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quick answer
Can Pakistani students get a scholarship in Ireland?
Yes. Pakistani students can study in Ireland on funding. The main route is the Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES), which gives 60 students a year a full one-year postgraduate tuition waiver plus a €10,000 stipend. The second route is university Global Excellence and merit awards. You apply yourself, after securing an admission offer first. MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship.
Ireland scholarships at a glance
Here are the verified facts a Pakistani applicant needs first: what the Government of Ireland scholarship is, who runs it, what it pays, and when the annual window opens.
Main scheme
Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES)
Funder and manager
Funded by the Government of Ireland, managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA)
Study level
Taught master’s, postgraduate diploma, or PhD (NFQ level 9 or 10). Not undergraduate.
Awards each year
60 across all eligible Irish higher education institutions
What it covers
A full tuition fee waiver for one year, including registration charges, plus a €10,000 stipend toward living costs
Award duration
One year only
Second route
University Global Excellence and merit scholarships, offered directly by Irish universities, partial to full tuition, value set per university
Who can apply from Pakistan
Applicants whose domicile of origin is outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, holding a conditional or final admission offer from an eligible Irish institution. Pakistan qualifies.
Language
Set by the host institution’s admission rules, not by the scholarship. An IELTS or TOEFL score is normally needed to obtain the admission offer. Confirm the exact score per programme.
Age limit
None published by the HEA. Verify the current position from the official HEA source.
Annual application window
Call opens in late January, deadline in mid-March, outcomes in early June. The 2026 cycle is now closed; this is the recurring pattern.
Study starts
September of the relevant academic year
How you apply
Secure the admission offer first, then apply directly on the HEA online portal. No HEC portal, no embassy nomination, no sending partner.
Your two scholarship routes to Ireland
Pakistani students reach funded study in Ireland through two real routes: the national Government of Ireland scholarship for postgraduate study, and the merit awards that individual Irish universities run themselves. The two routes suit different applicants, and you can pursue both at the same time. Each route is explained below with its official source to verify.
Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES)
The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship is the country’s flagship national award, giving 60 international students a year a full one-year postgraduate tuition waiver plus a €10,000 stipend toward living costs.
This is the route most Pakistani applicants ask about. It is funded by the Government of Ireland and managed by the Higher Education Authority. You can hold it for a taught master’s, a postgraduate diploma, or a PhD at NFQ level 9 or 10. It does not cover undergraduate study. The award runs for one year. Where your programme is longer than a year, any continuation of the tuition waiver beyond year one is the host university’s own decision, not part of the GOI-IES award.
University Global Excellence and merit scholarships
Irish universities run their own Global Excellence and merit scholarships for non-EU students, and these are the realistic route for undergraduate applicants and for postgraduates who miss the GOI-IES window.
These awards are decided and paid by each university, not by the Government. Values differ by university, by programme, and by year, and range from a partial reduction in tuition to a full tuition award. Because the figure and the eligible courses change each cycle, you confirm the current value on the university’s own scholarship page rather than relying on a number quoted elsewhere. Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and the University of Galway each publish a scholarship index for international students.
Who can apply from Pakistan
A Pakistani applicant is eligible for the Government of Ireland scholarship if your domicile of origin is outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, you hold a conditional or final admission offer from an eligible Irish institution at the time you apply, and your study is full-time at NFQ level 9 or 10. The accordion below sets out each condition.
Your domicile of origin must be outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Pakistan qualifies. Russian and Belarusian nationals are barred from GOI-IES; this bar does not affect Pakistani applicants. Applicants who have previously held a GOI-IES award cannot apply again.
GOI-IES is postgraduate only: a taught master’s, a postgraduate diploma, or a PhD at NFQ level 9 or 10, studied full-time and in person. There is no undergraduate GOI-IES. For undergraduate funding, your route is a university merit or Global Excellence award.
You are scored on a record of strong academic achievement and relevant work experience, which together carry 40 of the available marks, alongside your references, communication skills, extracurricular involvement, and your rationale for studying in Ireland. There is no single published minimum grade; competitiveness is set by the applicant pool each year.
The English requirement is set by the host university’s admission rules, not by the scholarship itself. Because Ireland teaches in English, you normally need an IELTS or TOEFL score to obtain the admission offer in the first place. Confirm the exact score, and whether the university accepts a Medium of Instruction letter in place of a test, directly with that institution before you apply.
There is no HEC portal, no embassy nomination, and no sending partner for GOI-IES. You apply in a fixed order: first secure a conditional or final admission offer from an eligible Irish institution through that institution’s own admission process, then apply directly on the HEA online portal. Applying for admission is separate from, and is not done through, the scholarship form.
There is no field restriction at scheme level. Each Irish institution decides which of its own programmes are GOI-IES eligible and publishes that list, so you confirm your specific course is eligible with the institution before applying.
The Higher Education Authority publishes no age limit for GOI-IES. Verify the current position from the official HEA source rather than assuming a cutoff. MTZ never applies an age cutoff on the enquiry form.
How Ireland shortlists and scores your application
Ireland assesses GOI-IES applications in two stages that no Pakistani sending body controls: your host university checks and shortlists first, then an independent national panel scores the shortlist. Understanding this order is what separates a strong Irish application from a weak one.
Stage one, your university
After the HEA receives your application, it is shared with the Irish institution that gave you your offer. That institution checks your eligibility and shortlists candidates based on how well you align with its own strategic priorities. This is why holding a final offer rather than a conditional one helps, and why some institutions prioritise final-offer holders during shortlisting.
Stage two, the independent panel
Shortlisted applications then go to an independent panel of assessors appointed by the HEA. The panel scores academic achievement and work experience (40 marks), your two references (15 marks), and your communication skills, extracurricular involvement, and rationale for studying in Ireland. The HEA’s decision on whether to award is final.
What this means for you
Because your university does the first cut, a tailored statement that speaks to that specific institution’s strengths matters as much as raw grades. A generic application that ignores the institutional fit stage is the most common reason a strong candidate is not shortlisted.
Documents you’ll need for the Government of Ireland scholarship
For the Government of Ireland scholarship you submit four core items through the HEA online portal: proof of your admission offer, two references, evidence supporting your academic record, and your completed online application. Every item below is confirmed from the HEA’s own call material.
⚫ Proof of admission. Your conditional or final offer letter from the eligible Irish institution, for the relevant academic year, uploaded in the offer section of the GOI-IES form. The offer must show it was made for that year’s intake.
⚫ Two references. Both uploaded by you through the online portal only. References sent to the HEA outside the portal are not accepted. Each reference must be recent, dated within one year before your application, so that it reflects your current standing.
⚫ Academic record evidence. The transcripts and qualification details that support the academic section of your application form, so the panel can score your academic achievement and work experience.
⚫ Your completed online application. The full GOI-IES form submitted on the HEA portal, including your written rationale for studying in Ireland and how the scholarship fits your longer-term goals. One application per candidate per cycle, and no edits are possible once you submit.
What an Ireland scholarship covers
The Government of Ireland scholarship covers one full year of postgraduate tuition, including registration charges, and pays a €10,000 stipend toward your living costs. It does not cover programme bench fees, and the stipend is a contribution to living costs, not a full living grant.
Covered
⚫ A full tuition fee waiver for one year, including any registration charges, provided by your host university.
⚫ A €10,000 stipend for one year, paid toward your living costs.
Not covered
⚫ Bench fees, where a programme charges them. These remain your responsibility.
⚫ Living costs beyond the €10,000 stipend. Dublin in particular is an expensive city, so budget for the gap yourself.
⚫ Years beyond year one. For a two-year master’s or a PhD, any continuation of the tuition waiver after year one is your university’s own decision, not part of the award.
⚫ Travel, visa, and insurance costs, unless a specific university award says otherwise.
The award duration is one year only. University College Cork states plainly that bench fees, where they apply, are not covered and are the student’s responsibility. Treat the €10,000 as a living-cost contribution rather than full maintenance.
All figures here are in euro, the scheme’s own currency. Any rupee figure you see quoted elsewhere is indicative only and moves with the exchange rate. For a current euro-to-rupee picture before you make any financial decision, WhatsApp MTZ Islamabad on +92 315 155 5507 or Lahore on +92 328 900 2222. MTZ does not publish a fixed rupee table for this scholarship
How to apply from Pakistan, step by step
You apply for the Government of Ireland scholarship in a fixed order: admission first, then a direct application to the HEA. There is no HEC portal, no embassy nomination, and no sending partner in the chain. The five steps below follow the annual cycle.
step-1 →
Choose your programme and check it is GOI-IES eligible. Pick a taught master’s, postgraduate diploma, or PhD at an eligible Irish institution, and confirm with that institution that your specific course is included in its GOI-IES eligible list. Start this in the autumn, before the call opens.
step-2 →
Apply for admission and secure your offer. Apply through the institution’s own admission process and obtain a conditional or final offer for the relevant academic year. A final offer can strengthen you at the university shortlisting stage. This admission step is separate from the scholarship form.
step-3 →
Prepare your references and rationale. Line up two referees who can write recently dated references, and draft your rationale for studying in Ireland that connects the programme to your longer-term goals. Tailor it to the specific institution, since your university does the first cut.
step-4 →
Submit the GOI-IES application on the HEA portal. With your offer in hand, complete and submit the one application allowed per candidate on the HEA online portal before the deadline, uploading your offer and both references. No edits are possible after submission, so apply ahead of the deadline to avoid the closing-day server rush.
step-5
Wait for the outcome and plan your start. The independent panel scores the shortlist and the HEA announces outcomes. Successful applicants begin study the following September. Keep your admission and visa preparation moving in parallel so you are ready to enrol.
Annual-pattern dates (MTZ confirms the live dates):
The recurring cycle is a late-January call opening, a mid-March deadline, and early-June outcomes, with study starting that September. As a reference point, the 2026 cycle opened on 29 January 2026 and closed on 12 March 2026, with outcomes in early June 2026. That cycle is now closed. Dates shift slightly each year, so WhatsApp MTZ to confirm the live opening and deadline for the next intake before you plan around them.
How MTZ helps you apply
MTZ supports your Government of Ireland and university applications at five points: a free profile assessment, course and university matching, building your documents and application, submission to the right portals, and your student visa once you are funded. MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship; the funders decide.
Send your academic record, degree, and target field, and MTZ tells you honestly where you stand against the GOI-IES marking scheme and which university merit awards fit you. If a route is unrealistic for your profile, you hear that early rather than after a wasted cycle.
Ireland funds you only after a university offers you a place, so picking the right programme matters first. MTZ helps you shortlist eligible NFQ level 9 or 10 programmes, checks that each one sits on its institution’s GOI-IES eligible list, and flags universities whose merit awards suit you as a parallel route.
MTZ works through your transcripts, helps you brief your two referees so their references land well, and helps you shape a rationale that speaks to the specific institution doing the first shortlist. The goal is an application that scores on academic record, references, and fit.
The admission application and the HEA scholarship application are two separate submissions. MTZ keeps the order straight, tracks the late-January to mid-March window, and makes sure nothing is left to the closing-day server rush, since no edits are possible after you submit.
Once you hold a funded place, MTZ guides your Irish study visa from Pakistan, so the move from scholarship offer to enrolment in September stays on track.
Start with the free scholarship eligibility assessment:
Honest limits you should know
You should weigh four honest limits before you set your heart on an Ireland scholarship: it is competitive, the main award is postgraduate and one year only, the stipend does not cover full living costs, and MTZ cannot award or guarantee any scholarship. Knowing these now protects your time and money.
It is competitive. Only 60 GOI-IES awards are made each year across all of Ireland, drawn from a strong international applicant pool. A solid profile is not a guarantee of selection, and many capable applicants are not chosen in a given cycle.
The main award is postgraduate and one year only. GOI-IES does not fund undergraduate study, and it funds a single year. If your master’s runs two years or you are doing a PhD, plan for how the later years are paid, since any continuation of the tuition waiver is your university’s own decision.
The stipend is a contribution, not full maintenance. The €10,000 stipend helps with living costs but does not cover them in full, and bench fees, where a programme charges them, are not covered. Ireland, and Dublin especially, is an expensive place to live, so budget for the gap yourself.
MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship. Selection is decided by the Higher Education Authority, the independent assessment panel, and the universities. MTZ helps you apply well; MTZ does not control the outcome and never promises a result. You may apply yourself or with MTZ’s help through the official process.
Compare your Ireland routes
Here is how the two routes compare on what matters: who runs them, what level they fund, what they cover, how long they last, and when you apply. The Government of Ireland scholarship leads on value; the university awards lead on breadth of level and timing flexibility.
| Feature | Government of Ireland scholarship (GOI-IES) | University Global Excellence and merit awards |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Government of Ireland, managed by the Higher Education Authority | Each Irish university, individually |
| Study level | Postgraduate only: master’s, postgraduate diploma, PhD (NFQ 9 or 10) | Undergraduate and postgraduate, set per university |
| What it covers | Full one-year tuition waiver plus €10,000 stipend | Partial to full tuition; value set per university, verify each year |
| Duration | One year only | Set per award; some run the full programme, verify |
| Awards per year | 60 across all of Ireland | Varies widely by university |
| Stipend for living costs | Yes, €10,000 | Usually none, unless a specific award states it |
| How you apply | Admission offer first, then the HEA portal directly | Through the university, often considered automatically on admission, verify |
| Annual window | Late-January call, mid-March deadline, early-June outcome | Set per university; many align to the admission cycle |
| Best for you if | You want the strongest funded postgraduate package and can meet the March deadline | You need undergraduate funding, miss the GOI-IES window, or want a parallel route |
Ireland scholarship questions from Pakistani families
These are the questions Pakistani students and parents ask most about studying in Ireland on a scholarship, answered directly and from official sources. Each answer leads with the direct answer, then adds the detail.
Yes. Pakistani students can study in Ireland on funding through the Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship, which gives a full one-year postgraduate tuition waiver plus a €10,000 stipend, and through university Global Excellence and merit awards. The Government scholarship makes 60 awards a year across all of Ireland.
It is Ireland’s flagship national scholarship for international students, funded by the Government of Ireland and managed by the Higher Education Authority. It funds 60 students a year for one year of full-time postgraduate study at NFQ level 9 or 10, covering full tuition plus a €10,000 living stipend.
No. GOI-IES funds only taught master’s, postgraduate diploma, and PhD study at NFQ level 9 or 10. For undergraduate funding, your route is a university Global Excellence or merit award offered directly by an Irish university.
It pays a full tuition fee waiver for one year, including registration charges, plus a €10,000 stipend toward living costs. The award lasts one year only. Bench fees, where a programme charges them, are not covered and remain your responsibility.
You apply in two steps. First secure a conditional or final admission offer from an eligible Irish institution through that institution’s own admission process. Then apply directly on the Higher Education Authority online portal before the deadline. There is no HEC portal and no embassy nomination.
Yes. You must already hold a conditional or final offer from an eligible Irish institution at the time you submit the scholarship application, and you upload that offer with your application. Applying for admission is separate from the scholarship form.
The English requirement is set by your host university, not by the scholarship. Because Ireland teaches in English, you normally need an IELTS or TOEFL score to obtain your admission offer. Some universities accept a Medium of Instruction letter instead, so confirm the exact requirement with the institution before applying.
The Higher Education Authority publishes no age limit for GOI-IES. Verify the current position from the official HEA source rather than assuming a cutoff. MTZ does not apply any age cutoff on its enquiry form.
The annual cycle opens in late January, closes in mid-March, and announces outcomes in early June, with study starting that September. As a reference, the 2026 cycle opened on 29 January 2026 and closed on 12 March 2026. Dates shift slightly each year, so confirm the live dates before you plan.
Sixty scholarships are awarded each year across all eligible Irish higher education institutions. Selection is competitive and merit-based, scored by an independent panel after your host university shortlists applications, so a strong profile is not a guarantee of an award.
You need four core items, all submitted through the HEA online portal: proof of your admission offer for the relevant year, two references uploaded by you through the portal, evidence supporting your academic record, and your completed online application including your rationale for studying in Ireland.
Yes. University Global Excellence and merit scholarships run on each university’s own timeline, often aligned to the admission cycle, and many consider you automatically when you apply for admission. They are the realistic route if you miss the March GOI-IES window or you are applying at undergraduate level.
No. MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship. Selection is decided by the Higher Education Authority, the independent assessment panel, and the universities. MTZ helps you assess your profile, choose eligible programmes, build your application, and submit it correctly. You may apply yourself or with MTZ’s help through the official process.
Most major Irish universities offer their own merit or Global Excellence scholarships to non-EU students, including Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and the University of Galway, and all eligible institutions host Government of Ireland scholars. Values and eligible courses differ by university and year, so confirm the current award on the university’s own scholarship page.
Start your Ireland application with MTZ
Ready to move? Get a free profile assessment, find out which Ireland route fits you, and start building an application that scores. MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship, but MTZ helps you apply well.
Author: Mubbashir Qureshi, CEO, MTZ Global Visa Consultants Pvt Ltd. 25+ years personal experience guiding Pakistani students into study abroad and international education.
Last verified: 13 June 2026. Next review: 15 January 2027, before the annual Government of Ireland scholarship call opens.
