All Non-EU students apply to ATU Donegal’s International Office for admissions to ATU Donegal(do not apply through CAO).
Irish nationals that have completed Secondary School exams outside of the state need to apply through the International dept. If you are unsure, please contact us.
Standard Non-EU fees are €12,000 for a Masters Programme and €10,000 per annum, for an Undergraduate programme. Discounts may apply and will be indicated on an offer letter.
ATU Donegal is in a town called Letterkenny (population of 20,000 people) in the County of Donegal.
Letterkenny is in the Republic of Ireland but is near the border with Northern Ireland.
If you graduate with a Hons Degree (this is called Level 8 in Ireland) you are eligible for 12 months stay back. If you graduate with a Masters Postgraduate Degree, you are eligible for up to 24 months stay back.
In general, you need to have completed and passed Secondary School (High School) to do an Undergraduate Degree in ATU Donegal; however, in some cases you may need to have further qualifications. Please consult our country specific entry requirements here. If your country is not listed, please enquire via email: international.donegal@atu.ie
Our Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes are on the International Register.
ATU Donegal is a Government funded Higher Education Institute.
ATU Donegal awards its own Degrees and the Graduation ceremony is held in October each year.
Applicants who require a study visa to enter Ireland and applicants whose first language is NOT English are required to
provide official evidence of English language proficiency. If you require a visa to study in Ireland, you should also
check the English Language requirements of the Irish Immigration Services as these may be different from the institute’s
requirements.
The list below provides a quick overview of our general English language requirements. For a more detailed breakdown
please visit our English Language Requirements webpage.
- Undergraduate IELTS 5.5 or equivalent (CEFR B2, PTE, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English/1119, Duolingo)
- Taught Masters IELTS 6.0 or equivalent (CEFR B2, PTE, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English/1119, Duolingo)
- Masters by Research IELTS 7.0 or equivalent (CEFR C1, PTE, TOEFL iBT, Duolingo)
We do not run an English Language foundation programme but if you have IELTS 5.0 we will assist you to spend time at an English Language School prior to starting at ATU Donegal. (Additional fees apply).
If you are offered a place, you will need to pay a deposit if asked to do so in the offer letter.
Full balance of fees should be received by 1 June if you are starting in Sept.
Payment of fees is made via Flywire. Details will be in your offer letter.
Non-EU students must provide details of their private medical insurance policy
in advance of applying for study visa to Ireland. It is important that Non-EU
students assess private medical insurance options available to them in their
home country and options available in Ireland in advance of visa application.
Non-EU students will be required to present a copy of their private medical
insurance on registering with the local immigration office on arrival in
Ireland. Click
here
for more information.
The International Office, ATU Donegal has prepared summary of some options for medical insurance providers
in Ireland but it is the responsibility of international students to purchase
their own policy in advance of arrival at ATU Donegal.
https://www.studyandprotect.com/landing.aspx?university=124
https://www.vhi.ie/internationalstudents
If you require a visa to study in Ireland, please check for details online for your specific country. ATU Donegal International office will provide you with an offer letter and proof of payment to assist with your visa application. See visa and immigration section for further details.
Non-EU students are not eligible to apply for ATU Donegal’s Nursing programmes.
September Intake 2024 (TBC) and January Intake 2025 (TBC)
If you wish to use an agent as part of the application and visa process please inform ATU Donegal and we will let you know if the agent has an agreement with us. There should be no cost to the student to use the services of an agent.
All Non-EU students have to get an Irish Residence Permit Card (IRP). These used to be called the GNIB card. You will make an appointment for your IRP card after you have registered at ATU Donegal in Sept (or Jan). The appointment is at Letterkenny Garda Station (police station). The IRP card is to be renewed annually after registration and costs €300 per year. G1 card also costs €300 per year. The G1 is the card you receive after you have completed your studies.
With the IRP card, you are entitled to work 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours per week during the holidays.
ATU Donegal do not have their own accommodation on campus. We will give you a list of suitable accommodation with trusted private landlords. Prices range from €250 - €380 per month for single room in a shared house with shared bathroom and kitchen. There will be some additional fees for bills such as electricity and Wi-Fi. We recommend that accommodation be booked by May if possible. ATU Donegal International office will assist with accommodation advice if requested.
Most students arrive into Dublin Airport and get the public Bus to Letterkenny, this take three and a half hours. You can purchase a bus ticket online or on the bus. There are two bus companies travelling from the Airport to Letterkenny contact the International office to ask for timetable.
In September and January, we send a Bus to the Airport to collect international students to bring them to Letterkenny. The date for this will be in your offer letter. This bus is free of charge. If you use a public bus, it can be priced up to €25 for an adult single ticket. Public Buses are located outside of Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport.
ATU Donegal has International students from Europe and outside of Europe.
ATU Donegal has great student services (Medical, Career Service, Student Union, Clubs and Societies) all of which are free to ATU Donegal students.
If you are unsuccessful in getting a visa ATU Donegal will make a full refund less any bank charges.
After registering students can withdraw and are entitled to a partial fees refund up until 31 Oct. Admissions will assist you in calculating the refund amount. No refunds permitted after 31 Oct (for Sept intake) and after 31 March (for a Jan intake).
Students presenting non-EU Exams/Awards as a basis for entry should apply directly to the International Office and not via the CAO