Part time work

Part-time employment is a good way to lessen the financial burden of studying abroad, improve your English in real life work situations, and build upon your academic experience if the work is related to your course subject. Student visa holders however, must ensure that they are legally entitled to hold down a casual job.

Students from the EEA (European Economic Area) are free to take up employment in Ireland.

Non-EEA students who are enrolled in a one-year (minimum) and full time course that is recognised by the Dept of Education can work for 20 hours’ a week, or 40 during holiday periods. To avail of part time work, non-EEA students need to have their passports stamped when registering with the GNIB - Garda National Immigration Bureau. Casual work must not interfere with your course attendance, and entitlement to work will cease as soon as your course is completed.

All employees in Ireland are required to have a PPS (Personal Public Service) number. You must be living in Ireland before applying for your PPS number and applications should be made to the nearest Social Welfare office with the following documentation. Applicants should bring a photo id (e.g. passport, national identity card, or immigration card) and evidence of your Irish address, such as a household bill (ESB, telephone, gas, etc).

Setting up a Bank Account

It is strongly recommended that you open a bank account upon arriving in Ireland. This service allows you to receive payment, save money, make transactions and is much safer than hiding your money under the bed!

Banks in Ireland provide a very modern and convenient service, with ATM machines readily available in big cities and small towns. It may prove beneficial however, especially if you intend to study outside Dublin, to investigate which banks have a branch in your new hometown. Banking costs vary, but many, if not all, banks have special offers for student customers.

*NB – As international students often rely on transferred monies for their initial expenses, it is important to remember that it can take up to two weeks for the international transfer of money through the banking system.