Citizenship and Fee Eligibility in Northern Ireland
Citizenship and residency status play a key role in determining whether a student qualifies for “home” tuition fees or is charged international fees when studying at universities in Northern Ireland, including Ulster University. Only Irish and UK citizens have automatic right to study in the UK and Northern Ireland.
Why does citizenship matter?
To qualify for home fee status, a student must typically meet two key conditions:
- Citizenship – British or Irish; and
- Ordinary residence – usually living in the UK, Ireland, or EU/EEA for at least 3 years before the course starts, for reasons other than education.
Failing to meet either condition may mean a student is liable for international fees, which are significantly higher, and in most cases will require a student visa to study in the UK.
What does this mean for Irish and UK citizens?
Irish citizens living in the Republic of Ireland are eligible for home fees in Northern Ireland due to the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement between Ireland and the UK.
What does this mean for EU and International Citizens?
If you are not a UK or Irish citizen, even if you have lived in the Republic of Ireland for several years, you will not qualify for home fee status in Northern Ireland.
For example:
- A student born outside Ireland/UK who holds only a non-Irish, non-UK passport (e.g. Brazilian, Nigerian, Indian, etc.), even if they have completed a Post-Leaving Cert (PLC) course or Leaving Cert in Ireland, may still be classed as an international student for fee purposes, depending on their immigration status and residency history.
Who is entitled to Irish Citizenship?
You are an Irish citizen if at least one of the following applies:
- You were born in Ireland or Northern Ireland before 1 January 2005;
- You were born in Ireland or Northern Ireland after 1 January 2005 to an Irish or entitled parent;
- You have an Irish parent or grandparent and claim citizenship by descent; or
- You have been granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation.
Proof of Citizenship
When you apply, our Admissions team will ask you to provide proof of your citizenship either from one of the following:
- Irish Passport: If you hold a valid Irish passport, this confirms your Irish citizenship.
- Your Parent(s) Irish Passport: If your parent is an Irish citizen, then you are also automatically an Irish citizen.
- Foreign Births Certificate: If you were born outside Ireland but are entitled to citizenship through an Irish parent or grandparent, and you registered with the Irish Foreign Births Register, your Foreign Birth Registration certificate is proof of Irish citizenship.
- Certificate of Naturalisation: If you became an Irish citizen through the naturalisation process, you’ll have received an official Certificate of Naturalisation from the Irish Department of Justice.
If you have any questions about the type of evidence we accept for proving Irish or UK citzenship, please contact our Admissions Team: admissions@ulster.ac.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are an Irish citizen:
No, you do not need a study visa to study in Northern Ireland (or anywhere in the UK). Thanks to the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement between Ireland and the UK, Irish citizens have the right to live, work, and study in the UK without a visa.
If you are not an Irish or UK citizen:
You may need a UK Student Visa to study in Northern Ireland, depending on your citizenship and residency status. However, if you later become an Irish citizen (through descent or naturalisation), you will no longer need a visa.
No. Irish citizens retain full rights to study in the UK, including Northern Ireland, under the CTA. Brexit did not affect these rights.
The CTA is a long-standing arrangement between the UK and Ireland that allows citizens to move freely, live, work, and study in either country without a visa or special immigration status.
No. Irish citizens do not need to register with UK immigration, apply for visas, or apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
If you are not a UK or Irish citizen, then you will be required to apply for a study visa from www.gov.uk/student-visa
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