Frequently asked question

Your course finish letter will be sent to you, please wait one week from your course finish date before asking for your GNIB finish letter (attendance letter).

If you have any doubts you can come and speak to reception, or email reception@isi-ireland.ie for further information.

If you need any other letters to confirm attendance email reception@isi-ireland.ie.

If you have over 85% attendance, you can go to reception at MHL and collect your Certificate on your last day after class. Students studying in the afternoon should note that reception closes at 16:30, so certificates may be collected during their break from class also.

If you need the certificate earlier or have further queries, please email academic@isi-ireland.ie and a member of ISI Academic Team will respond within 24 hours.

Yes, you can go directly to reception and ask to speak to our Accommodation Manager or email us at info@isi-ireland.ie 

All extensions are subject to availability and must be paid in full prior to students’ accommodation start date.

You can go directly to ISI reception and they will show you the relevant prices and information. Alternatively, you can go to reception and ask to speak to our Admissions Manager or email info@isi-ireland.ie for all relevant information.

Once availability is confirmed, students must pay the extension fee in full prior to their course start date. This can be done at reception, or by bank transfer.

Send the document to be printed to reception@isi-ireland.ie and collect the printed page at reception. We do not print from USB keys due to network security. Students can use ISI computer suites where required in this case.

We charge the following printing fee:

• Black and White pages: 10 cent
• Colour pages: 20 cent

Note, new restrictions apply to students who start their course after October 1st, 2015

See: End of course exam entry policy

If you are a Non-EU Academic Year student you MUST finish your course with an official examination. You have paid a €170 deposit (€225 from January 1st, 2019) for this when you made your booking. This deposit is NOT refundable. We recommend that you start thinking about which exam you want to do after 12 weeks. Talk to your teacher about it. You may wish to take extra lessons (see question above) in one of our examination preparation classes, though this is not obligatory. When you decide which examination suits you, email exams@isi-ireland.ie and the Academic Manager will assist you in booking the exam. You will have to pay the balance of the fee owed, this can be done at ISI reception.

If you are from the EU or Switzerland and you have booked a FCE or CAE course, then email exams@isi-ireland.ie to ensure you have paid the examination fee and booked an examination date.

Whether EU or non-EU you will need:

• Application form
• Copy of passport and GNIB card (if any)

Exams are non-refundable once booked. It is the student’s responsibility to check their emails, ensure they are prepared, and follow the information and advice of ISI teachers and staff in advance of examinations.

An elective is a skill-based class available in addition to 15-hour courses. Topics include:

• Grammar and Writing
• Structured Grammar
• Grammar in Context
• Pronunciation
• Reading and listening
• Conversation Skills
• Cambridge First Certificate (FCE) preparation
• Cambridge Advanced Certificate (CAE) preparation
• IELTS preparation

These electives are available at 8.00 – 9.00 or at 12.25 – 13.25 Monday to Friday. The electives are level specific so for advice on which electives you can take, please email academic@isi-ireland.ie.

One elective is included in GE20 and AY20 courses, but not included on GE15 and AY15 courses. You have the option of adding on 1 or even 2 of these electives by following the below steps:

• Email academic@isi-ireland.ie with your name and level and stating which elective you wish to participate in and at what time.
• The Academic Manager will check availability.
• Once confirmed, go to reception and pay the required fee.
• For information regarding prices for electives, please email info@isi-ireland.ie.

Students can collect their attendance rate from ISI reception during their breaks or after class.

If you are from outside the EU, or in receipt of a grant to study in Ireland, it is important to check your attendance regularly and keep it above 85%. Just go to ISI Reception and ask the staff for your attendance rate. Please note the following:

• Your attendance must be over 85% at all times.
• Students who are absent for medical reasons must show a medical certificate from a doctor practicing in Ireland.
• Students who are absent to go to GNIB must show proof to their teacher (a card, passport).
• If you miss 10 minutes of a lesson you will be deducted 1-hour attendance – don’t be late for class.

Changes from afternoon to morning classes are possible as long as there is availability for the dates requested. Afternoon to morning class changes may incur payment of the difference in course fees, for the remainder of the course.

If you would like to check availability to change class timetable or confirm prices, please email info@isi-ireland.ie.

NB: ISI doesn’t refund students who move from morning to afternoon – sorry!

Yes, it is possible, but subject to approval. Follow the steps provided below:

• Talk to your teacher first and ask if you can move to the next level. Your teacher will advise you on your progress and what you need to do next.
• If you don’t agree with your teacher, OR if you want to move to another class, same level, but different teacher, then send an email to academic@isi-ireland.ie explaining why you want to move. Give your full name, level and teachers’ name. One of the Academic Managers will contact you within 24 hours.

Your employer might ask you for other proof, such as a letter from the school. If your employer is offering you ‘full-time’ work during holidays, you will need a letter from the school confirming that you are enrolled and that you have approved holidays. Go to the ISI reception to request this letter.

Whether you are from the EU or outside the EU, you will need a Personal Public Service (PPS) number to work in Ireland. You should have a job offer before applying. Go to ISI reception and tell the staff you wish to have a PPS number. You need:

• Letter of Job Offer from employer
• Letter from ISI confirming your course and ‘fixed’ address. Unfortunately, you cannot use your host family, hostel, or residence address as this is not ‘fixed’ or ‘permanent’.
• Other proof of address, i.e. bank statement, telephone bill etc.
• Passport
• GNIB card (if any)

If you are from the EU or Switzerland there are no restrictions on the number of holidays you can take. However, you will lose your tuition weeks and will not get a refund for lessons missed due to holidays.

If you are from outside the EU and studying on an Academic Year course, holidays are included. You can check at reception to see your holiday dates. You can change these dates, but ISI has a holiday policy that you must follow and all holiday change requests are subject to approval.

If you are resident in Dublin city or county and wish to register a permission for the first time, please call Freephone 1800 800 630. Operators are available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday to take your call and book your appointment. Once completed they will be given a date & time to visit GNIB. The average lead time for an appointment is 4 weeks from application, but students are advised that it could be up to 6 weeks.

During the appointment you will need to provide:

• Appointment confirmation
• Acceptance Letter
• Evidence of suitable finance or proof of access to €3,000 (depending on your country).
• Evidence of suitable medical insurance.
• Your passport.
• Registration fee of €300. GNIB only accept card payments and do not accept cash or cheque.

ISI sends a list of registered students to GNIB every week. Your name will be on this list if you confirm your appointment date and time for us. You must confirm your appointment date to reception on your first day, or at least 1 week prior to your appointment if you are awaiting a date and time.

A country outside of the EEA, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and studying on our Academic Year programme you will be required to show evidence that you access to a minimum of €3,000 to cover your expenses while living in Ireland. You’ll need to provide evidence of this when you register with local immigration shortly after arrival in Ireland (GNIB). You can show evidence of this in a number of ways:

a) A current foreign bank statement less than one month old showing €3,000, together with a past statement within the last 6 months, for an account in your name (as in your passport) accompanied by a debit card in the same name and same bank account. The bank statement does not have to be in English once the text is in the Roman alphabet and your name and currency are clear. If the text is in a different script it must be professionally translated and certified/stamped. Students may also use their parent’s bank statements if they are funding them. Any statement from a parental account must share the same surname of the student and be accompanied by a colour copy of their passport.

b) Documentary evidence that money is held in trust for a student by a financial services body regulated in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland.

c) A pre-paid credit or debit card(s) with a verification of the amount(s) in credit.

If you are from a Visa country such as Saudi Arabia, China, Colombia, Turkey, Russia, etc., you do not need to show evidence of €3,000 when registering with GNIB as you have already completed this step at the visa application stage.

We can help you open a bank account however due to increased fraud compliance it currently takes an average of 4 weeks for international students to open an Irish bank account. Students are advised to use an alternative means to show proof of funds to GNIB.