Ireland Fellows Programme 2027-2028

The Ireland Fellows Programme is one of the best opportunities available for early and mid-career professionals from eligible countries to pursue a fully funded master’s degree in Ireland. Funded by the Irish Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the fellowship covers academic fees, flights, accommodation, living expenses, insurance, visa-related costs and other essential expenses. The programme is intended for professionals who have relevant work experience, leadership potential and a clear commitment to contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals in their home countries. In this article, we have explained everything you need to know about the Ireland Fellows Programme 2027, including its benefits, updated eligible countries, eligibility requirements, required documents and the complete application process.

The Ireland Fellows Programme is one of Irish Aid’s longest-running educational initiatives. Almost 4,000 people have studied in Ireland through the programme over the past 50 years. Its purpose is not simply to fund postgraduate education, but to nurture future leaders, strengthen professional capacity in participating countries and build lasting relationships between Ireland and fellowship recipients. The programme supports one-year master’s courses beginning in August or September 2027 and lasting between 10 and 16 months.

Ireland also offers a highly respected and internationally connected higher education environment. The official guidance describes the country’s higher education system as being among the top 20 worldwide. The 2027–2028 directory includes courses at institutions such as Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork, Dublin City University, Maynooth University, Technological University Dublin and other recognised Irish universities and colleges. Applicants must choose their courses from the official programme directory rather than applying for any master’s degree offered in Ireland.

Ireland Fellows Programme Summary

Level of Study: Master’s
Institutions: Participating higher education institutions in Ireland
Study Destination: Ireland
Programme Provider: Government of Ireland
Scholarship Type: Fully Funded
Program Period: Between 10 and 16 months
Eligible Courses: Programmes listed in the official Ireland Fellows Directory of Programmes

Ireland Fellows Programme Deadline

Applications for the Ireland Fellows Programme 2027–2028 are currently open.

The official Stage 1 application period is:

Applications open: June 29, 2026
Application deadline: July 26, 2026

Applications must be submitted no later than Sunday, July 26, 2026. Applicants should not wait until the final days because they must identify three eligible master’s programmes, complete the country-specific application form and attach their identification, degree certificate and academic transcript.

The published Africa timetable also provides the following later stages:

Stage 2 applications: September 21 to October 18, 2026
Interviews: November and December 2026
IELTS testing, where required: January 2027
Applications to Irish universities: Around March 2027
Final fellowship confirmation: June or early July 2027
Arrival in Ireland: August or September 2027

Applicants from other strands should check their own guidance note because submission arrangements and later-stage dates may vary.

The country-specific guidance notes, application forms and programme directory can be accessed through the official Ireland Fellows Programme application page.

Ireland Fellows Programme Coverage

Ireland Fellows Programme is fully funded. The award is intended to allow recipients to concentrate on their studies without carrying the major financial burden of studying abroad.

The scholarship covers:

Full academic programme fees
Visa application fees
Irish residence permit fee
Medical insurance
Travel insurance
Economy-class flights to Ireland
Economy-class return flight after completing the programme
Settling-in allowance for items needed after arrival
Completion and departure allowance
Monthly living stipend
Student accommodation
Extracurricular activities
Professional training
Volunteering opportunities

The 2027–2028 Africa guidance lists a monthly living stipend of €700, although this amount remains subject to review. Student accommodation is arranged and paid for during the first and second trimesters, normally from September to May. During the third trimester, recipients receive an accommodation stipend of approximately €800 to €1,000 per month, depending on their location in Ireland and subject to review.

The scholarship covers the selected fellow only. Financial support and visas for spouses, children or other dependants are not included.

Ireland Fellows Programme Strands

The Ireland Fellows Programme operates through regional and named fellowship strands. Applicants must apply through the strand assigned to their nationality and country of residence.

Ireland Fellows Programme – Africa

The main Africa strand currently covers:

Angola
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Mozambique
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Certain applicants must also follow the instructions for a named or specialised fellowship:

Nigeria: Roger Casement Fellowship
South Africa: Kader Asmal Fellowship
Namibia: Seán MacBride Fellowship
Burundi: Archbishop Michael Courtney Fellowship
Zambia: Frank Ferguson Fellowship in Engineering

Applicants from African Small Island Developing States follow the Ireland-SIDS Fellows Programme instead of the main Africa application route.

Invitation-Only African Countries

Applications are invitation-only in the following countries:

Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eswatini
Eritrea
Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sudan
Zambia

In these countries, applications are restricted to employees of government departments, NGOs working with Irish Aid and organisations already identified by the relevant Embassy of Ireland. Applicants outside those partnerships will not be eligible and should confirm their status with their employer or the responsible Irish Embassy before applying.

Ireland Fellows Programme – Asia

The Asia strand is open to resident nationals of:

Cambodia
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Vietnam

Vietnamese applicants require at least two years of directly relevant work experience, while applicants from Cambodia and Lao PDR require at least three years.

Ireland Fellows Programme – Latin America

The current Latin American application routes are divided into the following awards:

Central America Award

Belize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras

Cecilia Grierson Award

Argentina
Bolivia
Paraguay

Roger Casement Award

Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
Venezuela

Belize is classified as a Small Island Developing State, but Belizean applicants must apply through the Central America Award and cannot apply through the SIDS Fellowship.

Ireland-SIDS Fellows Programme

The Ireland-SIDS Fellows Programme is available to eligible applicants from Small Island Developing States.

Africa, Indian Ocean and South China Sea

Cabo Verde
Comoros
Guinea-Bissau
Mauritius
São Tomé and Príncipe
Seychelles
Maldives
Timor-Leste

Caribbean

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago

Pacific

Cook Islands
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Nauru
Niue
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

SIDS applicants must be nationals of an eligible country and resident in an eligible SIDS country within the same region. They may be citizens of one eligible country and residents of another eligible country in that region.

Ireland–Palestine Scholarship Programme

The Ireland–Palestine Scholarship Programme is not included in the current June–July application window. The official website states that this programme opens each year separately in September.

Eligible Courses and Universities

Applicants cannot choose any course offered in Ireland. They must select programmes from the official Ireland Fellows Directory of Programmes 2027–2028.

Eligible fields include:

Agriculture
Rural development
Health
Public health
Education
Human rights
Computer science
Information technology
Engineering
Business
Economics
Public policy
Governance
Sustainable development
Environmental management
Law
Peace and conflict studies
Social sciences
Data and technology-related fields

The exact courses available may differ by fellowship strand or named award. Applicants should therefore confirm that every selected course is available for their country before adding it to the application.

Applicants must identify three master’s programmes and rank them in order of preference. The official guidance strongly recommends choosing three programmes at three different higher education institutions, where suitable options are available, to improve the likelihood of securing an admission offer.

The order matters. Candidates who reach the university application stage are normally invited to apply to two programmes. When a candidate receives more than one offer, they will generally be required to accept the programme ranked highest in their fellowship application. Programme choices can be adjusted during Stage 2, but further changes are not normally permitted afterward.

Eligibility Criteria for the Ireland Fellows Programme

Requirements differ slightly by country and fellowship strand, but applicants generally need to satisfy the following conditions:

Be a national and resident of an eligible country.
Have the required amount of directly relevant work experience.
Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited and government-recognised institution.
Have a minimum GPA of approximately 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Normally hold a first-class degree or upper-second-class honours degree.
Have received the bachelor’s degree in 2015 or later.
Not already hold a master’s degree or higher qualification.
Not currently be studying for a master’s degree or higher qualification.
Not be due to begin another master’s or higher programme during 2026–2027.
Be applying to begin a new master’s programme in Ireland no earlier than August 2027.
Demonstrate leadership ability and future leadership potential.
Show a commitment to contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals in the applicant’s country.
Show an interest in building positive relationships between Ireland and the applicant’s country.
Select three programmes relevant to the applicant’s academic and professional background.
Understand the academic and English requirements of all three programmes.
Have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme no more than once previously.
Be available to take up the award during the 2027–2028 academic year.

A lower-second-class degree may be considered where the applicant has substantial work experience that is directly relevant to the selected courses. Candidates from Senegal and Liberia should consult their country guidance regarding the restriction on applicants who already hold a master’s qualification.

Work Experience Requirements

The Ireland Fellows Programme is intended for professionals rather than applicants moving directly from undergraduate study without relevant experience.

Two Years of Experience

The 2027–2028 Africa guidance requires at least two years of relevant work experience from applicants in:

Kenya
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Uganda
Zimbabwe

Vietnamese applicants also require at least two years of directly relevant experience.

Three Years of Experience

At least three years of directly relevant experience is required for applicants from:

Angola
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Ghana
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Mozambique
Senegal
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Zambia
Cambodia
Lao PDR
Eligible SIDS countries

Applicants for named fellowships and Latin American awards should confirm the exact work-experience requirement in their own guidance note.

Internships may count partly toward this requirement. The Africa guidance states that one year spent working as an intern is treated as approximately six months of work experience during assessment. Applicants who are currently unemployed may include their previous relevant employment.

The experience must connect directly with the proposed master’s programmes. Applicants should explain their achievements, responsibilities and professional impact rather than listing only job titles and routine duties.

Leadership Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate leadership abilities and aspirations. Holding a senior job title is not essential; the selection panel also recognises leadership demonstrated through employment, volunteering, community organisations, social activism, student representation and other positions of responsibility.

Strong examples may include:

Leading a workplace or community project
Introducing a new process or service
Coordinating a team
Representing colleagues or students
Supporting an underserved community
Organising a volunteer initiative
Influencing policy or institutional practice
Solving a significant professional problem

Applicants should explain the situation, their personal contribution and the result instead of simply describing themselves as good leaders.

English Language Requirements

Applicants do not necessarily need to submit IELTS with the Stage 1 application. However, every successful candidate must eventually meet the English language requirements of the selected Irish universities, and English testing is also required for the visa process.

Most eligible programmes require approximately:

IELTS: 6.5 overall

Some programmes require a higher overall score or minimum scores in individual components. Applicants must check the requirement for each of their three programme choices in the official directory. An IELTS result submitted for the current cycle must have been taken in September 2025 or later.

Shortlisted Stage 1 applicants who do not already possess acceptable English certification may receive a coupon to take the Duolingo English Test. The Africa guidance requires a Duolingo score of 120 overall, with at least 105 in each subscore, to progress to Stage 2. Ghanaian applicants shortlisted at Stage 1 must take Duolingo even if they already hold another valid English certificate.

Candidates whose selected course or university does not accept Duolingo may be required to take IELTS or another accepted examination in January 2027. Failure to achieve the English requirement for the selected programmes will end the fellowship application.

Required Documents for Ireland Fellows Programme

Documents are submitted in stages. Applicants should not attach every possible document to the preliminary application.

Stage 1 Required Documents

Applicants must submit:

Completed and typed Stage 1 application form
Passport identity page or another official identification document
Undergraduate degree award certificate
Final undergraduate academic transcript
Explanation of the grading system, if available

An application will not be valid if the required identification, degree certificate and transcript are missing. Supporting documents should normally be uploaded or attached as separate PDF files rather than combined into one document.

The Stage 1 form contains three short motivation responses of no more than 150 words each. Applicants must explain:

How their selected programmes will support their career goals.
How those programmes will help them contribute to their country’s Sustainable Development Goals.
How they intend to develop links between their country and Ireland.

These are answers inside the official application form, not a separate generic motivation letter. Applicants can use the principles in our guide on how to write a scholarship motivation letter to organise their ideas, but the final responses must be personal, specific and written in their own authentic voice.

The official guidance expressly states that applicants must not submit someone else’s work or present content produced by artificial intelligence tools as their own. A personal application that reflects the applicant’s real experience will be stronger than generic or copied answers.

Stage 2 Required Documents

Applicants invited to Stage 2 must submit:

Recent passport-sized photograph
Graduation certificates for all completed higher education qualifications
Academic transcripts for all completed higher education qualifications
Explanation of the relevant grading systems
Two academic recommendation letters
Passport identity page
IELTS or another accepted English language result, if available
Current CV
Certified English translations where required

The two recommendation letters must come from academics who have personally taught the applicant. They must be written on official institutional letterhead, contain the referee’s contact details and carry original signatures. Applicants should contact suitable professors early and share the exact fellowship requirements with them. Our guide on scholarship recommendation letters can help applicants and referees understand what a focused academic reference should cover.

The CV should clearly present education, relevant employment, professional achievements, leadership roles, volunteering and development-related work. Applicants can follow our academic CV guide for scholarships to organise this information, while ensuring that every claim remains accurate and relevant to the selected programmes.

Interview-Stage Documents

Applicants invited to interview must provide certified hard copies of their documents before or during the interview. Certified copies must contain the official stamp and signature of the certifying authority. If the original documents are not in English, certified copies of official English translations must also be provided. Ordinary photocopies of certified documents are not accepted.

Selection Process

Ireland Fellows Programme uses a competitive multi-stage selection process.

Stage 1: Preliminary Application

The selection panel checks whether applicants meet the nationality, residency, education, work experience and other basic requirements. Eligible applications are then scored according to the quality of the applicant’s experience, programme choices, leadership evidence and motivation.

English Language Screening

Shortlisted applicants without accepted English certification may be invited to complete Duolingo or another English assessment in September 2026. Candidates who achieve the required result can proceed to Stage 2.

Stage 2: Detailed Application

Shortlisted candidates submit their complete education records, references, CV, passport information, and available English language results. For the Africa strand, Stage 2 opens on September 21 and closes on October 18, 2026.

Stage 3: Interview

Interviews are expected to take place in November and December 2026 and may be held in person, by video or by telephone. Applicants should be prepared to discuss their professional experience, leadership record, programme choices, career goals, national development priorities and plans for maintaining links with Ireland.

Applications to Irish Universities

Candidates should not apply directly to Irish universities at the beginning of the fellowship process.

Applicants who pass the fellowship assessment, document verification and English language stages will receive instructions around March 2027 on applying to selected Irish institutions. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade pays the authorised university application fees for shortlisted candidates.

Candidates are normally invited to apply to two of their three selected programmes. Admission decisions are made independently by the Irish universities. Candidates who do not receive an offer from either application cannot receive the fellowship.

Final Award

Candidates who receive an eligible university offer proceed to the final fellowship decision in June or early July 2027. Successful recipients must sign the award acceptance and programme undertaking, complete the required medical documentation, and follow the visa and travel instructions before arriving in Ireland.

How to Apply for the Ireland Fellows Programme?

Follow these application instructions to apply for the Ireland Fellows Programme:

(1) Start by opening the official Ireland Fellows Programme application page and selecting the strand that applies to your country. Do not use an application form or submission address created for another region. Applicants from invitation-only countries should first confirm with their employer or the relevant Irish Embassy that they belong to an eligible partner organisation.

(2) Download the current country guidance, Stage 1 application form and Directory of Eligible Programmes 2027–2028. Read them together because the work-experience requirement, eligible subjects and submission route can differ by country. Select three courses that closely match both your previous degree and professional experience, preferably at three different institutions, and rank them carefully.

(3) Complete the typed Stage 1 form and prepare only the documents requested at this stage: identification, undergraduate degree certificate and final transcript with its grading explanation. In the three 150-word motivation responses, use specific examples from your career and leadership experience to explain your course choices, SDG contribution and proposed links with Ireland. Do not submit copied or AI-generated responses, as the official guidance requires applicants to communicate in their own authentic voice.

(4) Submit the form and supporting documents through the route stated in your country guidance before July 26, 2026. Many African applicants submit by email to the Embassy of Ireland responsible for their country. Ghanaian applicants apply through the designated online platform, while applicants from Lesotho and Zimbabwe use the application route specified through Canon Collins. Other regional and named fellowships may use different email addresses or online systems, so applicants must follow their own official instructions.

(5) Applicants shortlisted after Stage 1 may be invited to complete an English language test in September 2026. Those who pass the required test or already hold acceptable certification will be invited to complete the more detailed Stage 2 application between September 21 and October 18, 2026 under the published Africa schedule.

(6) Prepare Stage 2 documents early rather than waiting for the invitation. You will need two signed academic references, a current CV, complete certificates and transcripts, passport information and any valid English test result. Ensure that the information in your CV, references and application form is consistent and that the referees are academics who have taught you personally.

(7) If invited to interview, provide the required certified documents and prepare to discuss the examples used in your application. The panel will expect a clear connection between your work experience, selected courses, leadership goals and the development needs of your country.

(8) Do not submit independent applications to Irish universities unless the fellowship team instructs you to do so. Candidates who pass the interview, document verification and English language requirements will later receive guidance on applying to two Irish programmes.

(9) Candidates who secure university admission and receive final fellowship approval must accept the award, sign the programme undertaking and complete the medical, visa and travel requirements. Successful fellows are expected to arrive in Ireland in August or September 2027 and return home after completing their studies to apply the knowledge and skills gained through the programme.

Important Conditions

Applicants should remember that:

Only eligible programmes in the official directory can be selected.
The award supports one master’s programme.
Applicants should not apply directly to Irish universities at Stage 1.
The fellowship covers the recipient only.
Dependants are not financially supported.
Programme choices should match the applicant’s degree and work experience.
University admission is not guaranteed by passing the fellowship interview.
English language requirements must be met before final placement.
Applicants must provide truthful, personal and original application responses.
Fellowship recipients are expected to return to their home countries after completing the programme.

Website

For more information about the Ireland Fellows Programme 2027, visit the following official resources:

Written by

Muhammad Faizan

PhD Researcher in Mechanical Engineering & Scholarship Advisor · Adelaide University

PhD Researcher at Adelaide University specializing in Mechanical Engineering. Founder of Scholarship Roar and advisor for international fully funded programs.

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Last verified July 2026