FAQs

Office for International Relations
Waterford Institute of Technology
Cork Road
Waterford X91 K0EK
Ireland
Tel:  +353 5130 2724 / 6124
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.wit.ie/international

The Office for International Relations co-ordinates the admission, administration and support for international students throughout the course of their studies at WIT. The Office manages international student and staff mobility programmes, international scholarship programmes and a vast network of over 150+ international education partnerships. We host visiting delegations and represent WIT overseas at international education events annually.

The information given in this section applies to applicants for undergraduate, postgraduate or English language programmes who are non-EU nationals, not refugees and not holders of an Irish school Leaving Certificate. It also applies to non-EU nationals who have completed English language courses or Foundation courses in Ireland or elsewhere in the EU.

For your application to be successful, you will need to satisfy the Institute’s general entry requirements and also the requirements of your chosen course. Our general entry requirements include a specified level of ability in English language. (see below).

Undergraduate and English Language programmes online application form can be found here 
A softcopy (email) of the application should be sent to the Office for International Relations email account at [email protected]. You must attach a photocopy of the transcript of your school and/ or university results and your English language certificate. If these results are in a language other than English, you should provide a certified translation into English. We also require a copy of the picture page of your passport. It is very important that applicants check that they have sent all checklist items with the application. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Should you have any queries on the application process, please contact the Admissions team at [email protected]

Postgraduate applications are submitted through the Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC). Please see http://www.pac.ie then select WIT and your preferred course. Please upload all application documents to your application i.e. transcript of results, graduation certificate, English language certificate, current C.V. If any of these documents are in a language other than English, you should provide a certified translation into English If you encounter any problems while navigating through PAC, please ask your agent for assistance, or in the case of direct applications, please contact the Admissions team at [email protected]

Please click here for full details of our English Language Requirements, for applicants whose first language is not English.

The closing date for receipt of applications from visa required countries is 31st May for programmes commencing in September of each academic year. The Office for International Relations will sometimes accept late applications up until the end of June at the discretion of each School or Department and taking into consideration the capacity of each programme. The closing date for receipt of applications from applicants from non- visa required countries and for International students who are studying a foundation programme in Ireland is 10^th August.

Yes, the Office for International Relations at WIT provides scholarships. For information on our scholarship programme, please see here

Please refer to the fees section of the international website here

Tuition fees cover the tuition fee for the academic year including the registration fee.

All new international students to WIT must pay their deposit and tuition fee in full to WIT using TransferMate. For further information on this, please go to the WIT website at: https://wit.paytostudy.com/   

No, your tuition fee will not increase while registered as a fulltime student at WIT.

The full international tuition fee or deposit payment will be refunded to a student if the student's study visa is refused is refused or if the programme they applied for does not run. Documentary evidence of the visa refusal must be provided to the Office for International Relations.

Tuition fees may also be refunded in exceptional circumstances less an administrative charge of 10%.

As a guideline, we estimate that a student’s cost of living in Waterford is between €7,000 and €11,000 per annum. See website here .

Students must meet immigration requirements in order to reside and study in Ireland. Please contact your local Irish Embassy or Consulate in the country you are residing in or contact the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland. For more information please go to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigrations Services website: here

Please see our FAQs on Study Visa in our Study Visa section on the website.

All students from outside the EU/EEA must register in person with the local police station in the town in which they are studying. It costs €300 to register with the GNIB per academic year. Credit cards or laser cards are accepted to pay this fee. The following is a list of the things you need to bring with you when registering with the Garda Immigration Bureau:

• Your passport
• A letter from the Office for International Relations at WIT, addressed to the Immigration Officer, stating you have paid your fees in full and that you are undertaking a full time programme. This letter will state the name and duration of your programme.
• Original receipt from WIT or TransferMate showing that you have paid your tuition fees in full.
• Evidence of finances: If you have to apply for a visa before you come to Ireland then you will not be requested to provide evidence of finances when first registering with the Immigration Officer in Waterford. If you do not need to apply for a visa before you come to Ireland, you will need to provide evidence that you have access to €3,000 for the academic year or €500 per month, for the length of your stay.  Options for how to show this can be seen here .
• Evidence of Private Health Insurance.
• If you are transferring from another college in Ireland you will need an attendance record showing at least 85% attendance at your classes.

Waterford Immigration Officer Contact Details:

Garda Aileen Lalor,
Immigration Officer
An Garda Siochana,
Ballybricken,

Waterford
Telephone: + 353 51 305300

[email protected]

Please see our FAQs on Study Visa in our Study Visa section on the website.

Yes if a student does not attend at least 85% of their classes, their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) may not be renewed.

Students from outside the EEA - Students attending a full time course and in possession of an IRP are entitled to take up casual employment only if the course of study is included on the government’s list of visa eligible courses here. Casual employment is defined as up to 20 hours part-time work per week, except for two standardised periods when it is permissible to work full-time (i.e. up to 40 hours per week). The periods are 15^th December to 15^th January and 1^st June to 30^th September only, corresponding to the traditional winter and summer college holidays. These dates are fixed for all non-EEA students, regardless of the actual college teaching calendar for their course. Colleges are no longer able to issue holiday letters documenting a student as available to work full-time outside of these dates. For more information please click here.

The right to work lapses automatically on expiry of a student's immigration permission, except for an extension of up to 2 years, which may be available to third level graduates.

A PPS Number is your Personal Public Service Number. It is a unique reference number that all employees in Ireland are required to have. Applications for a PPS number can be submitted through the local Department of Social Protection office in Waterford or online here.

The address is:  Intreo Centre Waterford, Government Buildings, Cork Road, Waterford X91 EH04, Tel: (051) 356000, Email: [email protected]

Most programmes at WIT require students to complete a work placement as part of the programme. Students are entitled to work full time and receive a salary if they are participating on a work placement. If the student’s work placement will take place outside of Waterford, he/she will need to register with the Immigration officer in the locality of the work placement giving details such as date of arrival and the finish date of the work placement.

Yes, International students graduating in Ireland with an Irish accredited degree (Level 8 primary, masters or doctorate) may apply to stay on after their studies for the purpose of seeking employment and applying for a work permit. 

Graduates of a level 8 qualification, on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQI), can work for a period of 12 months from the date of their examination results. Graduates of a level 9 or 10 qualification can work for a period of up to 24 months from the date of their examination results under the Third Level Graduate Programme .

Please see our FAQs on Study Visa in our Study Visa section on the website

International students must have their accommodation booked in advance of travelling to Ireland and are required to organise their own accommodation while studying at WIT. They are usually requested to sign a contract and pay a deposit up front. This deposit will be returned to them if all is in order with the accommodation on departure. There are various agencies which offer different types of accommodation to cover all needs;

• WIT Student Accommodation
• Riverwalk Student Accommodation
• Liberty Blue Property Agents
• Daft.ie
• College Cribs

Private houses, apartments or house-share options are listed here  or the agencies named above.

The WIT Accommodation office can be contacted directly by emailing [email protected]

Ireland has a cold climate from November – February with temperatures varying from -5ºC to 5ºC. It is advisable to bring waterproof clothing and warm clothes (jumpers, coat etc.) From March onwards, the weather gets warmer with temperatures rising. Please see here  for further information on Irish weather.

In all probability you will be flying into Dublin airport. From Dublin, there are a number of possibilities for getting to Waterford. Please see below for the different ways of getting to Waterford.

Bus

Bus services are provided by Bus Éireann to all major Irish centres, and by JJ Kavanagh & Sons to locations such as Dublin and Carlow. The Bus Eireann timetable can be viewed here and the JJ Kavanagh bus timetable can be viewed here . The Bus Éireann station is located on the quays in Waterford opposite Dooley’s Hotel, and JJ Kavanagh & Sons stop at the Bus Éireann station, Parnell Street, City Campus and Riverwalk student accommodation. Bus Éireann have ten daily services to Dublin, Monday to Saturday with five on a Sunday. JJ Kavanagh & Sons have thirteen daily departures to Dublin.

J.J. Kavanagh & sons operate a regular bus service from Dublin airport to Waterford. Please see their website for times of buses. This journey takes approximately four hours.

Rail

Trains (operated by Iarnród Éireann) operate from Heuston Station, Dublin  to Plunkett Station, Waterford. For timetables please see here. The Waterford train station is located across the Edmund Rice Bridge on the north side of the River Suir. There are eight daily connections to Dublin, and 2 direct daily connections each way to Limerick Junction.  There are no direct passenger services between Waterford and Cork. A change at Limerick Junction allows passengers to join the Dublin-Cork line.

Yes, the Office for International Relations organises an Orientation Programme, which is mandatory for all new students to attend. Students will be informed of the date of this a number of weeks before the event. Information can also be found on the Pre-Arrival section of the website. International students should also inform the Office for International Relations their date of arrival to Waterford by email.

Prior to opening a bank account, international students are required to have a Waterford address.  The bank requires this for security reasons when sending a student’s debit card, PIN number and bank statement in the post. If you do not have an address, this will lead to delays in opening an account with the bank.  

Please see here for further information.

Yes, an International student at WIT will receive an email account at registration. The email address is normally the student’s WIT ID number, followed by @mail.wit.ie, example: [email protected]

Private medical Insurance is a prerequisite for obtaining a student visa. The onus is on the individual student to obtain his or her own adequate private medical insurance. This is a requirement to obtain a study visa to come and study in Ireland. Students may obtain medical insurance from their home country or an Irish provider.

Some of the main medical insurance providers in Ireland are:

• Study & Protect
• Halligan Insurances
• Vhi International Students
• Laya Healthcare
• Irish Life Health Insurance  

The following services are available to ALL students at WIT:

Institute Nurse

Nurse Elma Clancy is a member of the student support services team within the college. The Institute Nurse provides a service that enables students to look at their overall health and wellbeing in a holistic manner. The main services provided by the Institute Nurse are listed on the webpage here , and students can book a free appointment with Nurse Elma by filling out the Appointment Form here.

For any other queries on this service you can email [email protected] .

 

Medical Services – Rowe Creavin Medical Practice

The Rowe Creavin Medical practice offer a medical service to all Waterford Institute of Technology students. They operate from their main Rowe Creavin Medical Practice at Waterford Health Park, Slievekeale Road, Waterford City, X91 X3HY. Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm for all registered WIT students, see here . The on campus centre is temporarily closed due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.

They offer routine appointments in the surgery and telephone consultations as needed. Please note that you must contact the surgery prior to any of these appointments. 

To make an appointment or to speak to the medical team please contact the Rowe Creavin Practice; 051-370057 or email [email protected].  There are options available for students to join a medical scheme to make paying for GP/services easier.

 

Counselling Service

WIT Student Counselling Service offers a confidential psychological counselling service free of charge to registered full time students.  A team of professionally qualified Psychotherapists and Psychologists provides counselling.  No problem is too big or too small to bring to counselling.

We are providing counselling remotely by video and phone consultation to continue to support your emotional, psychological and academic well-being. 

Counselling is available by appointment only, and can be requested by completing the Appointment Form here .
 

Chaplain

The chaplain, David Keating provides pastoral care for students in WIT and responds to the personal needs of individual students on a day-to-day basis. The Chaplain’s office is located at D26 on the Cork Road campus, phone; 051-302617 or 086 330 2086, After hours on 051-378878, Email: [email protected]. WIT website: here .

There is also a Quiet Room available on the Cork Road Campus where students can go at any time of the day to pray or meditate.
 

Careers Development Centre

WIT’s award winning Careers Development Centre is the main point of contact for students and graduates, helping them explore their options, develop their employability skills and attributes required to manage their careers throughout their working lives.

The centre also runs career workshops, seminars, employers’ fairs and presentations. You can contact the careers centre by email at [email protected] or view the WIT webpage here .

The WIT Careers Development Centre launched the Careers Connect platform in February 2021 for students, graduates and employers. Students, sign up to our WIT Careers Connect service to submit a query, request a CV review and make an appointment. Employers connect with and offer a career opportunity to our graduates.

 

WIT Students Union

All full-time registered students are automatically members of the Students’ Union (WITSU).

The union’s main activities within the institute are to represent students’ interests, lobby for their needs, protect their welfare and support their initiatives.

The union actively seeks to prevent problems arising for students. It is both a strong lobbying and a representative organisation working on behalf of the students of WIT. The union may also intervene on students’ behalf in possible areas of conflict such as academic problems, accommodation and personal difficulties, access and retention in third level education, as well as safeguarding students’ rights on a wide range of issues within WIT and on a national scale.

 

WITSU International Student officer

The WITSU team includes an International Student officer who supports incoming International students as it recognises that coming to a new college can be difficult but coming to a new country must be even more challenging. 

They help to run the “Buddy Scheme” in conjunction with the Office for International Relations. New students receive a ‘Buddy’ who has spent at least a year studying in WIT.  This “Buddy” will be able to answer some more basic questions about WIT and the surrounding areas and will inform students about various fun activities happening in Waterford.

The students’ code of conduct can be found here