Ireland Fellows Programme

Who can apply

A citizen of one of the programme's eligible countries or named strands, applying through that country's Irish Embassy or Representative Office
Typically requires a first degree, a minimum GPA (around 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on published country calls), and several years of relevant work experience; exact criteria are set per country in that country's own Applicant Guidance Note
Must not already hold a qualification at master's level or higher
Process runs in stages: a preliminary expression of interest, a detailed application, then interview; an online English test is required unless a recent IELTS score is already held
Some country strands are by invitation only, with the Embassy inviting applications only from staff at designated partner organisations; unsolicited applications are not considered in those countries, while other countries run an open call instead

One programme, several separately run strands

This isn’t one scholarship with one form. It’s a single Irish government programme run as a set of country- and region-specific strands, Africa, Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia, Palestine, Latin America, and several small-island groupings, each administered by its own Irish Embassy or Representative Office on its own timeline. There’s no central deadline to watch; the one that matters is whichever your own country’s office publishes. The Palestine strand is substantial enough to have its own dedicated page on this site, the Ireland-Palestine Scholarship Programme, worth reading directly if that’s your strand.

The scale of the programme, and what it actually covers

224 fellowships were awarded for the 2025/26 year across 48 countries, and the programme has sent almost 4,000 people to study in Ireland over more than 50 years, both figures published on Ireland’s own site. The award itself is comprehensive: fees, visa costs, insurance, flights, and a monthly stipend, not a partial package, and it runs longer than the “one year” summary suggests, 10 to 16 months depending on the specific course.

Check whether your country’s strand is even open to unsolicited applications

Not every country runs this as an open competition, and this is easy to miss. Ireland’s own programme overview states that some strands operate by invitation only: the Embassy invites applications solely from staff at designated partner organisations, and unsolicited applications from anyone else will not be considered at all in those countries. Other countries run a genuine open call. There is no single rule here, so check your own country’s Applicant Guidance Note before assuming you can simply apply.

The 2027/28 round is closed, whatever aggregator sites say

The 2027/28 round is closed as of this check, and several aggregator sites are currently advertising it as open regardless. Ireland’s own applicants page is unambiguous that it isn’t, and no date for the next round has been published. The programme’s typical annual rhythm, preliminary applications around June and July, detailed applications from mid-September to mid-October, interviews in November and December, is a reasonable guide to when a 2028/29 call might open, though Ireland’s own site does not commit to that pattern for certain.

Who this is really for, and what happens after

The programme is explicitly built for early to mid-career professionals with leadership potential, not students moving straight from undergraduate study, and it is framed around capacity-building rather than individual advancement alone: fellows are expected to return home and apply what they learned toward their country’s Sustainable Development Goals. Ireland states a specific diversity commitment on top of the standard eligibility rules, actively encouraging applicants with disabilities, from minority or disadvantaged groups, and aiming to increase the representation of women and of applicants whose gender identity falls outside the male/female binary. An IELTS certificate, or equivalent, is the expected language requirement for Irish institutions, and Ireland’s own advice is to start preparing for it early even if English is your first language.