Welcome to University College Dublin and congratulations on being offered a place to study in Ireland in one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities. Upon entering one of our programmes you will begin on a path of intellectual stimulation, acquiring new knowledge and skills enabling you to become a highly-qualified graduate in your chosen discipline. In broader terms, you will also find studying in UCD a life-changing experience, where you will be helped to grow both personally and professionally, preparing you for a rewarding career.
The following information will help you prepare to attend UCD - everything from housing to financial aid to registration and beyond will be covered on this page. If you have any questions once you've looked through everything, feel free to contact us!
There are a lot of steps you'll need to take to prepare for your first day of classes at UCD! The information below will provide direct links to all of the information you need.
You'll find some tips and more information on what to expect in the documents below:
The following webinars were recorded in March 2025 to help offer holders see what to expect doing forward when considering attending UCD this September.
(opens in a new window)Undergraduate Virtual Offer Holder Webinar Recording
(opens in a new window)Postgraduate Virtual Offer Holder Webinar Recording
Types of Offers:
An Offer (sometimes called Unconditional or Full Offer):
-means that you have met all the entry requirements for the course.
A Conditional Offer:
-means that you will be accepted if you meet certain additional requirements as laid out in your Offer Letter. These conditions are typically graduating from your current school with an equivalent academic record as when you applied or achieving certain marks on AP/IB exams or other standardized tests in progress.
Typical Acceptance Deadlines:
Undergraduate Students - Accept by May 1st
Graduate Students - Accept by June 1st
To Accept Your Offer:
Please(opens in a new window)log in to your application account. Upon logging in, you will see that your application to appears with the status of ‘Offer/Conditional Offer’. Click on ‘Accept or Reject’ and it will bring you to the page where you can either accept, and pay the deposit if appropriate, or decline the offer.
Your acceptance will not be complete until you successfully record your acceptance and, where appropriate, pay the deposit.
Deposits:
Most courses have a deposit of €750 and this deposit is required to secure your place. Deposits are non-refundable. The deposit amount will be applied to your fees due in the fall.
Deferring Offers:
If you would like to defer your offer you can request a deferral in your application account. Access your application and update your application decision to "Deferral" and make sure to enter a reason for your deferral. Deferrals will not be available in all cases and require you to meet all conditions of your offer and submit a deposit (which will be applied to the fees for the subsequent year). If you have questions, pleasecontact a member of the North America Global Centre.
Eligible US citizens and permanent residents can use US Federal Loans to help cover the cost of study at UCD. The first step is to fill out a FAFSA at (opens in a new window)https://studentaid.gov/ and send it to us at code G10188.
You must submit an additional application for Federal Aid to UCD after you complete the FAFSA. This application is due by July 15th, 2025.
*Note: Foreign schools are not Pell-eligible at this time, so the only federal aid that is applicable are Direct Loans and PLUS Loans.
Please check your email after you accept your offer, as we will be sending regular updates. For more information please visit our Financial Aid page.
For further guidance, please view our (opens in a new window)US Federal Loan Overview from Spring 2024.
UCD offers exceptional, high quality on-campus accommodation to international students. On-campus living means single rooms in apartment style suites, with a variety of living options all right on campus!
UCD seeks to guarantee on-campus accommodation for all first-year undergraduate international students, and accommodation is also available for graduate students on a limited basis. Our Residences website with information on accommodation types and availabilities can be found at http://www.ucd.ie/residences/
Accommodation booking is open to students that have accepted their offer and paid their course deposit. After accepting your offer, check the email you used when applying to UCD often, as we will be sending important information to that email. You can also view the instructions to book accommodation on the UCD Residences Site for New International Students.
You can view all of the on-campus residence options in preparation for the housing application. Virtual tours of all residences can be also seen online.
*Please email all questions about accommodation booking to (opens in a new window)residences@ucd.ie
Many postgraduate students and some undergraduate students choose to live off-campus during their time at UCD. We suggest starting your search by visiting (opens in a new window)http://www.ucdaccommodationpad.ie/Home (more details here). UCD also advertises these websites as good for off-campus housing search:
(opens in a new window)www.daft.ie
(opens in a new window)www.independent.ie
(opens in a new window)www.let.ie
(opens in a new window)www.myhome2let.ie
More found here.
Areas close to campus to search:
DUBLIN 4: Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Sandymount
DUBLIN 6: Ranelagh, Rathgar, Rathmines
DUBLIN 14: Clonskeagh, Dundrum, Goatstown
DUBLIN COUNTY: Blackrock, Booterstown, Mount Merrion, Stillorgan, Dun Laoghaire
Book your flights as soon as you can to avail of the best prices. Many international airlines fly to Dublin every day, so there are many options.
If you book a round-trip ticket to return home at the end of the fall semester, ensure that you will be on campus for the entirety of the Final Exam period. See Key Dates here: http://www.ucd.ie/students/keydates.htm
Upon graduation, students must submit an official copy of their final high school transcripts. The transcripts can be sent:
Via email to (opens in a new window)northamerica@ucd.ie directly from a school counselor or university
Via mail to:
University College Dublin
575 5th Ave Floor 14
New York, NY 10017
If students have a condition of receiving specific AP exam scores, please make sure to send a copy of your test scores to UCD when they become available. Our College Board AP exam code is 6675.
The (opens in a new window)Irish Immigration Servicerequires students from outside the EU/EEA obtain private health insurance for immigration registration purposes. UCD Global does not arrange health insurance for students, however we have provided some recommendations based on our communications with the different providers.
Basic medical insurance which satisfies the immigration requirements for private health insurance should be obtained before students arrive in Ireland. UCD Global has more information including recommended providers on our Health Insurance page.
Throughout the summer, UCD will use the email address you applied with. If your email address changes at any time before starting at UCD, please log in to your application, click "Add/Edit Personal Details" and input your current email address.
Your student email account via UCDConnect will become available starting in mid-August and will be used to send communications throughout your time as a student. Confirmation of your student email account creation will be sent to your personal email on file in your application.
You will need to register online before you can begin your undergraduate studies at UCD. Registration allows you to obtain your student UCard and gain access to the wide range of facilities available to our students.
Registration for the majority of programmes takes place in August and is done online.You will receive notification via email when Registration opens. Please seewww.ucd.ie/students/registration.htmlfor further details on Registration such as times, guides (including video guides) to registration and other support information. This website will be updated near registration open time in August.
Fee payment is easy and can be done online. Fees are usually not due until September. Up-to-date fee payment deadlines can be found on the UCD Fee Payment Deadlines page.
You can pay in three different ways. Please visit the UCD Fee Payment Methods page for details on all three methods. Problems paying your deposit? Please check our list of common payment problems.
If you are taking out Federal Loans from the US Department of Education, you can elect to have your fees and UCD Residences costs (if applicable) deducted from your loans before disbursement to your bank account. Refer to your Federal Loan Instruction Document for more information.
In order to open an Irish bank account with one of the main banks in Ireland, you need to have an address in Ireland, have completed your online registration at UCD and received your Certificate of Attendance.
To make an appointment to open a bank account, see links for Allied Irish Bank (AIB) and Bank of Ireland (BOI) listed below. Whilst different bank branches can be used for opening an account, the AIB branch in Clonskeagh is closest to the Belfield campus, and Blackrock for the Smurfit campus. BOI has branches on the Stillorgan Road and in Blackrock.
On the day of your bank appointment, you will be required to show the following documents:
All students from outside the EU/EEA, whether you require a visa or not, must register with (opens in a new window)Irish Immigration Service after they have registered with UCD and before the expiry date stamped on their passport by immigration officials at the airport.
You should review the information on theUCD Global Student Immigration pagefor instructions on how to register with immigration after your arrival in Ireland.
Orientation is the time to ask all questions, to meet other students, have fun and dive into Irish culture! Orientation introduces you to the University and key staff members, and provides you with crucial information and advice that will assist you in adjusting to the living and learning environment of the University. You will receive academic advice about your course and support in how to enroll in the correct units of study. For more information, visit our Orientation page.