Customs and Immigration

These guidelines apply only to U.S. citizens. If you are not a U.S. citizen contact your local embassy and the Irish Department of Justice & Equality for visa regulations for your country.

Upon arriving in Dublin, you will have to clear Immigration. While this may seem intimidating, keep in mind that the officials are merely trying to determine a few basic facts: first, that you are coming to Ireland for educational purposes as part of a full-time university course; second, that you will not be engaging in any paid employment; third, that you have adequate resources to support yourself while in Ireland and will not become “a burden on the State”; and finally, that you intend to leave Ireland at the end of your educational course.

The following documents should satisfy all of those requirements:

• A valid passport
• A round-trip airline ticket
• Your letter from your home institution (please ensure that your name on the letter matches the name on your passport EXACTLY)
• Proof of international health insurance
• A bank statement showing you have enough funds to support yourself for the duration of your stay (at least 135 EUR per week)

If asked, you must also be absolutely clear with the officials that you are here as part of a college course and that your internship placement is UNPAID and for academic purposes.

Immigration officials will ask you how long you intend to stay in Ireland. They may stamp your passport with permission to remain in Ireland for the duration of the programme, or they may only stamp it for two weeks and require that you register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). Do not be alarmed if you do not get your passport stamped for the full duration of your course when you clear Immigration at the airport. Some people are simply referred to the GNIB as a matter of course. EUSA has found that this is more likely to happen to students if their style of dress is less clean cut or if they are men, but it is ultimately nothing to be alarmed by.

All students in programmes lasting for longer than 90 days – or those intending to remain and travel in Ireland for more than 90 days – must register with the GNIB, 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 (by Tara Street DART station).  Please note when making your travel arrangements that you may be charged 150EUR by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform if you intend to stay for longer than 90 days; this fee cannot be paid in cash.

Register yourself with the US Department of Stateso that they will know that you are abroad in the case of an emergency.

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