--- title: "Ireland vs the UK: a comparison based on verified data | Arman Education" description: "Tuition, living cost, visa, proof of funds, work hours, language requirement and post-study permit: the two countries side by side using only facts verified from official sources." canonical_url: "https://armaneducation.com/en/guides/ireland-vs-uk-for-international-students" locale: en meta: "og:description": "Tuition, living cost, visa, proof of funds, work hours, language requirement and post-study permit: the two countries side by side using only facts verified from official sources." "og:image": "https://armaneducation.com/og/og-en.png" "og:image:height": "630" "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "Ireland vs the UK: a comparison based on verified data" "twitter:image": "https://armaneducation.com/og/og-en.png" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://armaneducation.com/llms.txt) Planning # **Ireland vs the UK: a comparison based on verified data** Tuition, living cost, visa, proof of funds, work hours, language requirement and post-study permit: the two countries side by side using only facts verified from official sources. 8 min read ยท Updated: 2026-10-23 ## How to read this Figures come from official and university pages verified on 2026-10-23/2026-10-25. UK fee data rests on a sample of 10 universities, not the whole sector. This guide declares neither country better and gives no admission or visa guarantee. ## Tuition and living cost - Ireland, tuition (non-EU, 2025/26 Education in Ireland ranges): undergraduate Business EUR 10,300-29,000, Engineering 14,500-28,500, Arts & Humanities 13,500-28,200, Medicine & Health 50,135-62,500. Postgraduate Business EUR 14,000-40,000, Engineering 15,000-30,000. - Ireland, examples: TU Dublin BSc Computer Science EUR 13,500; UL Business 17,500; UCD Computer Science 29,500; UCC MSc 21,914-29,614. - UK, tuition (overseas fees, 2027 entry pages): undergraduate Warwick GBP 29,260-37,310, Manchester 35,300-39,700, UCL 40,800-48,600, Imperial 47,800; Oxford 39,620-66,580; Cambridge 30,798-70,554. Taught master's examples: Bristol 37,900, Manchester 39,700-41,400, UCL 44,400, Imperial 48,300-54,000. - Ireland, living: Trinity College Dublin estimates EUR 19,937-29,050 per year (undergraduate) and EUR 21,050-27,050 (postgraduate) in Dublin, including accommodation. - UK, living (university estimates): Cambridge GBP 1,330 per month (2027-28), Oxford 1,475-2,175, Edinburgh 1,546, Manchester 1,484-1,503, Imperial (London) 1,821-1,893, LSE at least 1,550. ## Visa and proof of funds - Ireland: nationals of visa-required countries apply through AVATS for a long-stay D study visa up to 3 months before travel; non-visa-required nationals need no visa but must register for stays over 90 days. The course must be full-time (at least 15 hours per week) and on the ILEP or TrustEd Ireland list. Single-entry visa EUR 60, multi-entry EUR 100; Irish Residence Permit registration EUR 300. Decisions take about 8 weeks. - Ireland, funds: EUR 10,000 per year for visa-required students and EUR 7,000 per year for non-visa-required. Private medical insurance is required (travel insurance is not accepted). - UK: online application with a CAS; from outside the UK up to 6 months before the course. Visa fee GBP 558; usually about 3 weeks from abroad. - UK, funds: first-year course fee (up to 9 months) plus GBP 1,529 per month in London or GBP 1,171 elsewhere (GBP 13,761 / 10,539 over 9 months). Funds must be held for 28 consecutive days. An ATAS certificate and TB test results may be needed. ## Work rights and post-study - Ireland: with Stamp 2, 20 hours per week in term time and 40 hours in holidays (June to September and 15 December to 15 January). Stamp 2A holders may not work. - UK: full-time degree-level study at a compliant higher education provider allows 20 hours per week in term time and full-time outside term; self-employment is not allowed. - Ireland, post-study (Stamp 1G): 12 months for level 8; level 9 or above 12 months, renewable for another 12 if the graduate shows steps toward graduate-level work. Apply within six months of the award notification; fee EUR 300. - UK Graduate route: 2 years if applying on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, 3 years for PhD graduates; fee GBP 937 and a healthcare surcharge of about GBP 1,035 per year (gov.uk/graduate-visa). ## Language and scholarships - Ireland: immigration minimum, for visa purposes only, is IELTS Academic 5.0 (TOEFL iBT 61, Duolingo 75); universities typically ask for IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 per band. - UK: CEFR B2 for degree level, proven by an approved SELT or a degree taught in English. - Scholarships: UK pages list Chevening, Commonwealth, GREAT and university schemes; eligibility and amounts for Turkey must be confirmed in the call text. Irish scholarship data is not used here as a verified summary. ## Decision checklist - Is my programme on the ILEP (Ireland), and is the university a licensed sponsor that will issue a CAS (UK)? - Have I calculated total budget (tuition + living + proof of funds + health surcharge) for both? - Is my post-study plan robust to the change in the Graduate route from 1 January 2027? - Did I note the verification date? ## **Frequently asked questions** This guide is general information. Dates, fees and requirements can change; verify official sources before applying. ## **Let us plan the right path for your goals** In a free initial consultation we review your profile, budget and goals, and narrow down the countries and universities that fit you. [**Free consultation**](https://armaneducation.com/en/contact) [**How we work**](https://armaneducation.com/en/how-it-works) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/en#website","@type":"WebSite","inLanguage":"en","name":"Arman Education","url":"https://armaneducation.com/en","publisher":{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/#/schema/organization/1"},"workTranslation":[{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/tr#website"},{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/ru#website"},{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/ua#website"},{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/kk#website"},{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/az#website"},{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/ar#website"}]},{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/en/guides/ireland-vs-uk-for-international-students#webpage","dateModified":"2026-10-23","datePublished":"2026-10-23","description":"Tuition, living cost, visa, proof of funds, work hours, language requirement and post-study permit: the two countries side by side using only facts verified from official sources.","name":"Ireland vs the UK: a comparison based on verified data","url":"https://armaneducation.com/en/guides/ireland-vs-uk-for-international-students","@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/en/guides/ireland-vs-uk-for-international-students#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://armaneducation.com/en#website"},"mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Which is cheaper?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In the sampled data Irish undergraduate fees sit in lower ranges, but fees vary widely by programme. Check your own programme."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How many hours can I work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Both allow 20 hours per week in term time; Ireland allows 40 hours in holidays, the UK full-time outside term."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I stay after graduating?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Ireland offers 12-24 months; the UK Graduate route offers 18 months to 3 years depending on application date. Neither is a job guarantee."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Are the figures current?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Verified on 2026-10-23/2026-10-25. 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