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Admission Procedures

Application Process

Incoming Erasmus students (and their coordinators) are requested to read carefully the information given here in relation to applying to University of Galway.

  • University of Galway uses an online application system for incoming Erasmus students. 
  • A link to the online application form will be sent to the e-mail addresses of students who are formally nominated for Erasmus by their home universities.
    • The Semester 1 / Full Year Erasmus student application deadline is May 31st. 
    • The Semester 2 Erasmus student application deadline is October 31st. 

The nomination of students is based on bilateral exchange agreements in specific subject areas, and students must not be nominated outside of these specified subject areas.

Coordinator Nomination Timeline:

  • Partner universities will receive a Nomination Form link through email in March for Semester 1 / Full Year and September for Semester 2.
    • Nominations through email will not be accepted.
  • The student information provided through the Nominations Form will be used to contact incoming students regarding their Application and pre-arrival information.
  • We have also provided a page specifically for coordinators, Information for Coordinators, which you are kindly requested to read carefully ahead of nominating your students.

Student Application Timeline:

  • After being nominated, students will be e-mailed the Erasmus Application Form link which they will have to complete. 
  • Please be sure to observe our  DEADLINES:
    • 31st May for Semester 1 and Full Year applicants
    • 31st October for Semester 2 applicants.  
  • Our online system will close on the dates of the respective deadlines, and no further applications can be submitted after that.

If you have any questions about filling out your Erasmus Application, please refer to our Application Guidebook: Filling out your Erasmus Application - A Guide

Thank you in advance for your cooperation, and we look forward to welcoming you to University of Galway!

Your Learning Agreement

University of Galway does not have a deadline for receipt of the Learning Agreements from incoming Erasmus students. This entirely a matter for your home university and you should aks your home university coordinator for guidance.

Important to Note

  • Please be sure to select only courses / modules available to Visiting Students in the Semester 1 Handbook and the Semester 2 Handbook.
  • You will be required to select modules in the subject area set out in the bilateral agreement between your university and University of Galway, and you should consult your home university coordinator if in doubt.
  • Students of Languages will usually be permitted to take some courses from other subjects within the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, but students are not permitted to take courses from more than one College.
  • Your Learning Agreement should be sent directly to your University of Galway Academic Coordiantor.

However, if you are a student of any of the following universities, your Learning Agreement should be sent to the Erasmus Executive at krisin.anderson@universityofgalway.ie

  • Malta (exception: Maths)
  • Utrecht (exception: Film Studies)
  • Uppsala (exception: Languages and Medicine)

Filling in your Learning Agreement

FACULTY: Faculties are referred to as 'Colleges' at University of Galway and there are five of them:

  1. College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies (it will suffice to write "Arts")
  2. College of Business, Public Policy and Law (it will suffice to write either "Business" or "Law")
  3. College of Science and Engineering (it will suffice to write either "Science" or "Engineering")
  4. College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science (it will suffice to write "Medicine" or "Nursing")

DEPARTMENT: This is the Discipline or School you are based in, according to the bilateral agreement between your university and ours.

  • You can find a list of Disciplines/Schools on the Colleges and Schools page. Ask your home university coordinator if you are uncertain. 

University of Galway's address: University Road, Galway, Ireland

University of Galway's Erasmus code: IRLGALWAY01.

Ireland's Country Code: IE.

Receiving Responsible Person: This is your Academic Coordinator at University of Galway, the person who must sign your learning agreement on behalf of this university.

  • The 'Receiving Responsible Person' is not the Incoming Erasmus Coordinator or anyone in the Global Galway office, unless you are a student from Malta, Uppsala or Utrecht coming here on an 'All Subjects' or 'Humanities' exchange.

 

Orientation Programme

When is Orientation

  • Semester 1 / Full Year: First week of September, before the first week of teaching.
  • Semester 2: Mid January, before the first week of teaching.

Within the main Orientation Programme, there will be a special session for Erasmus students, where various procedures and paperwork (in relation to the Erasmus programme and registration of subjects) will be addressed.

What is Orientation

Orientation programmes are organised to provide newly-arrived international students with practical information and advice about:

  • Living in Galway
  • The services and facilities of the University
  • Student Services personnel
  • Relevant academic and administrative staff
  • Registering for courses
  • Certificates of Attendance

The orientation sessions are designed to help the student to settle into university life and the new environment as quickly and easily as possible.

Attendance at Orientation is compulsory for all incoming Erasmus students. 

 

Knowledge of English

Most lectures are conducted through the medium of English.  A small number of courses are offered through the Irish language only.  A good knowledge of English is therefore essential.

At University of Galway, we do not have a specific exam-based requirement in relation to Erasmus students’ level of English but we do expect that incoming students have a good command of the English language, both written and spoken, so that they will be able to follow lectures, work with English-language textbooks, participate in small-group coursework, and write their assignments and exams without undue difficulty.

However, you are not required to provide any particular certificate of language competence when you make your application, but you should bear in mind that students with limited ability in English are likely to encounter difficulty in reading and discussing academic texts with specialised vocabulary and abstract concepts. 

If you feel that your level of English might not be adequate, then we would strongly advise that you work on improving it in the months before starting your Erasmus studies at University of Galway.

While a good command of English is an important requirement, we naturally recognise that one of the main purposes of the study period is to improve language performance.  English-language classes (at various ability levels) are offered free of charge for a five-week period at the beginning of each semester.  More details will be provided at Orientation.

Immigration Procedures

  • Students who are EU citizens do not need visas to enter Ireland. 
  • Students from non-EU countries should note that they may need visas to enter Ireland and that they will be asked to produce proof of their acceptance at University of Galway upon their arrival in Ireland, i.e. at the airport. 
  • You can find out more about visa requirements on the Department of Justice website.

Visa Application

  • You will be required to present a formal acceptance letter (hard copy) from University of Galway. 
    • You will need to inform the Global Galway Office if you require such a letter. 
  • It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that you make the request in good time so as to allow 6 – 8 weeks for your visa application to be processed. 
  • Visa applications should be made to the Irish Embassy or Consulate in the country in which you reside. 
  • If there is no embassy or consulate, you can make the application to your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate, or directly to the Visa Office, Dept of Foreign Affairs, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. 

Please do not delay in making your visa application: we have seen several cases where students did not allow enough time to secure their visa and had to delay their travel to Ireland. This meant that they not only incurred additional financial costs but also had their study plans disrupted by having missed the all-important early weeks of the semester. 

Please allow at least 8 weeks for the processing of your visa application.

Non-EU visiting students who remain longer than three months in Ireland will be required to register with the immigration authorities within one month of arrival.  At the orientation session you will be advised of the exact procedures involved in registering with the immigration authorities.

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