Ireland

AFS aims to provide 30% of our students with scholarships or grants

Find out about our range of scholarships, grants and fundraising

Eligibility Requirements

You must be between 15 and 17.3 (Trimester), 17.11 (Semester) or 17 (Year Programme)
Enrolled in an NZ school
You can’t have graduated from school in New Zealand

Notes

It is required by law in Ireland to pay host families, this is reflected in the cost
Long Stay – D Visa
The August-November programme includes the Peace camp in Brussels, Belgium!
Read more below

Airfare
Airport Pick-up
Host Family Placement
Housing
Meals
School Placement
Individual Contact Person
Medical Insurance
24/7 Emergency Support
Domestic Transport
Assistance with Application Process
Visa Application Assistance
Pre-Departure Orientation
Orientations during your time abroad
Re-entry Orientation
Continuous Support
Worldwide Presence
70 Years Experience

Vaccinations
Field Trips
Visa and Passport Fees
School Uniform

School

The schooling day in Ireland runs from 9.00am to 4.00pm. On Wednesdays, school typically finishes at 1.00pm and students have the afternoons to themselves. Afternoons are dedicated to sports in most Irish schools. Subjects include Irish, English, mathematics, science, a European language and a subject from either the social, political or environmental stream. The majority of schools are single-sex schools with obligatory school uniforms

Language

Both Irish and English are the official languages of Ireland, with English being the predominant first language. Irish is spoken as a first language by a small minority of the population of Ireland, however many can speak Irish as a second language.

Climate

The climate in Ireland can be described as mild and humid. The warmest months are from May to mid-September, with temperatures usually remaining between 15°C to 20°C. The days in winter can be drizzly, cold and are shorter, with the sun setting around 4pm.

Study abroad on the “The Emerald Isle” with its glorious scenery and friendly, welcoming people. Ireland offers a wealth of things to see and do, from stunning coastal views and ancient monuments to lively towns and cities. Become immersed in Irish culture while gaining maturity, independence, and confidence!

During your time studying abroad at a high school in Ireland, you’ll become thoroughly familiar with the Irish way of life by living with a carefully-selected host family and continuing your education at a local secondary school in one of our host communities.

You’ll quickly recognize that the Irish know how to have great craic (the Irish word for fun)!
Music is central to Irish life and is usually at the heart of each community.
Sport is a prominent feature of Irish life, too. Hurling and Gaelic football, Ireland’s two national sports, are the most popular.

Peace Camp Info

The PEACE Programme or PEACE through Exchange and Active Citizenship Education is a secondary school trimester programme which aims at empowering and enabling young people to become active citizens. The participants stay with host-families and go to high school in a European country. At the end of the programme, all participants of the PEACE programme come to Belgium for a five day long camp with a focus on Active Global Citizenship in Europe.

Find out more

Explore Ireland: The Land of a Thousand Welcomes