EU Applicants

University College Dublin (UCD) welcomes applications from EU and EFTA students and most of these countries are represented in our student body both as degree students and via links such as ERASMUS.

Please note: the definition of EU/Non-EU applicants is based on fee assessment criteria. If you are unsure whether you are an non-EU or EU applicant, please visit the fee assessment page.

What are the entry requirements?

EU applicants must meet the same minimum entry requirements as Irish school-leavers. As the number of applicants generally exceeds the number of places available, admission is competitive based on a points system. A-level applicants please see the separate page for A-level.

For information about how the entry requirements equate to the school-leaving qualifications from your country, please see the Agreed entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA applicants.

English is the teaching language of the university so all applicants must show proficiency in English.

Can I be exempt Irish?

Generally, a minimum grade of O6/H7 in Leaving Certificate Irish is required for all applicants born in Ireland.

NB: A Department of Education and Science exemption will not suffice; it must be an NUI exemption. This will show on your CAO statement as "IRS X".

Can I be exempt the language requirement?

Applicants with specific learning difficulties affecting language acquisition (dyslexia) may apply for exemption from the requirement of presenting another language. To apply for an NUI exemption, it is necessary to send a completed Exemption Application Form and other relevant material.

NB: A Department of Education and Science exemption will not suffice; it must be an NUI exemption.

How do I apply?

Generally, if you are eligible for EU fees* and applying for the first year of an undergraduate degree, you must apply via the Central Applications Office (CAO). It is best to apply online at www.cao.ie. The CAO handbook, which gives details of application procedures and closing dates, is available on the CAO website.

* Please see EU fee assessment criteria.

Applicants not eligible for EU fees and transfer applicants (post-year 1) must apply directly to the University.

What documents are required?

The the following documentation must be submitted within 10 days of applying to CAO

• Certified true copy of official transcripts of academic results.
  (If you are awaiting current year examination results you must send your results to CAO as soon as they become available. If they arrive later than 1 August, we cannot guarantee that they will be processed in time for inclusion in Round 1 offers).
• A certified English translation of qualifications not issued originally in English, in addition to the certified copies of the documents themselves.
• In some cases, the final school report is also required.
• Proof of proficiency in English language if not through school-leaving qualifications.
• In the absence of these documents and translations the application will not be processed.

If you accept a place in UCD, we will need to see the original documents at registration. Offers of places are provisional until such time as all Registration formalities have been completed within the University.

How are applications assessed?

When EU applicants’ results are being evaluated it will be on the basis of the results of any one examination taken in a single sitting (insofar as it is possible with the relevant examination system).

The first stage of the evaluation process requires you meet the minimum matriculation and specific programme requirements of a programme. Table 1 on each country page shows the conversion from Irish results.

The second stage of the evaluation process involves scoring your results relative to other EU applicants using the equivalences shown in Table 2 of each ountry page in the Entry Requirements Criteria for EU/EFTA Applicants.

In the case of high demand programmes such as Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, a numerus clausus may operate i.e. if there is a significant imbalance in the proportions of eligible applicants for a course between Leaving Certificate and other EU qualifications, places are offered to eligible applicants from each examination system group on the basis of ranking within their group.

EU applicants can contact UCD Registry – Admissions prior to application to check their eligibility.

I am an EU applicant but my exams are non-EU, how will I be assessed?

Your qualifications will be compared to the Irish School-leaving examinations and an appropriate score arrived at. There is no formal agreement between the HEIs on non-EU qualifications. However, Entry Requirements Criteria for EU/EFTA Applicants. contains an indication of levels required for minimum matriculation from 2023 onwards. 

When will I know if I've got a place?

Offers to applicants being assessed on the basis of school-leaving qualifications  issue following the release of the Irish Leaving Certificate results in mid-August with a reply date about a week later. If you expect to be away from home at that time please make sure to check the CAO website regularly.

We do not make conditional offers.

Please note: bookings for accommodation are taken in advance of offers. Please see the Residences website for details.

How do I know if I am EU or non-EU?

• Were you born outside the EU/EEA?
• Have you, or your parents, lived outside the EU/EEA for 3 of the last 5 years?
• Are you a non-EU/EEA National?
• Have you previously attended a third–level institution (in Ireland or elsewhere)?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you should undertake a fee assessment at https://www.ucd.ie/students/fees/eufeeassessment/ which will determine whether you are eligible for EU fees. 

How do non-EU applicants apply?

If you are deemed to be a non-EU candidate for fees purposes, you should apply directly to UCD - see www.ucd.ie/global for more details.