{"id":1291,"date":"2026-09-09T11:27:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T11:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/?p=1291"},"modified":"2026-09-09T11:27:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T11:27:20","slug":"arriving-in-ireland-dublin-airport-to-campus-first-week-guide-indian-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/arriving-in-ireland-dublin-airport-to-campus-first-week-guide-indian-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Arriving in Ireland: Dublin Airport to Campus + Your First-Week Checklist (for Indian Students)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- ============================================================\n     TMC BLOG POST \u2014 paste into WordPress editor's Text\/HTML view.\n     Title (WP Title field): Arriving in Ireland: Dublin Airport to Campus + Your First-Week Checklist (for Indian Students)\n     Slug: arriving-in-ireland-dublin-airport-to-campus-first-week-guide-indian-students\n     Category: Study Abroad (Guides)\n     Do NOT add a page title heading here; do NOT add a mid-article CTA (the theme adds both).\n     ============================================================ --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \u2500\u2500 QUICK READ \u2500\u2500 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"quick-read\">\n<p class=\"qr-label\">Quick Read<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From Dublin Airport, the quickest options into the city are the <strong>Dublin Express<\/strong> and <strong>Aircoach<\/strong> coaches (from ~\u20ac6&ndash;\u20ac9 booked online); the cheapest are TFI buses <strong>16 and 41<\/strong> with a Leap Card. (The old &ldquo;Airlink 747&rdquo; no longer runs.)<\/li>\n<li>Do things in the right order: <strong>register at your college first<\/strong> &mdash; its enrolment letter unlocks your IRP, bank account and PPS number.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Register your immigration permission (IRP)<\/strong> within 90 days of arrival &mdash; now done through ISD (Burgh Quay in Dublin), fee <strong>\u20ac300<\/strong>, and you must show private medical insurance and proof of funds.<\/li>\n<li>Get a <strong>PPS number<\/strong> (needed to work), open an <strong>Irish bank account<\/strong>, grab a prepaid <strong>SIM<\/strong>, and get a <strong>Leap Card<\/strong> for cheap transport.<\/li>\n<li>On Stamp 2 you can work <strong>20 hours\/week in term<\/strong> and <strong>40 hours\/week<\/strong> in set holiday periods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>You&rsquo;ve packed, you&rsquo;ve flown, and you&rsquo;ve landed in Ireland &mdash; now what? The first week is mostly admin, and doing it in the right order saves you a lot of stress. This is the &ldquo;after you land&rdquo; companion to our <a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/ireland-pre-departure-checklist-2026\/\">Ireland pre-departure checklist<\/a>: how to get from Dublin Airport to your campus, and the exact first-week tasks &mdash; immigration registration, PPS, bank, SIM and transport &mdash; that turn you from &ldquo;just arrived&rdquo; to &ldquo;settled in.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Everything below was checked against official Irish sources in September 2026. Rules and fares change, so confirm the current details before you rely on them &mdash; but this is where things stand today.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting from Dublin Airport to the city (and your campus)<\/h2>\n<p>Dublin Airport has no rail link, so you&rsquo;ll take a coach, a public bus, or a taxi. Here are the current options:<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;margin:18px 0;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14.5px;min-width:640px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;text-align:left;background:#fbf1f2;color:#6e0c19;\">Option<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;text-align:left;background:#fbf1f2;color:#6e0c19;\">Approx fare<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;text-align:left;background:#fbf1f2;color:#6e0c19;\">Good for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\"><strong>Dublin Express<\/strong> (coach)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">from ~\u20ac9 online<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">Fast run to city-centre stops (Trinity College, O&rsquo;Connell St, Heuston)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\"><strong>Aircoach<\/strong> (coach)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">from ~\u20ac6 online<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">24\/7, frequent; serves the city, wider county and UCD Belfield<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\"><strong>TFI \/ Dublin Bus 16 or 41<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">cheapest (use a Leap Card)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">Budget travel; 41 runs 24 hours; 16 serves the DCU area<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\"><strong>Taxi<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">around \u20ac25&ndash;\u20ac35 to the city (estimate)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #e7dfe1;padding:10px 12px;\">Late arrivals, heavy luggage, going straight to accommodation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>A couple of tips: the old <strong>&ldquo;Airlink 747&rdquo; express bus was discontinued<\/strong>, so ignore older guides that mention it. If you&rsquo;re heading to <strong>UCD (Belfield)<\/strong>, Aircoach runs there directly and UCD has shared a 10% discount code (UCD10) for online bookings. For your very first trip with heavy bags, a coach or taxi is usually easier than a crowded public bus &mdash; you can switch to the cheap Leap Card options once you&rsquo;ve found your feet.<\/p>\n<h2>Your first week \u2014 do things in this order<\/h2>\n<p><!-- \u2500\u2500 GOLD FRAMING CALLOUT \u2500\u2500 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#fff5d9;border-left:4px solid #c8a04a;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 28px;border-radius:6px;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.65;color:#5c4a08;\"><strong>Register at your college first.<\/strong> Almost everything else &mdash; your IRP appointment, your bank account, your PPS number &mdash; needs a letter from your university confirming you&rsquo;re enrolled (and often your local address). So make college registration and getting your student card your day-one job; it unlocks the rest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background:#fffaf2;border:1.5px solid #e5d5b8;border-radius:12px;padding:24px 28px;margin:18px 0 28px;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:15.5px;line-height:1.7;color:#333;\"><strong>The sensible sequence:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol style=\"font-size:15.5px;line-height:1.75;color:#333;margin:0;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li>Register at your college &rarr; get your <strong>enrolment\/attendance letter<\/strong> and student card.<\/li>\n<li>Book and attend your <strong>IRP (immigration) registration<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Open an <strong>Irish bank account<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Apply for your <strong>PPS number<\/strong> (once you have an address and a reason, e.g. a job or college letter).<\/li>\n<li>Get a <strong>SIM<\/strong> and a <strong>Leap Card<\/strong> along the way.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Register your immigration permission (the IRP card)<\/h2>\n<p>This is the big one. As a non-EEA student you must register your immigration permission and get your <strong>Irish Residence Permit (IRP)<\/strong> card to legally stay beyond your initial landing stamp &mdash; you have <strong>up to 90 days<\/strong> from arrival, but book as early as you can because appointments fill up. First-time registration is now handled by <strong>Immigration Service Delivery (ISD)<\/strong>: in Dublin at the <strong>Registration Office, Burgh Quay<\/strong>, booked through the online customer portal; outside Dublin, through your regional registration office (check the ISD website for yours).<\/p>\n<p>The registration <strong>fee is \u20ac300<\/strong>, paid by card at the appointment, and your IRP card typically arrives by post within about 10 working days. Bring:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your passport<\/li>\n<li>Proof of college enrolment and fees paid<\/li>\n<li><strong>Private medical insurance<\/strong> (mandatory)<\/li>\n<li>Proof of funds (see below)<\/li>\n<li>Proof of your Irish address<\/li>\n<li>The \u20ac300 fee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \u2500\u2500 RED HARD-RULE CALLOUT \u2500\u2500 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#fde8e8;border-left:4px solid #9a1f1f;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 28px;border-radius:6px;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.65;color:#691212;\"><strong>Two things students get caught on:<\/strong> private medical insurance is <em>required<\/em> to register (first-year students can use travel insurance covering the full year with at least \u20ac25,000 accident and \u20ac25,000 disease\/hospital cover), and you must show <strong>proof of funds of about \u20ac10,000<\/strong> for a one-year course. Sort both before your appointment or you&rsquo;ll be turned away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Get a PPS number (you&rsquo;ll need it to work)<\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>PPS (Personal Public Service) number<\/strong> is your unique reference for tax and public services &mdash; and you&rsquo;ll need one before you can be paid for a part-time job. Apply online through <strong>MyWelfare.ie<\/strong> (you&rsquo;ll set up a MyGovID account), then attend an in-person appointment; the number is posted to you afterwards. There&rsquo;s no fee. You&rsquo;ll need proof of identity, proof of your Irish address (usually under three months old), and a reason you need it &mdash; a job offer or a college letter both work.<\/p>\n<h2>Open an Irish bank account<\/h2>\n<p>An Irish account makes rent, wages and day-to-day life far easier. The main retail banks are <strong>AIB<\/strong> and <strong>Bank of Ireland<\/strong>. You&rsquo;ll typically need your passport, proof of your Irish address, and proof of enrolment &mdash; many banks accept a university <strong>letter of attendance<\/strong> as address proof, and having your IRP card helps. Requirements vary by bank, so check the specific bank&rsquo;s student-account page before you go, and bring originals plus copies.<\/p>\n<h2>Get an Irish SIM and a Leap Card<\/h2>\n<p>Pick up a cheap <strong>prepaid SIM<\/strong> at the airport or any phone shop &mdash; the main providers are <strong>Three, Vodafone, eir and GoMo<\/strong>, and a prepaid SIM needs no PPS or bank account. For transport, get a <strong>TFI Leap Card<\/strong>: it&rsquo;s the cheapest way to use buses, the Luas tram and the DART, with daily and weekly fare caps. Students can apply for the discounted <strong>TFI Student Leap Card<\/strong> (or the Young Adult card if you&rsquo;re 19&ndash;25) for bigger savings once you have your student ID.<\/p>\n<h2>Working while you study<\/h2>\n<p>Once you&rsquo;re registered on Stamp 2, you can work <strong>up to 20 hours a week during term<\/strong> and <strong>up to 40 hours a week<\/strong> during the set holiday periods (June to September, and 15 December to 15 January). You&rsquo;ll need your PPS number and to register the job with Revenue for tax. For the full rules, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/working-while-studying-ireland-stamp-2-rules-2026\/\">working while studying in Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Your first-week checklist<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Register at your college and collect your student card<\/li>\n<li>Get your enrolment\/attendance letter (you&rsquo;ll reuse it everywhere)<\/li>\n<li>Book and attend your IRP registration (bring insurance, funds, \u20ac300)<\/li>\n<li>Open an Irish bank account<\/li>\n<li>Apply for your PPS number<\/li>\n<li>Buy a prepaid SIM and a Leap Card<\/li>\n<li>Confirm your accommodation and register your address<\/li>\n<li>Find your campus, timetable and orientation events<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How do I get from Dublin Airport to the city centre?<\/h3>\n<p>By coach (Dublin Express or Aircoach, from ~\u20ac6&ndash;\u20ac9 online), by TFI public bus 16 or 41 (cheapest with a Leap Card), or by taxi (around \u20ac25&ndash;\u20ac35). The old Airlink 747 express no longer runs.<\/p>\n<h3>How long do I have to register for my IRP after arriving?<\/h3>\n<p>Up to 90 days from arrival, but book your appointment as early as possible &mdash; slots fill quickly, especially around the start of term.<\/p>\n<h3>How much does IRP registration cost?<\/h3>\n<p>\u20ac300, paid by card at your appointment. Your IRP card usually arrives by post within about 10 working days.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I need a PPS number as a student?<\/h3>\n<p>You need one to work and to be registered for tax once you have a job; it&rsquo;s also used for some services. Apply free via MyWelfare.ie.<\/p>\n<h3>Is private medical insurance really compulsory?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes &mdash; you must show it to register your immigration permission. First-year students can use travel insurance covering the full year (minimum \u20ac25,000 accident and \u20ac25,000 disease\/hospital cover); from your second registration, proper private medical insurance is expected.<\/p>\n<h3>How many hours can I work while studying?<\/h3>\n<p>On Stamp 2, up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week in the holiday periods (June&ndash;September and 15 December&ndash;15 January).<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u2500\u2500 RELATED READING \u2500\u2500 --><\/p>\n<h2>Related reading from The Mentors Circle<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/ireland-pre-departure-checklist-2026\/\">Ireland pre-departure checklist: 30-day countdown<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/first-weeks-at-ucc-arrival-settling-in-guide-for-indian-students\/\">Your first weeks at UCC: arrival &amp; settling-in guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/working-while-studying-ireland-stamp-2-rules-2026\/\">Working while studying in Ireland: Stamp 2 rules<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/post\/ireland-student-visa-checklist-2026-complete-document-list-for-indian-students\/\">Ireland student visa checklist 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/study-abroad\/study-in-ireland\/\">Study in Ireland: full guide for Indian students<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \u2500\u2500 SOURCES \u2500\u2500 --><\/p>\n<h2>Sources &amp; further reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishimmigration.ie\/registering-your-immigration-permission\/how-to-register-your-immigration-permission-for-the-first-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Irish Immigration Service (ISD) &mdash; registering your permission (first time)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensinformation.ie\/en\/moving-country\/moving-to-ireland\/studying-in-ireland\/immigration-nonEEA-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Citizens Information &mdash; immigration rules for non-EEA students<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ie\/en\/department-of-social-protection\/services\/get-a-personal-public-service-pps-number\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gov.ie &mdash; get a PPS number<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dublinairport.com\/to-from-the-airport\/by-bus\/dublin-buses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dublin Airport &mdash; buses to\/from the airport<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transportforireland.ie\/fares\/leap-card\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transport for Ireland &mdash; Leap Card<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \u2500\u2500 END: ABOUT TMC CTA \u2500\u2500 --><\/p>\n<p style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #c8a04a;padding:18px 22px;margin-top:30px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.65;color:#444;\">\n  <strong>About The Mentors Circle.<\/strong> We&rsquo;ve guided Indian families through Ireland, UK, New Zealand and beyond since 2014 &mdash; an <strong>Enterprise Ireland endorsed agent<\/strong> with a <strong>97% visa success rate<\/strong>, officially listed as an authorised India agent by leading Irish universities. Flying out soon? <a href=\"\/connectus.php\">Talk to a TMC counsellor<\/a> &mdash; we&rsquo;ll walk you through arrival, registration and settling in.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:13.5px;color:#6b7280;margin-top:18px;\"><em>Details verified September 2026 against official Irish sources (irishimmigration.ie, citizensinformation.ie, gov.ie, dublinairport.com, transportforireland.ie). Coach fares are indicative &ldquo;from&rdquo; online prices and the taxi figure is an estimate; immigration rules, fees and fares change &mdash; confirm current details on the official sites before you travel or register.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve packed, you\u2019ve flown, and you\u2019ve landed in Ireland \u2014 now what? The first week is mostly admin, and doing it in the right order saves you a lot of stress. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-study-in-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1293,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions\/1293"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thementorscircle.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}