Interested in applying to NCI as an international student? Read this page for advice and guidelines on applying, including key cut-off dates.

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Research and choose your programme

You will find details on courses available to international students located here. In addition, you can visit our downloads section and read our international brochure. Make sure to thoroughly review the programmes you are interested in, understand the modules and decide on your first preference programme.

Check entry requirements

You should check entry requirements in three areas: 

  1. Country requirement: We accept a wide range of qualifications from universities around the world. For guidance on our international requirements, visit your country page.
  2. Programme requirement: Entry requirements vary depending on the course and are detailed in our international brochure and on individual course pages.
  3. English requirements: English language requirements are available on our English language requirements page.
  4. Applicants under 18: Guardianship Requirement:  Applicants under the age of 18 (and older than 17) on the day of the commencement of a programme at National College of Ireland (NCI) are required to provide evidence of guardianship as part of their application. Confirmation and evidence of guardianship must be provided to meet the entry conditions to NCI. 

Please note: NCI does not provide guardianship services. Currently, NCI will only accept guardianship arrangements from Godsil Education. To avail of University Guardianship, please contact Godsil Education.

Check deadlines

Applicants from some countries may have early deadlines due to a range of factors, most notably visa processing times. Please contact international@ncirl.ie or one of our approved agents for deadlines for your country.

September 2026 Applications deadline.

  • 1st July 2026: Students requiring an entry visa for Ireland
  • 15th August 2026: Students not requiring an entry visa for Ireland
  • 25th August 2026:  Students resident in Ireland at the time of application

January 2027 Applications deadline.

  • 31st October 2026: Students requiring an entry visa for Ireland
  • 30th November 2026: Students not requiring an entry visa for Ireland
  • 11th January 2027:  Students resident in Ireland at the time of application

Important Notice:

Programmes may close prior to the listed deadlines if they have reached maximum capacity. We advise students to apply and confirm their places as soon as possible due to strong demand for NCI’s programmes. Places are only confirmed on receipt of full fee payment on a first come, first served basis.

It is important to remember that if you are applying close to a deadline, we usually only accept full and complete applications which demonstrate that you have met both the academic and English language requirements of the course. Also, you should ensure that you have researched the visa application timelines for your country (if applicable) to ensure that you have sufficient time to apply for your visa.

Submit an application

For the best experience, we encourage you to apply through one of our trusted agents. You can find an agent near you by searching our country pages. If you wish to apply without an agent, you can do so by using the "Apply Now" button on your chosen programme. Please note you can only be assessed for one programme at a time.

For all applications, we require the following:

  1. Official transcripts for all completed studies, in both the original language and certified English translations.
  2. Official graduation certificate or degree scroll (if you have completed your study) in both original language and certified English translation.
  3. English language certificate (if available – if not this can be uploaded at a later date) 
  4. CV/Resume
  5. Passport (if you are currently residing in Ireland, we also require a copy of your immigration card)
  6. A Statement of Purpose (SOP) with a maximum 600 wordcount addressing the following key questions: *
    • Why do you want to study in Ireland and how does this align with your career goals?
    • Why you think the selected programme and NCI as an institution would be a good match for your further studies? 
    • How does your profile and experience make you a strong candidate for this programme?
    • If your chosen course does not directly relate to your previous education, then please outline why you have decided to change at this point and give reasons to justify the change with some evidence of relevant experience.

*Note on the Statement of purpose:

This document is submitted as a MS word or PDF document. There is no defined or required format. We guide 150 words per question, to an overall count of maximum 600 words. It is very important that you complete the Statement of Purpose in your own words and without the use of AI or other external assistance.  Statements of Purpose that are plagiarised, provided by third parties or deemed to be generated by AI tools or other generative sources will be disregarded and may result in your application being rejected.

Apply for scholarships

Each student is automatically assessed for a range of scholarships during the application assessment. Your initial scholarship will be stated in your offer letter should you receive one. For high performing students, we also offer a small number of larger scholarships. Students already in receipt of an existing scholarship and who have strong academic results, may choose to apply for one of our other scholarships. Details of all scholarships and bursaries can be found in our Fees and Funding section. 

Appeals Process for International Student Applications

In circumstances where NCI decides to refuse your application for admission, or where your application is deemed ineligible, you will be informed of this. The reasons will be provided. International applicants may choose to appeal an Admissions decision. 

Any appeal must be submitted to NCI within 10 working days of receiving their decision. The appeal must be submitted to international@ncirl.ie with the subject line: “Appeal Submission – [Full Name] – [Application ID]”.  

The appeal must include a letter of appeal detailing the grounds for appeal and any supporting documentation, (e.g., academic transcripts, references, test scores, or extenuating circumstances).  

Your appeal will be acknowledged and checked for completeness. It will be dealt with by an appeals panel. A decision to revise or uphold the original decision will be communicated to you. The decision of this appeal panel is final. View the NCI International Application Appeals Process for further information.

Do you have questions about applying to NCI?

We have developed an International Student FAQ page with questions we receive from applicants about what courses you can study, how to apply, language requirements, and more. If you require further assistance, don't hesitate to get in touch with international@ncirl.ie.