Immigration

• When you land in Ireland you will go through immigration (passport control). You will not be entering
Ireland as a tourist, as you will be residing here. Therefore, you will need to have certain documents with
you to prove that you have the right to stay here for more than 90 days. You will need to have the
following documents as you go through passport control. They may ask to see them, or they may not.
o A letter of enrolment (or your acceptance letter)
o Proof that you paid your student deposit (print out of the receipt)
o Proof of Financial Support - need to have the equivalent of 3,000 euros in a bank account
o Proof of health insurance
• When you clear passport control, you will be given 90 days to get an appointment with the immigration
office to apply for your Irish residence permit. You will need to call their office to make an appointment
for the permit interview. You should do this sooner rather than later, as they can be difficult to get a hold
of. Unfortunately, you can only call them once you are in Ireland.
• When you go in for you Residence Permit appointment, you will need to bring the following documents:
o Letter of enrolment
o Copy of fees paid
o Proof of health insurance
o Proof of Financial Support - need to have the equivalent of 3,000 euros in a bank account
o Passport
What to Pack

Everyone is different, so priority hits different marks for different folks. On average, most students brought two
50(ish)lb suitcases and a carry-on bag. Elizabeth decided to be difficult and bring three rolling suitcases, one
backpack, and one carry-on, so don’t feel too bad if you overpack. Heavy or bulky things like kitchenware, room
decorations, school supplies, etc. can be purchased here in Ireland so don’t feel worried about fitting it all into
your luggage.

Clothing:
I recommend looking up the weather for Ireland. Most of it falls between 35º and 65ºF (1.5 and 18.5ºC). There is a
good bit of rain and wind, so keep this in mind when packing.

• Mainly comfortable fall and winter clothes

• A few warmer weather outfits for late summer/early fall
• RAIN or WEATHER-RESISTANT JACKET
• Needs to be windproof. The wind here will literally knock you off your feet at times
• I’d recommend buying a rain jacket over an umbrella if you can only bring one because the wind likes to
turn umbrellas inside-out
• A pair of shoes that are comfortable to walk in for getting around campus and the city centre, preferably
ones that won’t get ruined if you’re caught in a quick shower
• A pair of slippers or slides that can easily come on and off for quick walks around your accommodation
building, the laundry room, Centra, or the dumpsters when it’s time to empty the bins
• Clothing and shoes for activities/hobbies
o Like pubbing, hiking, working out, horseback riding, etc. Literally whatever floats your boat that
requires specific clothing
• Maybe one business casual outfit for any fancier guest speaker/events or job interviews if you want to
torture yourself more while in your first year

Toiletries/Medications
• If there are any brands of makeup or personal products that you cannot live without, you may want to
check if they are available here, or just plan to bring a supply.
• I would recommend bringing a few travel size versions of your skin/body care products in your carryon in
case your checked luggage gets lost, you get to Ireland and feel too tired to run to the store right away, or
you feel a bit confused navigating around a whole new place
• 3 months worth of prescription medications. That should give you enough time to get settled and get an
appointment at student health so you can get refills on your medications.
o If you are taking a medication that you MUST have daily, DO NOT put all of it in your checked
luggage. Put at least 1 week's worth in your carry on, in case your luggage gets misplaced.
• Some medications such as Ibuprofen and melatonin are not available over the counter in Ireland. If there
are any over the counter medications that you use, and you are not sure if you should bring them with
you, you can check with Kaitlyn or me to see if they are available in Ireland.

For Life - Housing/Etc.:

• An Irish/UK outlet plug or an adapter for the US/Canadian chargers you already have. I bought two of the
ones linked below before flying to Ireland and they offer plenty of space to plug in all of my electronics
• https://www.amazon.com/Ireland-Scotland-Adapter-TESSAN-
American/dp/B07Y2V1HXV/ref=sr_1_4?crid=XZV2XXXRUD7U&keywords=us+uk+power+adapter&qid=165
0122489&sprefix=us+uk+%2Caps%2C282&sr=8-4
• You can bring over things like room decor, school supplies, and bedding but know that you can purchase
everything here once you arrive if you don’t want the extra bulk in your luggage. See below for more
information on what’s provided in student accommodation and what to purchase
• Personal items to remind you of home, if you want.
 • A good throw blanket
• A tote bag/reusable grocery bag (or two)
• These lay flat as a pancake in your luggage and are super useful for grocery shopping and carrying Tesco
deliveries inside from the delivery truck
• If you don’t want to bring/buy a clothes hamper for your laundry, a large tote bag is also useful for
throwing dirty clothes into and carrying to and from the laundry room

What to Purchase in Ireland

For Class:
• School supplies!
o Pens, paper, notebooks, planners, highlighters, markers, colored pencils, etc. Whatever you want
for in-class note taking if you don’t like to take digital notes or at home when you’re studying
o School supplies can be purchased at Tesco, Eason, or on campus at Centra, the SU shop, or the
library bookstore.

For Life- Housing/Etc.:

• Your bedroom and bathroom
o A calendar to pin to the board in your room (if you’re living on campus) to keep track of
important dates like labs, exams, etc
o A screwdriver
o There is under-the-bed storage for your luggage bags or whatever else if you unscrew the slats
under your mattress (good upperclassman hack!)
o Hangers for your clothes
o Storage container(s) for odds-and-ends, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.
o Decorations
§ On-campus accommodations are so kind as to provide you with one piece of artwork in
your bedroom
§ These artworks range from a man on an old-timey bicycle to a screeching baboon (no,
I’m unfortunately not kidding) to a puppy wearing soccer cleats
o You can also hang pictures/tapestries, fairy lights, etc. of your own, but PLEASE be weary of what
temporary attachments you use because the wall paint chips off fairly easy
o Hair tools
§ If you’re a material girl, please don’t bring over your American heating tools
(straighteners, curling irons, etc.) because their wattage is different and may set the
building on fire 🤯
o Towels
o Bedding
o If living on campus, you will have a twin size bed. The school provides you with one pillow, one
mattress pad, and one duvet/comforter
o The duvet/comforter that you’re provided with is the insert; unless you want to sleep under a
rough blanket, you’d want to purchase a duvet cover to put over it
o Duvet covers are often paired with pillow cases, but bed sheets will likely need to be bought
separately
• Kitchen
o When we arrived on campus last year, there were tons of plates, bowls, cups, mugs, pots,
silverware, etc. in many of the student accommodations but this is not guaranteed.
§ If you arrive to your accommodation and the cabinets are stocked, check with your
roommates to see who owns what before using anything
§ Even though we arrived to campus to find some kitchen wares, many students still opt
to go to the store to purchase their own dishes and what not
 o Each student accommodation comes equipped with an electric stove top, a microwave, fridge
and freezer, a kettle, and a toaster
§ If you’re living in UCD Village you will also be blessed with an oven
o Lots of students opt to purchase things like an air fryer, blender, and/or french press depending
on your preferences and what you like to cook
o Tupperware is always a good thing to consider buying for leftovers
§ Lots of delivery places send their food out in sturdy plastic containers that are good for
repurposing into tupperware

Where Do I Buy My Stuff?!:

• TK Maxx
o AKA TJ Maxx in the US and Canada
o Take a moment to thank your deity that TJ/TK Maxx exists in Ireland
o They sell towels, bedding, dishes, clothes, decorations, hair supplies, etc.
o Located at the Dundrum Shopping Centre
• IKEA
o It’s IKEA! They sell all the stuff
o There are 2 IKEA’s in Dublin; the one north from campus is easier to get to by public transport
(take the 155, the destination will literally say “IKEA”)
• Dunnes
o A little pricey, but they also sell similar things to what you would find at TK Maxx
o This is the main place people were able to find pairing knives for cutting things other than butter
• Woodie’s
o This is like Home Depot or Lowes
o If you like plants, they got plants
• Paper Tiger
o Sort of like Five Below
o Lots of cheap little knick knacks to make your dorm feel more homey
o Beware: you will want to buy everything you see
o Located in the Dundrum Shopping Centre
• Tesco
o They sell pillows and bedding (duvet/pillow covers and bed sheets) at very reasonable prices,
though the selection may not be the most expansive
o You can also find school supplies here
o Everything can be delivered if they have it in stock
o The big Tesco store is located in the Dundrum Shopping Centre
§ Other locations may be an “Express” Tesco and only carry food items
• Eason
o There’s lots of locations around Dublin
o It’s a bookstore, kind of like Barnes & Noble
o They also sell art supplies if you’d like to replace your screeching baboon with a piece from your
own collection
• Amazon
o Delivers to Ireland! (and on campus)
o Make sure you are ordering from https://www.amazon.co.uk/ and changing your shipping details
to your Irish address
o Some things you may be able to find on American Amazon may not be available in Ireland/UK
and vice versa
• Other online shipment methods
o Fedex/UPS will not deliver on campus and you will need to trek to Northern Dublin to pick up
your parcels from their warehouse/fulfilment center.
Information on Finding an Apartment in Dublin:

General Information:

• Towns Near Campus

o Dublin 4: Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Sandymount
o Dublin 6: Ranelagh, Rathgar, Rathmines
o Dublin 14: Clonskeagh, Dundrum, Goatstown
o Dublin County: Blackrock, Booterstown, Mount Merrion, Stillorgan, Dun Laoghaire

Below are Dublin's postcodes or “eircodes”. These are like American zip codes. The eircode for UCD is D04
V1W8. The first number represents the different areas or neighbourhoods (UCD is located in Dublin 4, D04).

• Finding an apartment is difficult but not impossible. Stay persistent and you will find a place
o Finding places that will allow you to bring pets is even more difficult and should be seriously
considered before you start all the vet paperwork
o You may not get emails back, that is normal so don’t get too upset about it
• In terms of location and costs, apartments north of campus (south of city center) will be slightly more
expensive than apartments south or west of campus
• If you intend on living in one place for all four years, you will have to make sure that you are at least 20
minutes from campus by your preferred transportation method (car, bus, bike, walking) for your clinical
placements
• Finding an apartment is not like in the states. There are no real estate agents that you can contact to
show you apartments. Almost everything is done online besides the site tour.
• Daft.ie is the primary website to use.
• Good Resource: www.ucd.ie/residences/bookinginfo/offcampus/
The Do Nots
• Do not hand over any money to a landlord before seeing the place (either through a physical or virtual
tour over facetime/zoom/etc..). Scams are run all the time with apartment ads. If you have any concerns,
please reach out to Pam or I.
• Do not apply to an apartment without first getting some paperwork in order. I found that when applying
for apartments, it was best to have everything in order before contacting landlords or listings that way –
in the chance that they do respond back – the application process can be moved along more quickly. This
paperwork would include:
o A reference from a previous landlord or from a previous employer (if you have never rented
before)
o Proof of funds – typically they ask to see 3 months’ worth of bank statements to ensure that you
can afford the accommodation
o Identification – copy of your passport and/or driver’s license
• Do not apply to an apartment without first knowing what you want. For example, when you apply, you
should know when you want to know:
o When you would want the lease to start
o How long you would be looking to lease for (1 – 4 years)
o Who you will be living with if you are living with a roommate
§ All of this information should be included in your initial submission email to listings (see
draft email below)

Apartment Hunting
• Where to look
o Daft.ie
§ Setting Up Ad Alerts:
• Daft.ie allows you to search for apartments based on location, price, the
number of beds, the property type, number of bathrooms, lease length,
furnishing, facilities
• Once you put in your preferences, you can “heart” this search which will allow
you to receive emails from daft when an apartment fitting your listing criteria is
listed on the website
• My suggestion would be to email the listing agent through daft’s email box as
soon as possible. This will increase the likelihood that you will get an email back
since you will be one of the first to respond to the ad. I would just copy and
paste the below message
• Lots of ads are posted everyday so don’t get discouraged!
§ Sample Draft Email: Hi! My name is (insert name). I am a (insert age) and will be
entering the University College Dublin’s Graduate Entry Veterinary Medicine Program
this September. I am a non-smoker looking to looking to rent an apartment starting in
(insert month and year) for a minimum of (enter desired lease length). If this apartment
is still available, I would love to schedule a tour. Thank you!
• If you intend on living with a roommate(s), please include their names and ages
in this email as well
o UCD Accommodation Pad (www.ucdaccomodationpad.ie)
§ This is run by the UCD Residences Booking and Support Office, which shows listings of
houses, flats, apartments, lodgings and general self-catering accommodations.
§ In order to get registered for the accommodation pad, forward your UCD offer or
acceptance letter to roombookingsupport@ucd.ie, register on the site with your
preferred email address, then verify your email. Your “application” for the
accommodation pad must be activated by UCD after it is verified, which is only done
Monday – Friday 9:00am (1:00am PST/4:00am EST) to 5:00pm (9:00am PST/12:00pm
EST)
 § Most of these ads will be for a bedroom within someone’s house, which is a common
thing to do. However, I personally do not know any graduate entry students/north
American students that have found accommodation through this pad.
§ There are other websites that you may come across in your search, however, I would
suggest sticking to these two websites.

Other Accommodation Options

• Student Accommodations – these are facilities that are not associated with a particular university, but are
composed of dorms that are similar in style to what is on the UCD campus. These are great if you are in a
bind and need somewhere to stay. They do not allow pets and you would be randomly assigned
roommates. These facilities are typically north of the Liffy so they are a bit of a trek from campus but you
can catch buses from them to campus or even ride your bike through city center.
• Several students from my class stayed in these accommodations until they were able to find an apartment
closer to campus that fit their price range.
• To find these facilities, just search “student accommodations in Dublin” in Google and a bunch will come
up.
• Examples:
o Heyday Student Living – Carman’s Hall in Dublin 8
o Ardcairn House
Grocery Stores/Places to eat

Grocery Stores Near Campus:

Centra
• The definition of a nearby grocery store. There is a Centra located in the UCD Village right on campus. It is
located between Ashfield and Merville Residences. They typically close at 10PM and have a relatively
good food selection considering how small the store is (they even carry fresh produce and meats). If
you’re in a rush for lunch time or wanting a late night snack, they have a selection of pre-made
sandwiches, wraps, salads and sushi, as well as made-to-order ice cream, subs and pizza. The prices at
Centra aren’t the cheapest, but the convenience is unbeatable.

Tesco:
• The big grocery store where you can stock up on everything you can think of! Bring backpacks and/or tote
bags to carry your groceries out in (most stores do not offer plastic bags). There are two within
reasonable walking distance (~30min) from campus, but you can take a bus if you don’t want to walk the
whole way.

Tesco Delivery:
• I cannot recommend Tesco delivery enough. If you go to https://www.tesco.ie/ , you can make a free
account and grocery shop from the comfort of your own bed. Delivery fees range from €3-10 depending
on what time of day you want your groceries delivered. Compared to spending €2-3 on the bus both ways
plus the hassle of lugging your grocery bags around, delivery saves you a lot of time and energy. The Tesco
drivers are always very nice and are familiar with UCD’s campus, so don’t worry too much about them
finding your accommodation. Tesco will deliver anything from extra pillows to alcohol. Many people will
do their big grocery hauls this way, then head over to Centra to pick up odds and ends in between
deliveries.

Supervalu:
• A cute grocery store that’s a bit smaller than Tesco, but larger (and cheaper) than Centra. There is one
right around the corner from UCD campus (~20min walk) in the neighborhood near Roebuck Castle.
Supervalu also offers a delivery service.

Other Options in Dublin:

• The Dundrum Shopping Centre and the Dublin city centre have M&S (Marks & Spencers), Dunnes (they
are kind of like an upscale Target), multiple dollar store-type stores (EuroGiant, etc.) and convenience
stores (Spar, Costcutter, etc.). There are also local stores scattered about the area that specialize in vegan
and organic options, such as Veganic near Stephen’s Green and The Health Store in Stillorgan Shopping
Centre. If you’re feeling fancy, there are a handful of butcher’s shops as well.

Deliveroo:
• This is the local food delivery app like Ubereats or Grubhub. Many local chains, restaurants, and
convenience stores will deliver through the app and it is very convenient!!

Restaurants:
• Many of the chain restaurants that we have in the US and Canada can also be found here in Dublin,
though be prepared that their menu may look a little different. Dublin has McDonald’s, Burger King, Five
Guys, Papa John’s, Domino’s, Starbucks, KFC, Subway, Nando’s, and Johnny Rocket’s (it’s called Eddie
Rocket’s here).
• Apache Pizza is unique to Ireland and is a fan favorite amongst…. everyone. They are reasonably priced,
have lots of good meal deals, deliver, and are open until 4AM.
• I’d reckon that nearly all of the cuisines we have back home can also be found in Dublin and then some.
 • Farmer Brown’s is a popular restaurant that’s ~20min walk from campus. It’s a bit pricey, but the
atmosphere is very nice and they have a big outdoor seating area.
• There are many good Irish, American, Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Eastern European, African, etc.
restaurants around the area if you’re looking to feel at home again or expand your palette.
Recommendations below:
o https://www.facebook.com/SalsaMexicanFood/
o https://maoathome.ie/menus/#/menu/1709
o http://arisukorearestaurant.com/wordpress/
o https://jerusalemrestaurant.ie/menus/
o https://brotherhubbard.ie/
o http://www.admiralrestaurant.com/index.php?page=menu-main
o https://www.farmerbrowns.ie/clonskeagh-pub
o https://www.bunsen.ie/
o https://www.facebook.com/LilysCafeRestaurant/

Other Groceries:
• For non-Western groceries with a selection bigger than just one aisle, try some international markets. My
favourite place is located in City Centre and is called Asia Market (they deliver too and have a fire hot food
counter/restaurant in the back). If you’re looking for a specific cuisine, just try Googling and I’m sure you’ll
be able to find a store nearby!
o https://www.asiamarket.ie/

Places on UCD Campus

In addition to Centra, there are a few dining options on campus for a quick bite during the school day.
• BlueBird Cafe:
o Inside the Newman/library building; they have excellent coffee and pastries, but are a bit pricey
• Coffee trucks:
o Located in front of BlueBird and to the right side of the big square lake on campus when your
back is facing the Newman building
• Food trucks:
o They usually come every Thursday around lunchtime and park in the grassy area near the
engineering building or in between the Union building and Sports Centre; there are tons of food
options depending on which truck you go to and the day, including fish and chips, mexican, and
thai
• Pi:
o Located on the ground floor of the science building; they have great breakfast and lunch options
at reasonable prices and lots of seating areas for both small and large groups
• SU Shop:
o Located on the ground floor of the library building; they have similar grab-and-go items as Centra
as well as a deli, coffee, and some school supplies/UCD apparel available for purchase; they are
often less crowded than Centra during lunch time
• Clubhouse:
o Your dreams have come true- there is a pub directly on campus for you to enjoy; they serve hot
meals at reasonable prices (menu changes slightly depending on the day) and have a full bar of
pints and mixed drinks that are much cheaper than what you’d find in the city centre
o Located in the Union building, next to the sports building/gym
o Everyone likes to come here after exams to forget
Transportation

Leap Card
• Your prepaid bus card! You can apply for a youth card or a student card (depending on your age);
temporary ones are available as well.
• Using the card ends up being ~30% cheaper than using coins to pay for bus trips, and the student card has
even more of a discount.
• Before you get your student card, you can use a temporary one if you wish.

Where can you get a Leap Card?

• Temporary cards can be bought and topped up at Centra on campus or at other convenience stores such
as Spar and Costcutter. Many of these places will have a little sign outside of the door with the Leap Card
frog logo to let you know that they service bus cards there.
• The student card can be applied for online, and then the card needs to be printed at designated locations
(including the bookstore on campus.
• To apply for one please check out the student leap card website: https://www.studentleapcard.ie/

Where can you top up your Leap Card?

• “Topping up” is what we mean by putting money onto your card. If you’d like to top up in person, the
Centra or SU Shop on campus are the most common/closest locations. Again, many convenience stores
around Dublin will offer this service as well.
• The Dublin Bus headquarters in the city centre will also allow you to top up your bus card there.
• Leap Card has an app that most people use now to top up their card. Once you download the app, you can
use your phone to scan your card and automatically put money onto it with a saved debit or credit card.
There is no wait time for this money to hit your account, so have no fear if you’re standing at the bus stop
and suddenly realize you don’t have money on your card!

Where can you go with a Leap Card?

• You can go all around Dublin on the bus routes and surrounding counties. The most common routes used
to commute to and from campus are the 39a, 46a, 145, 17, and 155. Check out https://dublinbus.ie/ if
you’re curious about routes and timetables. Apple Maps and Google Maps are very efficient in navigating
you on public transportation as well; if you’re trying to get somewhere, either map service will let you
know to where and for how long you need to walk to get to your bus stop, which number bus to take,
where to transfer busses if needed, and where to go once you get off your bus.

Notes About the Dublin Bus

• When you’re waiting at the bus stop and see your bus coming, stand at the curb and put your hand
out like you’re calling a taxi. The buses will only stop if they see someone at the bus stop hailing them
or if someone already on the bus has notified them that they are getting off at that location.
• Make sure your bus is going in the right direction! The buses in Dublin do not go in a constant loop;
instead, they travel in one direction for about an hour, take a break, then head back the opposite
way.
• When you’re on the bus and your stop is approaching, press the stop button! There are stop buttons
all over the place. When you press the button, an electric sign at the front of the bus will pop up
(“STOPPING”) and the driver will know to pull over. If you press the button and this sign doesn’t pop
up, press the button a few more times or try another button nearby. Things break sometimes.
• Thank your bus driver as you’re leaving! Google the video of what happens when you don’t thank the
Dublin Bus driver!! 🤣

Train
• The train is very convenient and relatively cheap for when you want to go long distances, such as to
Belfast or Galway.There are two main train stations in Dublin: Heuston and Connolly.
 • To buy a ticket, go to https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/Station/Dublin-Connolly and fill in the details of your
trip. Make sure to buy a student ticket! They’re about half the price of a normal ticket (€15 compared to
€30 for one way).
• When you get to the train station, find a ticket kiosk and type in your ticket number, then the kiosk will be
so kind as to give you a paper copy to use to go into the departure area.
• The trains are very comfortable and have large tables in between many of the seats that you can use to
eat or do work during the ride. Linked below are the train routes and fares:
• https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/rail-fares-and-tickets/fares-info

DART
• The beloved Dublin Area Rapid Transit
• The DART will take you from the very very north of Dublin to the very very south and many places in
between if you don’t want to take the bus or a taxi.
• Your Leap Card will work on the Dart, or you can buy a ticket for around €10 round trip. Linked below is
the DART website:
• https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-services/dart-commuter

LUAS
• This is the tram that runs through the city centre. Luas is Irish for ‘speed’, and this is a very slow-moving
vehicle.
• You can use your Leap Card on the Luas, or buy a ticket at the kiosks located at each tram stop.
• There are two LUAS routes: red and green. The LUAS trams run frequently and have the right of way on
the roads, so it's worth the experience to ride one if you’re spending time in the city.
• Linked below is the LUAS website and route/timetable information:
• https://www.dublinpublictransport.ie/dublin-trams

Taxis
• Taxis are everywhere. Like in New York, they will have a little yellow bar on top of the hood to help you
identify them.
• The Dublin taxis are especially useful if you’re in the city centre late at night and don’t want to wait for the
bus. They can be rather pricey, with trips often costing between €10-30 depending on the length of your
journey.
• All taxis take cash, but some will accept card payments if you ask them. You can either hail a taxi on the
street, or download the Freenow app to order a taxi prepaid as you would with Lyft or Uber.

Biking
• Biking is a great option for getting around Dublin if you don’t want to take public transportation. Most
roads have well-carved bike lanes either on the side of the road or near the sidewalk.
• If your bike needs repairs, I recommend going to the Belfield Bike Shop. The main store is across the
street from UCD on Stillorgan Road, but they also have a smaller store on campus. They are Inexpensive
for repairs and they sell bikes as well; they promise to buy back bikes you’ve purchased from them if you
keep the receipt. Their bikes tend to be around €400.
• Bike locks are a significant investment, since bike and tire theft (I don’t know, people like tires) are very
common in Dublin. Some sellers on Facebook Marketplace will sell you a bike with their bike lock
included, but always be weary of scams.
• https://www.facebook.com/Belfield-Bike-Shop-UCD-1695129990704255/
OTHER

Communication/WhatsApp
• I would recommend downloading WhatsApp in addition to obtaining an Irish phone plan. It's wifi/data-
based and a widely-used/popular messaging app to get around international text/call charges and
restrictions throughout Europe.
• When you meet folks and exchange contacts, they will most likely give you their Whatsapp number. Note
that Dublin is full of people from all over the world! WhatsApp is great for exchanging information with all
of your new international friends, whether or not they are from Ireland.

Banking
• It’s a very good idea to obtain an Irish bank account for general transactions and for the school to deposit
any potential loan money outside of tuition that you may be entitled to receive.
• Setting up a bank account (at least through BOI) was fairly painless and is 100% an online process. Make
sure you have pictures of your ID ready to submit, an Irish phone number, and an Irish address ready
when you go to apply for a bank account.
• BOI, Bank of Ireland - https://www.bankofireland.com/
• AIB, Allied Irish Banks - https://aib.ie/
- There are other banks, but these are the main ones.

Health Insurance Providers

• UCD’s information page on insurance information for students:
o https://www.ucd.ie/global/study-at-ucd/healthinsurance/
• VHI
o https://www1.vhi.ie/home
o This company has really good rates/bundles for students who may be off of their parents’
insurance plans and are concerned about being covered when they travel back home.
• Irish Life Health
o https://www.irishlifehealth.ie/health-insurance-plans
o This company has a lot of really nice insurance packages, all broken up by price, which hospitals
you want available to you, and coverage necessities.
• Use this link to compare different providers and plans. There is also the option of an international
insurance company; I am not familiar with this, but it exists and is an option.
o https://www.hia.ie/health-insurance-comparison
• Keeping the same insurance from home
o There is always the option to extend your home insurance plan (depending on the company) to
an international or travel plan to cover any potential medical expenses while you’re studying in
Ireland.
o Keep in mind though, that health insurance here tends to be much cheaper than back home, so
staying on two separate plans (one at home and one in Ireland) may seem like a lot, but will likely
be more cost-effective for you overall.