Accommodation FAQs for International Students (updated 25/08/2023)

Booking applications for the next academic year (2024/25) are currently open for incoming international postgraduate students and incoming international undergraduate students. 

International students can avail of a single trimester booking, a two trimester booking or a three trimester booking, subject to availability. Students are be able to choose accommodation type preferences ie. en-suite, shared bathroom or studio accommodation. 

Rooms will be allocated at a later date based on the preferences given in the booking application and subject to the availability of campus accommodation.

For more information on how to make a booking application, please see the following: UCD Residences Booking Application Guide

Applicants with a conditional offer can apply for accommodation.

All residents will be given access to their own unique finance account via the new UCD Residences Portal -

(opens in a new window)UCD Residences Portal

Under the "Statement/Payment" tab on the UCD Residences Portal you can view how much you owe and pay your accommodation fees.

In order to book on-campus accommodation, you must pay a deposit. In line with (opens in a new window)Residences Tenancy Board  legislation, this deposit will be returned to you 28 days after you check-out of UCD Residences, provided that there is no damage to the room.

There are a lot of benefits to living on-campus. The location is extremely convenient, and you will be given access to a whole host of amenities in UCD Residences such as an on-site gym, restaurants, shops, as well as many free ResLife activities to help you settle in to life in Dublin. However, living on-campus is not essential to get the best out of your university experience. 

UCD Residences is open to all UCD students, mixed genders and ages. 

While it is not possible to choose who you live with, where possible we try and locate general cohorts of students together for example post grads etc.

It is important to also note that occasionally students under 18 and over 18 can share an apartment.

UCD Residences offers a variety of on-campus options. There are two campuses where students may choose to live: the main Belfield Campus where the majority of students will live, and the Blackrock Smurfit Campus which is recommended for students who will be attending classes in Smurfit. 

Students will be able to choose from a range of accommodation options such as catered or non-catered accommodation, shared bathroom or en-suite accommodation and there is also an option to book a studio apartment, either shared or individual.

For more information on the range of accommodation available, please see this section of the UCD Residences website.

When making a booking application, you will be asked to give your 3 preferences for accommodation ( i.e en-suite or non en-suite, catered or non -catered). After you have submitted your preferences, you will be allocated a room based on which 3 preferences you have provided. 

Unfortunately on-campus accommodation is not guaranteed for all international students as it operates on a first come first served basis. As well as making a booking application for on-campus, we would encourage all prospective students to also explore off-campus options to ensure they get accommodation.

In order to book accommodation, you will need your unique 8 digit student number. Prospective students will need to accept an offer from UCD in order to receive this student number.

Find below a list of resources that you may find useful in your search. 

For assistance with sourcing off campus accommodation, please visit (opens in a new window)www.ucdaccommodationpad.ie.

The UCD Accommodation Pad shows listings of houses, flats, apartments, lodgings and general self-catering accommodation. The website has an alert system which you can activate. This notifies you should your preference for accommodation become available. The website also has a message board. This allows you to contact those offering accommodation and contact other students about the possibility of sharing etc.

- Letting Agents

Letting agents are independent businesses and specialise in the rental market. Many, but not all, charge a non-refundable registration, booking and administration fee plus deposits. So, before you pay for any services or lists of accommodation, have a clear understanding what services you will be receiving from paying a fee.

- Useful Websites

(opens in a new window)http://www.daft.ie/

(opens in a new window)http://collegecribs.ie

(opens in a new window)http://property.ie

(opens in a new window)http://let.ie

(opens in a new window)http://www.rent.ie/

You should start looking for accommodation as soon as possible after being accepted into UCD for the September 2024 intake.

For assistance with sourcing off campus accommodation, please visit (opens in a new window)www.ucdaccommodationpad.ie. The website also has a message board. This allows you to contact those offering accommodation and contact other students about the possibility of sharing etc.

Areas close to Belfield that we recommend include:

DUBLIN 4: Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Sandymount

DUBLIN 6: Ranelagh, Rathgar, Rathmines

DUBLIN 14: Clonskeagh, Dundrum, Goatstown

DUBLIN COUNTY: Blackrock, Booterstown, Mount Merrion, Stillorgan, Dun Laoghaire

Socialising is an important aspect of living in residences within the Residences, a programme of ResLife activities will be ran during trimester 1 and 2 which will be supported by the Residential Assistants (RAs).

Please read the Guest Policy for more information on guests and gatherings in apartments.

 For information on the Residences, including the number of beds in each apartment, please see this section of the Residences website.

UCD Residences have a dedicated security team and a team of RAs (Residential Assistants) to ensure the residences are as safe as possible. Additionally, the UCD Village Welcome Desk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Roebuck Castle is our typical catered option for on-campus accommodation, and includes a café supplying breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Residents of Roebuck Castle are entitled to 12 meals per week in any of the Eat@UCD restaurants across campus, with these costs being included in the license fees for the rooms.

For other residents, they will be able to cook for themselves in their apartments and access food and grocery delivery services from local supermarkets including : 

(opens in a new window)Centra

(opens in a new window)Tesco

(opens in a new window)Lidl

(opens in a new window)Aldi

(opens in a new window)Supervalu

In line with current RTB Legislation, if you wish to cancel your accommodation on-campus within the License Period, you are required to give a 28-day notice to end your stay in UCD residences  by submitting a cancellation request on the UCD Residences Portal under the "Your Room" tab .

You will be liable to pay the License Fee and any and all associated charges up to the end of the 28-day notice period or such longer period of notice provided in the cancellation Form. 

Once a room is allocated to a student, an automated email will be sent to them informing them of this. This email will prompt them to pay a booking deposit to secure the roon.

At a later date students will be issued with an email which will advise on next steps which will include

1.  Completing the online UCD Residences Induction Video series, and answering a few questions on these.
2.         Pick an Arrival Time Slot - This is a general indicator and if slots don't suit please contact the UCD Residences team.
3.         Upload a photo to be used for your UCard, which is your student card and your bedroom key

All rooms in UCD Residences are supplied with a duvet and pillow. Residents are asked to bring their own bed linen, towels, and whatever kitchen cutlery and crockery they require. Beds in UCD Residences are of a standard single size, except for the new Village Residences, which feature 4ft small double beds. 

If residents need to pick up any additional items, there is a frequent bus service that runs from the main entrance of the UCD Campus to IKEA, which departs roughly every 20 minutes. This bus is the 155, and is serviced by Dublin Bus. Please see their (opens in a new window)website for fee information. 

In order to check-in, residents must first have completed their Tasks to Complete before Arriving to Check-in. More information on these can be found in the above FAQs. 

As well as this, we ask that all incoming residents have the following with them for the check-in process:

1. Photographic ID (Passport / Drivers License / Age Card),
2. (if applicable) your UCD Student UCard.

If students were unable to upload their picture for their student UCard, the staff at the UCD Village Welcome Desk will be on-hand to help with this, however failure to upload your picture prior to arrival may result in a delay for check-in for yourself and other students.

Residents of the Belfield Campus (Ashfield, Belgrove, Glenomena, Merville, Roebuck and the Village Residences) check-in at the UCD Village Welcome Desk

Residents of Proby check in at the Proby Residence Reception, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, Blackrock.

Your UCD Student Card can only be printed once your Academic Registration is fully complete. As such, we may not be able to have your card printed for your arrival, in which case we will provide you with a Temporary Card. You can then collect your student card as part of your on-campus induction.

In order to activate your Student Card, you will need to hold this to the front door of your Residence building for approximately 10 seconds. If this does not work, you can visit the UCD Village Welcome Desk to have your card manually updated.

Upon check-in, an automated email will be sent to each student informing them that they have been successfully checked-in. This email will contain a link to the UCD Residences Portal  where each student will be asked to complete their Inventory Check. 

This will give the resident a list of what should be in the apartment, and the condition they are in. If there are any discrepancies, the student can highlight this, and a member of the on-site Maintenance team will attend to any disputed items as soon as possible.

If you are trying to order something to your apartment, we ask that you order the item to your address on-campus. Please see the following guide on how to write your on-campus delivery address and the unique Eircode (postcode) for each building: UCD EIRCODES

Letters are delivered underneath your apartment door each weekday, between 6:30pm and 8pm.

If you are ordering a package, please note that we are unable to sign for courier packages. If your package is delivered by a private courier, you will have to arrange to make collection with the courier yourself. We only accept deliveries from An Post, the national postal carrier in Ireland. If a package arrives in your name, you will receive an email, instructing you to visit the Merville Mailroom to collect it as soon as possible.

If you are looking for more general information on UCD Residences, have a browse of our website. The following links may be of use to you:

Finance: Rates and Payments

General FAQs: General FAQs

Policies & Procedures: Policies

Our Residences: Residences

As well as this, if you have any other questions or queries, you can always get in touch with us at (opens in a new window)residences@ucd.ie, or by calling +353 (0)1 716 1008.