Undergraduate Applications - the CAO Process

Application for most full-time undergraduate courses is made through the Central Applications Office (CAO). An application pack and all relevant information is available from:


Central Applications Office (CAO)
Tower House
Eglington Street
Galway, Ireland
Tel: 00 353 (0)91 509 800
Fax: 00 353 (0)91 562 344
Website: www.cao.ie
Email: help@cao.ie

All the following information relates to the 2010 CAO Handbook – please check the 2011 CAO Handbook for any changes that may occur in 2011.

Applicants, and international students in particular, should avoid applying near to the Closing Date.

Application Type		Fee	Closing Date
Paper	Normal	€45	1 February (5.15pm)
	Late	€90	1 May (5.15pm)
Online	Normal	€35	20 January (5.15pm)
	Late	€70	1 May (5.15pm)
Change of Mind		-	1 July (5.15pm)

International applicants for a course in one of the institutions below and who are presenting school leaver qualifications other than GCEs (UK) must apply by February 1st, or at least have added the course to their original application by March 1st. Late applications in these cases will not be considered.

Athlone IT (Institute of Technology), Limerick IT, IT Carlow, IT Sligo, Dundalk IT, IT Tallaght, IADT Dun Laoghaire, IT Tralee, Galway-Mayo IT, Waterford IT, Letterkenny IT, Tipperary Institute

People who currently reside, or have resided in the past, outside the EU and are interested in applying for a course in one of the following institutions should contact the Admissions Office of the institute in question. The office will inform you whether to apply through the CAO or directly to the college.

American College, Athlone IT, Carlow College, Cork IT, Dublin Business School, Dublin City University, Dublin IT, Galway-Mayo IT, Grafton College of Management Sciences, Griffith College, Independent Colleges Dublin, IBT Swords, IT Carlow, IT Sligo, IT Tralee, National College of Ireland, National Counselling Institute of Ireland, NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Tipperary Institute, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick

Non-EU applicants should contact these colleges well in advance of the Closing Date of 1st February, and preferably not later than the previous 15th December.