The Irish Government Scholarship is an excellent opportunity for international students who wish to study in Ireland. This fully funded scholarship is available for master’s and PhD programmes. The Irish Government Scholarship 2027 covers a stipend of €22,000 per annum, a contribution to fees, including non-EU fees, up to a maximum of €5,750 per annum, and eligible direct research expenses of €3,250 per annum. In this article, we provide a complete guide to the Irish Government Scholarship, including scholarship benefits, eligibility requirements, required documents, application deadlines, and a detailed step-by-step application process.
The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is an established national initiative, financed by the Department of Education and Skills and run by the Council. The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is distinctive in the landscape of Irish studies and complements other avenues in the Irish ecosystem for financed postgraduate education.
Irish Government Scholarship Highlights
| Degree Programmes | Master’s / PhD |
| Scholarship Provider | Various Universities |
| Study Destination | Ireland |
| Fields of Study | All degree programmes are available |
| Programme Duration | Master’s: 1-2 years; PhD: 3-4 years |
| Funding | Fully Funded |
Irish Government Scholarship Benefits
The Irish Government Scholarship provides the recipients with the following benefits:
- A stipend of €22,000 per annum.
- A contribution to fees, including non-EU fees, up to a maximum of €5,750 per annum.
- Eligible direct research expenses of €3,250 per annum.
Eligibility Requirements for the Irish Government Scholarship 2027
The following are the minimum eligibility requirements for the Irish Government Scholarship:
- English is the required language.
- Students from all countries are eligible to apply.
- Applicants must have a first-class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s degree or the equivalent degree. If undergraduate examination results are not known at the time of application, the Council may make a provisional offer of a scholarship on condition that the scholar’s bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent degree result, is a first-class or upper second-class honours. If a scholar does not have a first-class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, they must possess a master’s degree. The Council’s determination of the applicant’s eligibility on these criteria is final.
- The applicant must not have had two previous unsuccessful applications to the scheme, including strategic partner themes within the scheme.
- Applicants must be new entrants to the degree for which they are to receive Council funding and have been formally accepted by the relevant department or school.
- Applicants applying for a research master’s scholarship must not currently hold, or have previously held, a Council Postgraduate Scholarship
- Applicants applying for a PhD degree scholarship must not currently hold or have previously held any Council Postgraduate Scholarship other than those that would enable them to obtain a research master’s degree.
- Applicants will fall under one of two categories based on nationality and residency.
- For category I, applicants must meet both of the following criteria: be a citizen of a member state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and have been ordinarily resident in an EEA member state or Switzerland for a continuous period of at least 3 of the 5 years preceding October 1st.
Step-by-Step Application Process for the Irish Government Scholarship 2027
The following simple and easy application process will help you to apply for this scholarship:
Step 1: Register for the online account from here and complete the applicable registration form as prompted.
Step 2: Complete the applicable registration form as prompted. Once you have filled in the required details, click ‘submit’ at the bottom of the registration page. A confirmation email will automatically be sent to the email address you have provided. This email confirms that you have successfully registered for the online system and will issue you a username and password.
Step 3: Once you have received your username and password, you should access the online system here using the login details provided.
Step 4: When you log into the online system, you will be presented with the ‘home’ screen below, where you can create and edit your application before the application deadline and then submit it.
For more information on the application process, click here.
Irish Government Scholarship Application Deadline
The application deadline for the Irish Government Scholarship is 23 October 2025.
For further information about the Irish Government Scholarship and the application process, please visit the official website: