Galway.

The Erasmus Student Network is highly active at University of Galway, officially restarted in 2023 and voted Best Cultural and Social Society in 2025, running trips, socials and its ESNcard for discounts. It belongs to ESN Ireland's wider network, present in twelve higher-education institutions across the country, so exchange students get access to national events as well as local ones. Beyond ESN, the university's Socs system covers everything from international culture to sport clubs, giving you an easy way to meet people and build a social calendar around the academic year.

• Get your ESNcard from ESN University of Galway for discounts and trips.
• Join ESN Ireland's national network, active across twelve Irish institutions.
• Browse the Socs societies system for sport, culture and international clubs.

Galway is not cheap: market rents in Galway city were up about 6% year-on-year by autumn 2025, after a 12.6% jump earlier in the year, so budget generously for rent above all else. On campus, the cheapest twin room in Corrib Village starts around €368 a month, while en-suite singles in Goldcrest or Dunlin Village run up to about €747. For transport, a Bus Éireann single city fare costs just €0.75 with a Young Adult or Student TFI Leap Card, well below the equivalent adult cash fare, so a Leap Card pays for itself quickly.

• Budget for a roughly 6% year-on-year rise in Galway city rents.
• Compare Corrib, Goldcrest and Dunlin Village prices before choosing a room.
• Get a Student Leap Card so city bus fares drop to €0.75.

University of Galway runs three on-campus residences, Corrib Village, Goldcrest Village and Dunlin Village, housing almost 1,900 students a year on the North Campus. Places for new international students open for a set application window each spring, and demand always outstrips supply, so apply the moment applications open and add private options too. If you search privately, arrive in Galway before term to view rooms in person, and never send a deposit or rent to a landlord you haven't met; the tenants' rights group Threshold has advice on searching for accommodation safely.

• Apply for Corrib, Goldcrest or Dunlin Village as soon as applications open.
• Also apply for private rooms, since campus demand outstrips supply every year.
• Never send a deposit before viewing a private room in person.

Galway city is served by Bus Éireann and City Direct routes, and a TFI Leap Card cuts single fares to about €0.75 for Young Adults and Students, well under the cash fare. To get a Student Leap Card, apply online first, then collect it in person with your student ID, another form of ID and a €10 fee. The nearest airport is Shannon, roughly a 66-minute drive from the city, while Irish Rail links Galway and Dublin directly in about 2 hours 20 minutes, with several departures every day.

• Apply for a Student Leap Card online, then collect it with ID and €10.
• Fly into Shannon Airport, about a 66-minute drive from Galway city.
• Book Irish Rail early for the roughly 2 hour 20 minute Dublin route.

University of Galway, founded in 1845, teaches in English and hosts most incoming exchange students, with Erasmus, Study Abroad and Junior Year Abroad places arranged through its International Office and subject-area coordinators, such as those in the College of Science and Engineering. For 2025/26, orientation ran from 8 to 12 September and teaching began on 8 September, with Semester 1 ending on 28 November before a study week and exams. Atlantic Technological University also takes international students at its Galway City campuses on Dublin Road and Wellpark Road, covering business, science, computing, engineering and creative fields.

• Contact the International Office early for the Visiting Student Handbook and module lists.
• Note Semester 1 2025/26 ran from 8 September to 28 November.
• Consider ATU Galway's Dublin Road or Wellpark Road campuses for technical or creative courses.

EU, EEA and Swiss students need no visa and can simply enrol and register locally if staying long term. Non-EU students should check whether their nationality needs an entry visa before travelling, as it varies; many do not for short stays but some always do. Whatever your passport, confirm the rules with your host university and Irish immigration early.

Any non-EU student staying more than 90 days must register with immigration and get an Irish Residence Permit card, booking an appointment through the ISD registration system and paying a fee. Bring proof of enrolment, funds and private health insurance. UK citizens travel and study freely under the Common Travel Area.

• EU/EEA/Swiss, no visa; register if staying long term
• Non-EU, check if you need an entry visa for your nationality
• Staying 90+ days, register for an IRP card via ISD
• UK citizens, no visa under the Common Travel Area

Galway's small Latin Quarter and Quay Street are packed with shops, street performers and pubs that host live traditional Irish music sessions. Nearby you'll find the historic Claddagh village, the Spanish Arch, Galway City Museum and Galway Cathedral, all walkable from Eyre Square in the city centre. On campus, the Students' Union runs a shop in the Library building basement for everyday essentials, a handy option between lectures without a trip into town.

• Catch live traditional Irish music sessions in pubs around Quay Street.
• Walk to the Spanish Arch, Claddagh and Galway City Museum from Eyre Square.
• Use the SU shop in the Library basement for quick, cheap essentials.

Most exchange students end up close to campus on the North Campus side of the river, where Corrib, Goldcrest and Dunlin Village sit within walking distance of lectures and the city centre. For a village feel by the sea, Salthill's long promenade along Galway Bay is a short bus or bike ride away and a popular evening walk. In the centre, the Latin Quarter around Quay Street mixes shops, cafes and music pubs, while the Claddagh across the river keeps a quieter, more residential character.

• Live on the North Campus in Corrib, Goldcrest or Dunlin Village for easy access.
• Walk or cycle to Salthill Promenade for sea views along Galway Bay.
• Explore the Latin Quarter around Quay Street for cafes and music pubs.

The Cliffs of Moher make an easy trip from Galway, about 90 minutes away by car or via Bus Éireann's route 350 through Doolin, with the newer Local Link 351 covering extra coastal stops. For the Aran Islands, ferries leave from Rossaveal, a fishing port that also opens onto the Connemara Gaeltacht, where Irish is still the everyday spoken language. For a weekend further afield, Dublin is roughly 2 hours 20 minutes away by direct Irish Rail service, with several trains running each day.

• Reach the Cliffs of Moher in about 90 minutes via bus route 350.
• Take a ferry from Rossaveal for a day trip to the Aran Islands.
• Book Irish Rail for the roughly 2 hour 20 minute trip to Dublin.

Sort your Leap Card and campus accommodation application as early as possible, since on-campus rooms open in a set window each spring and demand always exceeds supply. If you search privately, never transfer a deposit or rent before viewing the room in person, and check Threshold's guidance if a landlord situation feels wrong. Joining ESN University of Galway early gets you into trips and events from week one, while emailing the International Office before you arrive clears up module choices and paperwork ahead of time.

• Apply for campus accommodation the moment the application window opens.
• Never send rent or a deposit before viewing a private room in person.
• Email the International Office early to confirm modules and paperwork.