Visa advice

Table of contents

• Visa information for France

• Visa information for the Netherlands

• Visa information for Ireland

Student visa information for France

Obtaining a French Student Visa (Long-term Residence Permit), also known as Student VLS-TS (visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour).

Students who are not citizens of an EEA country (with the exception of Monaco, Andorra, The Vatican and San Marino), must obtain a residence permit for study before they travel to France. The authority responsible for issuing residence permits is the French embassy or consulate.

Once you are officially enrolled on the ONCAMPUS Paris programme and if you require a Student visa, you must apply through a visa service provider (TLS, VFS, CAPAGO or InfoVisa), or through the French Embassy/Consulate in your country of residence, for a Student residence permit (Student VLS-TS).

You can start your visa application three months before the start of the course. Where possible you should make your Student residence permit application online and make sure that you include the correct documentation. Please refer to the ‘Visa Application Journey’ document for further details.

Students can always contact the ONCAMPUS Paris team for assistance during the visa application process.

Student Visa Application Process

Visa checklist:

• Passport/travel documents (valid for at least 3 months longer than the Student visa expiry date)
• ID Photos
• Certificate of Registration issued by ONCAMPUS Paris
• Financial evidence:
  • EUR 615 per month (EUR 7,380, i.e. 12 months equivalent recommended)
  • Proof of adequate, reliable and regular income of financial sponsor (6 months + financial evidence history recommended)
• Accommodation document
• Proof of residency status (if not a citizen of the country applying from)
• All documents that are not in French/English need to be translated into French or English

Once you have submitted your supporting documents, paid your visa application fee and enrolled your biometrics, you can track your application progress via the online portal depending on the service provider you applied with.  

You will be notified when your passport is ready for collection. You can then travel to France with your Student visa. Please note that you will need to validate your Student visa within 3 months of arriving in France to obtain your Residence Permit.

For more information on the visa process click here

Student visa information for the Netherlands

• Non-EU students need to apply for an entry visa and/or residence permit to study in the Netherlands. 
• Most non-EU students will also need to apply for an entry visa (known as MVV) before travelling to the Netherlands.
• If you are from Japan, South Korea, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and Monaco, you will only have to apply for a residence permit before arrival (known as VVR). You will not need an entry visa. All other non-EU students will need both documents.
• You can apply online for a visa and/or residence permit via the University Immigration Office.
• Once you have applied, you then have to send in the original documents to UvA/AUAS.
• Once the application is approved, you will receive a visa valid for the length of your study. For example, for the Undergraduate Foundation Programme at University of Amsterdam, you will receive a residence permit/visa for 4 years.

Information for ONCAMPUS Amsterdam - University of Amsterdam (UvA) applicants:

Visa booklet for non-EU nationals, including students from China

Visa booklet for students from Japan, South Korea, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and Monaco

Student visa information for Ireland

Most international students need to apply for a study visa before arriving to study in Ireland.  The visa permits you to pursue a full-time educational course for longer than three months in Ireland.   You can apply for a study visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland. If you are visiting another State before travelling to Ireland, you must have the relevant visa for that State in your passport before applying for an Irish visa.  Check out the Irish Government guide at this link.  We will ask for visa-related information at the application stage to help advise you about if and how to secure the visa to study our programme. Contact us if you need to clarify anything about applying for the correct visa to come to study in Ireland. Students should also contact their local Irish Embassy for information. The College cannot give any guarantees for successful visa applications. To apply, you will need:

• Application Summary document

• Application letter

• Two colour passport sized photograph not more than 6 months old

• A valid passport.

• Evidence that you have enrolled on a privately funded course.

• Evidence accounting for any gaps in your educational history.

• Evidence of fee payment to college

• Evidence that you have the academic ability to follow your chosen course.

• Evidence of your level of English.

• Finances

• Private Medical Insurance.

• Previous Visa Refusals.

• Summary of finances for study visa application.

For financial requirements, students must show they have sufficient funds to support their stay in Ireland without recourse to public funds, or the reliance on casual employment. 10,000 euros per year of study is needed for visa application purposes with specific evidence required to be provided as proof of funds. Full details can be found from the Irish Immigration website here.

All non-Irish nationals, who are not citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, must register in person with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) after arrival and after completion of registration at your education institution. The GNIB will issue you with a residence permit/GNIB card. The fee for this card is €300 and must be paid by credit card, laser card or bank giro to the Irish Immigration authorities. If the immigration officers at Border Control decide to allow you entrance into Ireland, your passport will be stamped. The stamp states clearly the number of days, months or years you are allowed to stay in Ireland. You must register for an Ireland residence permit with the GNIB before those days run out. You will also receive the Ireland Stamp 2, which is the stamp awarded to full-time international students. This allows you to work in casual employment for 20 hours a week during term time and 40 hours a week in approved holiday times.

To comply with the Irish Immigration regulations, you must attend a minimum of 85% of all classes to maintain visa compliance. Attendance is recorded for every class and is monitored regularly. Poor attendance is a serious issue and will be followed up immediately. If not addressed, it can lead to warnings up to and including expulsion from the programme. See the UniHaven Attendance Monitoring Policy for full details.

Medical Insurance 

You are required to have medical insurance for the duration of your programme at the College. This must be purchased in advance of programme commencement to obtain a student visa to enter Ireland. Students can purchase medical insurance through the College, or you can arrange your own medical insurance provided it is in English. Students from the EU should travel to Ireland with their European Health Insurance Card to cover public medical care.