How to use this calculator
- Enter your course length — the threshold switches at 8 months
- Enter first-year tuition and what you have already paid the college
- Enter your total course length so only the first-year tuition slice is counted
- Enter the liquid funds in your or your sponsor's bank accounts
- Check the shortfall, then add a buffer for Dublin rents, which run well above the official figure
Ireland's living-cost threshold for student visas is €10,000 for all academic courses starting after 1 July 2023 — the official estimate of one academic year's living costs. Many sites still quote €7,000 or €12,000; both are outdated or invented. For courses under 8 months the requirement is €833 per month, capped at €6,665.
Two components are assessed separately: living funds (the €10,000) and tuition (paid or demonstrably payable). Money used to pay tuition cannot double as living funds — if you send the college €12,000, you still show €10,000 of living money on top. For multi-year courses, you must also indicate ready access to €10,000 for each subsequent year plus that year's fees.
The evidence rules are stricter than the numbers suggest. Bank statements must cover the last six months, be on headed paper (or notarised internet printouts with a bank authenticity letter), and any large or irregular lodgement — a property sale, a loan, a lump-sum gift — must be explained with documents. Handwritten passbook entries are rejected outright, and credit cards never count.
Degree-programme students have one alternative: an education bond of at least €10,000 lodged with an approved fee-payment service, which replaces bank statements as proof of living funds. For students from countries with heavy documentation requirements, the bond route avoids six months of statement archaeology.
Budget items first-year students forget
The IRP (Irish Residence Permit) registration costs €300 per year and is paid after arrival. Private medical insurance is mandatory for the whole stay, and single-entry visa fees are €60 (€100 for multiple entry). None of these appear in the official €10,000 figure — add them to your real budget.
Where the money must sit
The €10,000 must be in an account you can access immediately in Ireland — an Irish account is ideal, but a foreign account with documented availability is accepted. Money in fixed deposits, provident funds or investments does not qualify unless the institution confirms it can be released on demand.