Visiting Students

What will the student experience look like at NUI Galway in this academic year?

Academic Year 2021-22 at NUI Galway
In the face of the challenges posed by COVID-19, our University is working to ensure that your experience will be the best that we can deliver, whether you are starting a new course this September or returning for another year of study. At all times we will prioritise our university community’s health, safety and wellbeing as we structure the learning experience around the realities of a changed environment and will therefore at all times make decisions that adhere to public health advice.

Our students, staff and alumni are proud of our university and its reputation for excellence. We are determined to deliver a student experience that is as supportive as we can make it, and that enables the building of new relationships and development of talents. Colleagues, both academic and in professional services, are adapting to the changed circumstances, to deliver the best student experience that we can.

Semester Dates
For the vast majority of students, including visiting students, the semester will begin on September 6th. Full dates can be found here: Academic year 21/22 term dates

Undergraduate orientation will take place in the week commencing August 31st and comprise a mix of online and on-campus activities to help you familiarise yourself with the university, understand the structures and demands of student life, learn about the supports available to you and get to know your fellow classmates.

This year, we will structure orientation such that each College will have a different day of on-campus activities. A timetable of these activities will be issued to you prior to arrival. Orientation is a very important rite of passage for new students and we encourage all incoming students to engage fully with the programme of activities to give a solid start to their student journey. For those of you who are not able to attend in person, important orientation information will also be accessible online.

Accommodation
We encourage all of you on taught programmes to be in Galway from September, to be available for on-campus learning, and to experience the fullest student learning experience possible, given the COVID-19 restrictions. You should book accommodation and expect to be present in Galway throughout the semester. We will continue to abide by public health guidelines to ensure a safe living and study environment and, where possible, we will plan allocations to ensure you are in apartments with other students studying the same programmes to support peer-to-peer learning and laboratory/group project work.

See below under Accommodation for more information on booking on-campus accommodation. In addition, there is a wide choice of private off-campus accommodation available and all of the details are listed on NUI Galway Accommodation Office.

Student Supports
Our staff in Student Services are working to ensure that your time at NUI Galway is a rewarding academic, personal and professional experience. We will continue to provide a range of services and initiatives to support and encourage you both on-campus and online. We will address your concerns in targeted ways to ensure that we are supporting you effectively and appropriately.

 Please also continue to refer to our alerts and FAQs webpages for relevant updates:

• NUI Galway Alerts Page: http://www.nuigalway.ie/alert

Are all on-campus rooms single occupancy?

 Twin rooms are available for students who are willing to share.

What happens if I am unable to start my course in NUI Galway due to Covid-19 travel restrictions?

If you are unable to start University due to a Government-imposed travel ban in place in either your home country or here in Ireland and you have already booked accommodation with us, Campus Living will refund any deposit less an administration charge and refund any rent paid.

I am a study abroad or exchange student hoping to come to Galway in September or later in the academic year 2021/22. Can I still apply? 

Yes, like many partner institutions we are continuing to receive nominations for our exchange and study abroad programmes for the academic year 2021/2022 through the normal channels on our website: 

Where can I find information and advice?

• The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (Ireland) is monitoring the situation and updating its website regularly.

• You can find the latest travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at Department of Foreign Affairs Travel Advice.
• Please visit NUI Galway Alerts for up to date information and official updates from the university.
• Please visit NUI Galway’s Chinese website for up to date information and official updates from the NUI Galway’s China office.

COVID is making planning for travel very difficult for everyone at the moment. It is important to note that the current requirements for entering Ireland may change before August/September when many of will be planning to travel to Ireland. In the meantime we are sharing the most up to date information we have available with you.

What do I need to do before I travel?

• Covid-19 Proof of negative PCR test: provide evidence that you have a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test carried out no more than 72 hours before you arrive into Ireland, or have evidence that you are exempt from this legal requirement
• Government Guidlines: Familiarise yourself with all travel-specific public health guidelines related to your journey.  Full details available at https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/75d92-covid-19-travel-advice/  
• COVID-19 COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form: You must complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form and present it to an immigration officer at your point of entry.  This form is available here.
• Health & Symptom Questionnaire: All incoming students are required to complete an online symptom tracker for 14 days before departure for Ireland. Students who have symptoms or who have tested positive for COVID-19 should not travel to Ireland until they have been symptom-free for at least 14 days prior to departure. You will begin to receive this daily symptom tracker 14 days before you travel, based on the planned arrival date you have given us in the above-mentioned travel and accommodation form..
• Please make sure to read the NUI Galway Complying with COVID-19 Public Health Measures Guide 

We understand that some of our international students will not be able to travel to Ireland in September due to the uneven roll-out of vaccines internationally and other Covid-related factors. We wish to reassure our international students that, while we wait to welcome them to Galway, we are committed to providing access to online learning at the beginning of Semester 1.  The staff here at the International Office continue to consult with current and incoming international students to ensure that we can best address their needs and concerns at this challenging time.

We recommend that you should avail of an approved Vaccine before your departure for Ireland.  

Mandatory Hotel Quarantine

We will seek to expeditiously engage with the Department of Health regarding the position of international students and we will explore what options might be feasible in this regard. We will be in touch on this.

Travel to Ireland from specific designated states is now subject to mandatory hotel quarantine. This must be pre-booked in advance of travel.These arrangements apply to any passenger who has been in any of these countries in the previous 14 days, even if only transiting through one of these countries and even if remaining airside.These arrangements also apply to any passenger who is travelling on to Northern Ireland.

It is important to note that the list of designated states will be subject to change at short notice and passengers are required to check the list before travelling to Ireland, to be sure of their obligations. 

Additional information on Mandatory Hotel Quarantine, including in relation to costs, is available at: www.gov.ie/quarantine . Information is also available in German, Portuguese and Spanish

Arriving in Ireland & Galway: What facilities are in place for me?

We will seek to expeditiously engage with the Department of Health regarding the position of international students and we will explore what options might be feasible in this regard. We will be in touch on this.

Accommodation for your 14-day period of restricted movement

The Irish government requires you to stay in appropriate accommodation that enables you to comply with the conditions of restricted movement..

Arrived in Ireland and Feeling Unwell - What to do?

In the event that you should become ill while in restricted movement or thereafter, you should contact the local health unit on campus or out of hours doctor services. Please ensure you isolate your movement. If experiencing breathing difficulties, or seriously ill, you should call an ambulance immediately (dial 999 or 112). 

The Student Health Unit ((091) 492604) is providing a service to all full-time registered students as normal, though with the majority of consultations at present still being undertaken remotely, as per public health/ICGP infection prevention & control practice management recommendations.  The Student Health Unit does not provide housecall visits as part of its service.  The current 'outside term-time' opening hours are: 09.30-16.30, Monday to Friday.

Outside of these hours, please continue to contact the Student Health Unit ((091) 492604) and you will receive more information on the appropriate point of contact.

Contact numbers for both are below as well as some additional emergency numbers.

Local Medical Service Contact Information

Click here for more information on Health and Travel.

Vaccines accepted in Ireland and The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in the Republic of Ireland

Vaccines accepted:

Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Covishield.

Key Points:

• will only be provided through the public health system and services(i.e. via the HSE hospitals/clinics, GPs, Pharmacies)
• will be provided FREE of charge to all recipients
• will not be available via any private healthcare service or other source.
• will be rolled out on the basis of priority, related to age/medical need and risk of exposure, as determined by the HSE.

First two priority groups; elderly nursing home residents and frontline healthcare workers.  These doses are being administered in Nursing Homes and Hospitals only. 

Any students enquiring about the vaccine should be directed to, and ensure that they fully read, all of the information available from the HSE via:

https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/
https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/hcpinfo/covid19vaccineinfo4hps/
https://www.hpra.ie/homepage/medicines/covid-19-updates/covid-19-vaccines-product-information

If you are arriving in Ireland in mid/late August, the University Health Centre’s advice is that it should be possible for you to access vaccination at that time via the national vaccination programme.  Their advice is that if you don't manage to obtain your 2nd vaccine dose before you leave home, then what you will need to do after you arrive here in Ireland is to use one of the options below to seek to register with our national Covid-19 vaccination programme.

If you have a PPS number (https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/personal_public_service_number.html), you can use the online registration portal to book your vaccination: https://vaccine.hse.ie/

If you don't hold a PPS number, you will need to use the telephone registration helpline to register for your vaccination: 1850241850 from Monday-Sunday, 8am-8pm.

You will need to be residing here in Ireland in order to book a vaccination appointment, and the health service will not permit you to book an appointment in advance, before your arrival here. You will be required to bring photo identification and proof of address with you when attending your appointment.

Exemption for those who have been fully vaccinated

If you are fully vaccinated and have the documents to prove that then you do not have to complete mandatory hotel quarantine when you come to Ireland. Any dependents travelling with you, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine.
However, if even you are fully vaccinated, you still have to have a negative pre-departure PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever you specified in your passenger locator form.

What 'fully vaccinated' means

Mobile Sim Cards

Sim Cards: You should order an Irish Sim Card for your mobile phone and arrange for it to be waiting for you in the accommodation where you will spend the restricted movement period. You will require an Irish number to be contactable by Irish Health Services should you begin to experience COVID-19 symptoms and require a COVID-19 test. Please see information in the point above about what to do if you begin to feel unwell.

If you wish to use your existing phone, please ensure that it is unlocked and is compatible to accept an international SIM card. Your current network provider can provide you with your unlocking code. Your phone may be unlocked already; you can check this by putting in a different SIM card to your current network to see if it works.

Several mobile phone service providers in Ireland offer a range of monthly plans. Sim cards can be ordered online and will be sent in the post. By topping up mobile credit each month, students can avail of unlimited data and texts with certain mobile phone companies. See the links below for current promotions and call allowances. 

3 Mobile

Vodafone

Tesco Mobile