World-class research based on a distinctive, interdisciplinary approach to the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering and technology, and the arts and humanities.
The MU International Office is the first point of contact for international students applying for full-degree, Erasmus, Study Abroad, and Summer School programmes, and supports MU students who wish to study abroad.
All of us at the International Office in Maynooth University totally understand and appreciate that moving to a new university, new town, and new country is exciting, but not without challenges. While Ireland may have some similiarities to your home country there will undoutedly be many differences that you will be faced with, particularly during your first couple of weeks in Maynooth.
Important information sessions will take place during your orientation around student life for international students at Maynooth and the importance of understanding and adapting to new cultures. These sessions will also be made available online after they have taken place and the International Office staff will also be available to help answer any questions or queries you may have about living in Ireland!
Please click on the bleow tabs as they contain important pieces of practical information that you will need when living in Ireland.
The following websites are full with useful information and resources for living in Ireland:
To many people from across the globe, Ireland is seen as one of the best places to live in the world. The people of Ireland pride themselves and the country for the excellently high standards of education, quality of life, governance, ease of doing business, personal freedom and health that we enjoy while living on the Emerald Isle.
International students love coming to Ireland and indeed Maynooth as they always tend to experience a relaxed lifestyle with the ability to travel easily between cities and the beautiful countryside for which Ireland is famous.
World-Class Learning
Ireland’s education system provides some of the best learning opportunities on the planet, with outstanding teaching and high-quality programmes available at all levels.
Why Ireland?
As Education In Ireland say:
It takes independent thinkers and doers to succeed in today’s world - and it takes a pioneering, creative and agile country to produce them. That country is Ireland!
The Irish Overseas
Over the past 300 years, between 8 and 10 million people born in Ireland have emigrated. As a country and a people who fully appreciate the benefits to travel overseas for education or career development, Ireland is ideally postiioned to offer the warmest of welcomes to international students coming to study and live in our country.
Ireland – Key Facts
Size: 84,421 square kilometres
Population: 4.58 million (Dublin population – 1.35m)
Capital city: Dublin (25 minute drive from Maynooth)
Official languages: English and Irish
Currency: Euro
Population under 29 years: 40.2% (one of the highest in Europe)
Minimum wage: €10.10 per hour
TIMEZONE
Irish Standard TimeIST
Time Zone: Europe/ Dublin Universal Time Coordinated GMT / UTC: UTC+1 Daylight Saving Time GMT: Greenwich Mean Time: UTC+0 Standard Time IST: Irish Standard Time Currently in use: UTC+1
As the only university located in a town rather than a city, we estimate the cost of living to be less expensive at Maynooth University that at the other universities in Ireland. We advise students that cost of living including accommodation, books, entertainment, food, bills, etc. should be roughly be budgeted between €7,500 - €10,700 per year. This is intended as a guide: expenses will vary from student to student.
Cost of Living (estimated) for Academic Year (9 months or 38 weeks)
ON CAMPUS
OFF CAMPUS
MONTHLY (€)
ACADEMIC YEAR (€)
MONTHLY (€)
ACADEMIC YEAR (€)
RENT
550-710
4900-6370
400-600
3600-5400
UTILITIES
0
0
50-70
450-630
FOOD
120-180
1080-1620
120-180
1080-1620
TRAVEL
25-50
180-450
20-50
180-450
BOOKS & MATERIALS
30
270
30
270
CLOTHES & MEDICAL
45
405
45
405
MOBILE
20-40
180-360
20-40
180-360
SOCIAL LIFE
130
1170
130
1170
TOTAL
920-1185
8185-10645
815-1145
7335-10305
STUDENT ONCE OFF EXPENSES
Security Deposit for Accommodation 300-500 euros*
Textbooks 100-500 euros**
Bed Linen & Sundry Items for Accommodation 100-300 euros TOTAL €500-€1,300
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ONCE OFF EXPENSES
GNIB Card 300 euros
Taxi from Airport 50-60 euros
Re-entry Visa for Students Requiring Visas 60-100 euros ***
Medical Insurance 120-150 euros
Mobile Phone 50-350 euros TOTAL €580-€960
* refundable (for Off-Campus Accommodation)
** some secondhand textbooks are available in the SU Shop, textbooks are available to borrow in the University Library or at your local library
*** Single entry visa €60, Multiple entry visa €100
Cost of some general items:
Cinema ticket: €9.75 (student)
Single fare on the train: Maynooth-Dublin €4.60 (Leap Card: €3.56)
Single fare on the bus: Maynooth-Dublin €3.30 (Leap Card: €2.60)
Average price of a sandwich in a cafe: €4.95
Average price of a coffee in a cafe: €2.20 Food items:
Milk 1L € 1.19
Loaf of bread € 1.64
Butter (500 g) € 1.64
Sugar (1 kg) € 1.39
Coffee (200 g) € 3.99
Tea (160 bags) € 6.19
Coca Cola (2 litres) € 2.09
Big Mac Meal € 7.00
Supermarkets:
The following supermarkets/grocery stores are located in Maynooth: Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Supervalu.
Tesco is a large store with electrical items, clothing, homeware, and stationery, as well as groceries. Dunnes Stores and Aldi are located right beside the North campus, just a two-minute walk from on-campus accommodation. You will find homeware clothing in Dunnes, along with groceries. Supermarkets have "own brand" food, e.g. St Bernard’s in Dunnes. These are cheaper than regular brands and are usually of good quality. Shops such as Aldi and Lidl offer cheaper goods than the other supermarkets.
Accommodation:
If you will be living on-campus, the apartments are fully furnished including basic kitchen utensils; you only need to supply your own bed linen and towels.
If you will be living off-campus in a shared house or apartment, you will need to supply your own bed linen, towels, cleaning products etc. Remember:
The Doctor on campus is free of charge.
Internet access in the on-campus apartments is free.
The gym on-campus is free.
Many shops in Maynooth and Dublin offer student discounts, from 10% - 30%, with proof of a valid student card.
You can get a student travelcard to avail of discounted rates on bus and train travel.
There are five main banks located in Maynooth town:
Allied Irish Bank (AIB – branch on campus)
Bank of Ireland
Ulster Bank
Permanent TSB
KBC
Banks are usually open Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm.
It is generally not possible to open a bank account until after you have registered at the University. You will usually need to bring the following with you to the bank:
International students (excluding citizens of EU countries) can only take up part-time causal employment of up to 20 hours per week if they are studying full time and are fully registered. Students can work full-time (up to 40 hours per week) during holiday periods only. Please see exact details on the INIS website.
Please be aware that part-time work can potentially assist with living expenses and incidentals, but will not cover all living costs and certainly will not be enough to cover tuition fees.
International students who meet the above conditions and wish to take up work in Ireland must obtain a Personal Public Services Number (PPS Number – see below). An employer can only pay employees with a PPS number, and funds will usually only be paid to an Irish bank account.
Part-time jobs are advertised on notice boards in the Students Union, in newspapers, and online. You can also hand in your CV (curriculum vitae/resume) to shops or you may need to fill in an application form. It is not uncommon to have a trial period before you are permanently hired. Ireland’s minimum wage is €9.80 per hour.
Details of campus job opportunities can be found here.
PPS Number
Your Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) is a unique reference number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland. You will need to obtain a PPS number if you wish to work in Ireland, or if you are in receipt of scholarship funding from an Irish or EU organization. You must be already living in Ireland in order to apply for a PPS Number.
To get a PPS Number, you will need to apply through the Department of Social Protection (click here for more details) and produce the following documents as evidence of identity and residence in Ireland:
Your passport or national identity card
Your Immigration Card
Evidence of your address, such as a household bill (electricity, telephone, gas, etc.) in your name or a letter from the University which contains your study address.
PPSN Registration Centre offices are located at 197/199 Parnell Street, in Dublin city centre.
Once you receive your PPS number, it is advisable to memorise it or keep it safe as it is very personal information.
All students who obtain a PPS number must notify the International Office.
A student health centre is available on campus free of charge to all registered students. A doctor and two nurses are available on a daily basis.
Please note that the Student Health Centre is for the exclusive use of students.
Location: Ground Floor, Student Services Building, North Campus Appointments: may be made in person at the Student Health Centre or by telephone. Tel: +353 (0) 1 708 3878 Open: Mon–Weds & Fri: 9am–12.45pm, 2pm–4.45pm Thurs: 9am–11.30am, 2pm–4.45pm
Daily Walk-in Clinics
Daily Walk-in Clinics are led by the nurse for students who are ‘sick on the day’. Open: Mon–Fri: 9am–10.00am, 2pm–3pm
Out-of-hours Health Service Location: Glenroyal Centre, Maynooth Tel: +353 (0) 1 629 1169
This service is operational from 5pm to 9am on weekdays and includes 24-hour cover at weekends and bank holidays. Please note that there is a charge for this out of hours service.
In case of emergency
Call an Ambulance: 999 or 112
The Accident and Emergency Department for the Maynooth catchment area is Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin. It can be used to access emergency medical treatment 24 hours a day. It is important to note that you MUST ensure you maintain private medical insurance for the duration of your study to gain and maintain your student visa.
If you do not already have private health insurance cover, you are required to have it and we recommend you consider Medicover Medical Expenses, which is very economical (€130 for standard cover and €180 for premium).
You can order and pay for this policy in two ways:
Order and pay by bank transfer via https://nuimas.studentfees.ie/ Instructions:
Fill in your personal details, including your email address and student number. Select MEDICAL INSURANCE - STANDARD (1 year cover) or MEDICAL INSURANCE -PREMIUM (1 year cover) . Please follow the online instructions on how to pay the fee through your bank. Please note there is an extra €2 charge for paying by this method. The insurance details and policy will be emailed to the email address you have provided. Please keep these documents safe as you will need them for Immigration purposes and for any future claims. If you require a claim form please email info@odon.com to request one. International students taking degree programmes at St. Patrick's College Maynooth (SPCM) are welcome to purchase this policy, however SPCM students must email info@studentfees.ie in advance of purchasing their insurance.
Instructions:
Pay cost of cover via credit card. You will receive your receipt instantly and the policy document within 48 hours. Please keep these documents safe as you will need them for Immigration purposes and for any future claims. If you require a claim form please email support@studyandprotect.com to request one.
If you have any questions, or experience any issues when purchasing health insurance through this link, please contact: Siobhán Walsh Tel: 01-6395811, Email: swalsh@odon.com
If you wish to obtain other health insurance than the above mentioned company; the main Irish health insurance providers are VHI (www.vhi.ie), Laya Healthcare (http://www.layahealthcare.ie/), GloHealth (http://www.glohealth.ie/) or Aviva Health (www.avivahealth.ie). You must contact these companies directly to organise your health insurance cover.
EU students will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which can be obtained in your home country. The EHIC replaces the E111/E128 forms. Please see www.ehic.ie for more information.
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain medical insurance and ensure it is renewed annually. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your student visa.
