Students from outside the European Economic Area, remaining in Ireland longer than 90 days, must register with The Immigration Service Delivery Office. Please read the following guidelines:

Step 1: Make an online appointment with the immigration office.

Long-term students (staying in Ireland 90 days or more) from outside the EEA area MUST register and attend an in-person meeting with Immigration Service Delivery Office in Dublin. You are not required to register if you are staying less than 90 days. To make the meeting appointment you must first create an account on the portal.irishimmigration.ie website.

To create the account you will need your email address, mobile number and an identification document (passport). You will be asked to upload the documents to the immigration website to verify your identity.  The immigration office will then complete some background checks on your documents and your identity. After (approx. 48 hours) you will receive an email from the immigration office to confirm that your Online Immigration Service Account is ready to use.  You can then log back into the online account to choose a date and time for your in-person meeting.

Step 2: Prepare your financial documents.

You should bring the following financial documents to your in person meeting with Immigration to show you have sufficient monies to remain in Ireland.

If you do not need an entry visa to come to Ireland:

  • Students from Brazil, Japan, Mexico, South Korea (i.e. countries that do not need an entry visa to come to Ireland) must show that they have a bank statement with a balance of (at least) €4680. If you are required to have a visa to come to Ireland, then you have already passed the financial requirement test, so you do not need to show proof of finance after you arrive here.
  • The bank statement must be a recent copy, i.e. this should be no older than 1 month.
  • Your name, address, account number and account type must be visible on the statement.
  • The bank account should be in your own name (same name as showing in your passport) or in your sponsor’s name.
  • You should have a bank card that you can use in a bank machine in Ireland to withdraw money or make payments.
  • The bank card should be for the same account .

If you DO need an entry visa to come to Ireland – Visa required nationals:

If you have already applied for a student visa in your home country i.e. you are a student from China, Turkey, Mongolia, Peru, Ecuador, etc. then you will  have already passed the financial requirement test (at the visa application stage) and you do not need to provide any further financial documentation (other than to show proof of your visa approval). If you have successfully applied for a visa to come to Ireland,  you do not need to show proof of finance after you arrive here.

Step 3: Register with Immigration –

Immigration Service Delivery Office. 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2

On the day of the in person meeting, you should bring the following documents to the immigration office:

  • NEW Letter of Registration from the school to prove that you are a registered student at Horner School of English. This document must show your attendance percentage on the course, to date. Immigration will not accept an old document without up to date attendance information.  Please ask for this document from Horner School office a few days in advance of your in person meeting.
  • Valid Passport.
  • Bank Statement, you must have at least €4680 in your bank account. Your bank statement can be from an Irish bank or your own bank in your home country.  
  • You must also have a bank card to pay the immigration registration fee.
  • Registration Fee €300 – Pay by bank card or bank giro only (Giro transfer form available at ISD office) cash is not accepted.
  • Medical Insurance to cover Irish Hospitals (You can purchase this insurance directly from the Horner School, €130.00 – 8-Month Policy)

Academic Year Courses & The Right to Work in Ireland:

If you hold a passport from a country located outside of the European Economic Area and wish to have the right to work in Ireland during your studies you should register for one of the ILEP approved courses i.e. with  25 weeks of classes. These courses are called Academic Year Courses.  Academic Year Students register with the school for 35 weeks, i.e. 25 weeks course plus 10 weeks holiday. Students are allowed to register for 3 such Academic Year Courses (2 years is the maximum time that a student from outside EEA can remain in Ireland whilst attending English Language Courses) Academic Year Students are permitted to work (part time) 20 hours per week during the full 35 week period and (full time) 40 hours per week during certain defined dates Summer 1st June – 30th September (4 months) students may work full time up to 40 hrs. per week. Winter: 15th December – 15th January (1 month) students may work full time up to 40 hrs. per week. Academic Year Students must take an approved exit examination (Cambridge PET, FCE, CAE, IELTS, TIE). You will have already paid the Exam Fee in advance of arrival. Horner School will register you for the end of course exam and will discuss the arrangements (examination date & time) with you directly. Your contact person for this task will be stephen@hornerschool.com.   Examinations are held on specific dates during the year and have closing dates for registration etc. Stephen will discuss your examination requirements with you in the first week of the course.

Attendance Records & Sick Leave:

It is very important that you attend class each day and attend the full timetable allocated to your course. Immigration Service (INIS) must be informed when students are absent for prolonged periods or if the attendance register shows that a student has less than 85% attendance on the course at any time during their stay. Teachers record attendance in class every morning at 09.30 and then again at 11.30hrs (after coffee break). Attendance is also recorded during the afternoon fluency, business and exam classes. All students should maintain at least an 85% attendance record at all times. Students arriving 15 to 30 minutes late will be marked with ‘L’ on the attendance register. They will be allowed to join the class but will not be credited with attendance for first lesson of the session. Students arriving 30 or more minutes late will be marked with “A” (absent) for the first 2 lessons of the session and will not be allowed to join the class until the next scheduled break. Certified Sick-Leave Policy: Students presenting a valid doctor’s note for a certified sick leave period will not have their attendance reduced for the period of the doctors certificate. Students must contact the school admin@hornerschool.com on the first day of the sickness to advise of the illness and the expected duration of the absence. On return to the school, students must present the original doctors certificate to cover the full period of the absence. Failure to follow these steps will mean that a student is absent without certification. Uncertified absences will be marked as absent from class and the student will receive a reduced attendance record. Horner School cannot compensate for tuition time lost due to certified or uncertified sick leave absence. Expulsion Policy: There is a 4 step policy in operation, Students receive a verbal warning, followed by a written warning issued within two weeks. If attendance still does not improve a letter is issued to GNIB within 2 more weeks to inform them of the attendance issue. Expulsion procedures are commenced if a student’s attendance does not improve within the next 4 weeks and the student does not provide a valid explanation for the problems. All issues relating to attendance policy should be addressed to Derek Bettencourt, Director of Studies: Email: academic@hornerschool.com.

Taking holidays during the school term:

Holiday (breaks from class) may be taken during long stay courses, that is, full-time courses of 12 weeks or more. Unfortunately no holiday time can be taken on shorter courses. Holidays must be requested in advance at the beginning of your course. All holidays must be taken over the period of a full calendar week, Monday to Friday. The school will normally close for 2 weeks Christmas holiday and this time will be part of the allowed holiday period.

  • Two weeks holiday time is permitted for course bookings of 12 to 24 weeks.
  • Up to ten weeks holiday time is permitted for course bookings of 25 weeks or longer (Academic Year Courses / ILEP Courses)
  • Holiday periods cannot exceed 1/3 of the already completed studied weeks, at any time.
  • No unscheduled breaks are permitted unless permission is obtained in writing from David, Janice or Trevor Horner . Requests of this nature will only be considered in very special circumstances such as close family bereavement.

P.P.S Number (Tax Number for Employment): Apply Online

Normally you will not be able to apply for your PPS number until after you have found employment in Ireland. At that point you should ask your employer to supply you with a letter of employment. Apply online to the Social Welfare Office together with proof of your living address, a copy of your passport and you must also give the employer letter to prove that you need a PPS number for a valid reason (that is to pay tax in Ireland) . Further details about the PPS application procedure can be found here.

Medical Insurance:

All students from outside the European Economic Area must have evidence of medical insurance.  Proof of Medical Insurance will be required when registering with the Irish Immigration Office. This insurance policy covers students for medical costs including dental expenses necessitated by accident or injury and treatment within Irish hospitals and also medical repatriation back to their home country if necessary. The Insurance is underwritten by CHUBB Insurance Company. CHUBB Insurance Assistance, provide the support to the student in the event of an accident. The student is issued with a policy document with all the relevant contact details, on arrival in Ireland (by our school). The policy is valid in Ireland and also covers the student for up to 14 days travel (14 days max) to any country within Europe or the European Economic Area. A copy of the Summary of Cover can be found here: CLICK HERE 

8 Month Medical Insurance costs €130.00 (This is an Irish Government visa approved insurance scheme).

PEL Insurance: (Protection of Enrolled Learners)

Learner Protection Insurance also known as Protection for Enrolled Learners (PEL), provides security for students and their course fees in the unlikely event that their school or college closes. The Insurance is underwritten by AVIVA Insurance Company. If PEL insurance is a requirement (dependant on booking length and course type booked) then the student/agent will be notified at booking stage and issued with a policy document with all the relevant policy details. A copy of the summary of  cover can be found here: CLICK HERE