A complete 2026 guide to Ireland study: TrustEd Ireland and eligible providers, Bangladesh entry, NFQ levels, tuition, Visa D, €10,000 finance rule, Stamp 2, work rights, Stamp 1G, scholarships, employment permits and arrival.
QQI authorised the first 28 higher-education institutions to use the TrustEd Ireland quality mark in February 2026 and the first English-language providers in August 2026. The old ILEP framework is being replaced as the TrustEd rollout completes, so provider eligibility should be checked against current official sources.
QQI TrustEd Ireland ↗Institutions set their own entry requirements. Some Bangladesh HSC applicants use foundation routes, while postgraduate thresholds depend on degree structure and each university’s equivalency policy.
Trinity College Dublin currently publishes HSC 70%+ including key subjects for its International Foundation Programme. Direct undergraduate admission from Bangladesh uses Trinity’s recognised international qualifications rather than HSC alone.
Immigration policy recognises foundation programmes linked to conditional progression into eligible Level 8, 9 or 10 higher-education study.
University of Galway currently publishes a 4-year Bachelor benchmark of about 60% / GPA 3.0 for 2:2-equivalent programs and higher thresholds for 2:1 programs.
Maynooth currently publishes 4-year Honours Bachelor from a recognised Bangladesh university at GPA 3.0/4.0 or 60% for a 2H2 equivalent and 3.4/4.0 or 68% for 2H1.
A postgraduate diploma, different institution or more suitable program may be realistic where a competitive direct Masters route is not.
Visa guidance requires applicants to explain gaps since full-time education and provide employment history where employment filled the gap.
Check current eligibility through TrustEd Ireland / QQI and official immigration sources. The ILEP transition makes old screenshots and old agency lists increasingly unreliable.
Dublin · research university with Bangladesh-specific Foundation and postgraduate guidance.
Official ↗Dublin · large research university across business, engineering, science, agriculture, health and humanities.
Official ↗Dublin · technology, business, communications, engineering, science and education.
Official ↗Cork · major research university with Bangladesh-specific postgraduate equivalency guidance.
Official ↗Galway · publishes detailed Bangladesh postgraduate equivalency bands.
Official ↗Limerick · strong industry links, engineering, business, computing, health and cooperative education.
Official ↗Maynooth · publishes Bangladesh undergraduate and postgraduate equivalency guidance.
Official ↗Dublin · applied, professional and technological programs across multiple campuses.
Official ↗Multiple western/northwestern campuses · applied degree and postgraduate study.
Official ↗Cork / Kerry · applied technology, business, engineering, science and creative programs.
Official ↗Dublin / Cork / Limerick · private higher-education provider with business, computing, law and creative programs.
Official ↗Dublin · private provider focused on business, computing, psychology and related disciplines.
Official ↗This is a research list, not a partnership claim. Provider eligibility for immigration purposes must be verified against current TrustEd Ireland / immigration rules.
Education in Ireland provider directory ↗Irish immigration also expects evidence that you can undertake the chosen course through English or Irish, but universities set the practical admissions scores.
IELTS, TOEFL and PTE are widely used. Scores vary by institution and program, and some courses require higher component scores.
The long-term study-visa process requires evidence of language ability appropriate to the program. Do not assume admission and immigration evidence are always identical.
These are Education in Ireland planning ranges. Always confirm the current course fee on the institution’s own page.
Largest university and employer market, but housing demand and rents are among Ireland’s biggest student challenges.
Major student cities with strong universities and generally different housing markets from Dublin.
Convenient and secure, but often high demand. Education in Ireland notes many residences use two large instalments rather than monthly rent.
Can reduce cost, but scams and availability are serious practical issues. Verify accommodation before transferring money.
60 awards for one year of full-time study at NFQ Level 9 or 10. The scholarship provides a €10,000 stipend and the host institution must give a full fee waiver for that scholarship year.
Trinity, UCD, UCC, Galway, Maynooth, UL, DCU and others offer international merit or program-specific scholarships.
PhD and research Master’s applicants should separately compare funded projects, supervisor grants and doctoral scholarships.
Verify the provider/program under the current TrustEd/ILEP transition rules.
Meet academic, English and program-specific conditions and obtain the official acceptance letter.
If fees are under €6,000, pay in full before visa; if over €6,000, immigration requires at least €6,000 paid, though the college can require more.
Show €10,000 living funds, tuition evidence, bank history, sponsor/source-of-funds documents, academic ability, language and gap/employment evidence.
Non-EEA students need private medical insurance for study in Ireland.
Complete the online long-stay visa application, print/sign the summary form and follow the submission instructions generated for your location.
A visa lets you travel to Ireland; final entry permission is decided at border control.
Students staying over 90 days must register their immigration permission and receive the appropriate residence permission, normally Stamp 2 for eligible full-time study.
€60 standard Irish visa fee, subject to exemptions and local submission charges.
€100 standard fee where a multiple-entry visa is applicable.
€300 registration fee for student residence permission / IRP, subject to applicable exemptions.
Passport, acceptance letter, SSC/HSC or previous degree certificates and transcripts, English evidence, CV, references, SOP/personal statement or course-specific portfolio/research documents.
Explain every period since your last full-time education. Where employment fills the gap, provide job certificate, experience letters, salary evidence and other supporting records.
Six months of bank transactions, tuition payment, sponsor bank/income/employment/business evidence, scholarship or loan evidence and proof of source for large or unusual deposits.
If family is funding you, make the relationship and sponsor documents easy to understand. Financial documents should clearly belong to the stated sponsor.
Insurance must cover the required period and include medical/accident and hospital treatment. It is checked for the visa/registration process.
Do not automatically add a police certificate just because another country requires one. Follow the current Irish long-stay study visa checklist and any additional request made in your own case.
ISD states that family members are generally not permitted to join non-EEA students on Stamp 2, 2A, 1A or graduate Stamp 1G merely because of that student permission.
PhD student permission holders can fall within specific family-reunification categories, subject to the separate policy conditions.
Certain ISD-approved scholarship programs can also have different family rules.
Eligible Stamp 2 students can work up to 20 hours per week while studying.
Up to 40 hours per week is allowed during June, July, August and September, and from 15 December to 15 January.
You must demonstrate finances without relying on casual work. Employment should not undermine attendance or academic progression.
Proof is required for the student immigration process and should cover accidents, illness and hospital stays in Ireland.
For residence-permission renewal, ISD requires private medical insurance covering the residence period; basic travel insurance is not sufficient for renewal.
For qualifying high-skill occupations and salary thresholds. From March 2026 the standard relevant-degree threshold is about €40,904, with a lower recent-graduate threshold around €36,848.
Broader eligible occupations subject to permit rules and salary thresholds. The 2026 general threshold is €36,605, with a lower recent-Irish-graduate threshold of €34,009.
The Critical Skills Occupations List was updated in May 2026 and includes qualifying ICT, engineering, healthcare and other shortage roles.
Stamp 2 is a temporary student permission and is not reckonable in the same way as employment residence for ordinary citizenship-by-naturalisation calculations.
Graduates normally need to move from Stamp 1G into a qualifying employment permission or another eligible residence category for longer-term stay.
Largest concentration of universities, technology companies and graduate employers — also the most difficult housing market.
Major university city with technology, pharmaceuticals, food and services employment.
Strong student identity, medical-device/technology cluster and University of Galway.
University and technological education with lower-scale city living and major industry links.
University town with access to the wider Dublin employment region.
ATU and MTU campuses broaden options beyond the major cities and can change accommodation costs significantly.
Passport, Irish visa, acceptance letter, tuition evidence, finances, insurance, accommodation and university arrival instructions.
The immigration officer decides entry and gives temporary permission. Carry your university and financial documents in hand luggage.
Complete university registration, arrange immigration registration / IRP, banking, phone, transport and health-insurance administration.
Apply for a PPS Number when needed for employment/tax and make sure your Stamp 2 conditions allow the work you intend to do.
For Ireland, provider eligibility, qualification level, tuition, finance history, study gap and post-study plan can completely change the right route.
