • A Microsoft Windows-based PC with at least 4gb RAM and 200mb available free disk space (laptop or desktop, preferably running Windows 10 or 11)
  • Web Browser: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium version) 
  • Settings: Language set to English & Time set to local Irish time.

Mac 

  • An Apple MacOS 10.12 and above based laptop or desktop with at least 4gb RAM and 200mb available free disk space
  • Web Browser: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium version) 
  • Settings: Language set to English & Time set to local Irish time.

To support you to success, you must arrive in Ireland, on campus, by your programme start date, and be ready to attend your induction programme and all subsequent timetabled classes. Please note that poor attendance that conflicts with our Attendance Policy will result in the termination of your studies. Visa sponsorship will also be withdrawn.

Our induction programme will introduce you to your Centre, our staff, and welfare and support services. You will also receive full guidance on maintaining your health and safety whilst studying in Ireland.

You will find out about your timetable, as well as important information about how we deliver your course through a mixture of classroom teaching and online learning. There will also be events to help you get to know your fellow students.

Student accommodation is available. If you indicated at application that you would like to book through us, our Central Student Services Co-ordinator will contact you. Explore accommodation options 

If you are younger than 18 at the start of your course, it is mandatory for you to stay on campus (unless you are living with your parent or approved guardian) which will be arranged through our Central Student Services coordinator.

If you are booking private accommodation, it is important that you let us know where you are staying and you must live within a 60-minute commute of the Centre.

Contact our Dublin ISC Central Student Support team to enquire about our available accommodation options.

Join us today

Our Student Enrolment Advisors are available to answer any questions you may have about your application. We can’t wait to meet you.