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Pre-Arrival

 

Pre-Arrival

Checklist: What You Should Bring With You:

  • Make copies of all important documents: passport, diplomas, insurance papers, hosting agreement, work permit etc.
  • Make sure you have enough cash to get settled. Rent in Cork is quite high, so you will need at least enough to cover your deposit and first month's rent, and to cover your living expenses. Also keep in mind that you probably get your salary at the end of the month so be sure to have enough money to keep you going for the first two to three months
  • Birth Cert, Marriage Cert, etc.
  • Recent passport photos
  • Details of your qualifications obtained abroad
  • CV and employment details
  • Records of your insurance contributions abroad
  • If you have children who will be attending school in Ireland, you should bring school reports and references from your children’s schools
  • Drivers Licence and details of your insurance cover

 

 

Getting to Cork

Whichever way you choose to arrive, there are a number of possibilities for getting to Cork . You may choose to fly into Cork, Shannon or Dublin Airport.  Regular bus services connect Shannon Airport and Limerick, from where you may take a bus or a train to Cork: the journey takes less than two hours. From Dublin there are frequent connections by air, train (from Heuston Train Station) or bus (Busáras, the central bus station, is also connected to the airport by bus).

The cheapest option from Dublin is to travel by bus.  There are blue aircoaches that will take you from Dublin Airport to Dublin city centre and then depart for Cork .  Log on to aircoach.ie  (Westmorland St is in Dublin city centre and Patrick's Quay is in Cork city centre).  The journey will take approximately 4 and half hours.

Alternatively, you can take the train from Heuston Station.   There is a direct bus to Heuston from Dublin Airport as well as regular city bus services.   The train ticket will cost between €20 and €66 one way, depending on booking method and whether you travel off peak or not.  The journey will take approximately 3 hours.  Details are available at irishrail.ie.

You may decide that travelling by plane, from Dublin to Cork , is the most convenient and not necessarily the most expensive.  Handling charges usually bring the cost up significantly.  Log on to ryanair.com or aerarann.ie.  The journey time is approx. 1 hour.

WARNING: If you do choose to connect by plane please be aware of the baggage allowance limitations.  You will be obliged to pay for each additional kilo of weight, over and above the allowance permissible by the airline, and this can be prohibitively expensive.
If you are travelling via the UK, it is possible, as mentioned, to fly directly from London to Cork . You may also fly from other British and European cities, directly or by transiting through Dublin or London .
 

 

 

Missing Baggage

If your journey involves changing flights you may be able to check your baggage through to your final destination at no extra cost.    Occasionally, baggage goes missing in transit.  However, if this happens it is usually traced by the airline and forwarded on a later flight.  It is advisable to carry a basic survival kit such as toiletries, a change of clothes, any necessary medication and all necessary documentation in your hand luggage.  

If your baggage has been misdirected you will need to fill in a report in the baggage hall in the airport.  Ask the airline or their handling agents to arrange for the delivery of your baggage once it has been traced and re-routed to Cork airport.  If you are uncertain of your address in Cork , deliver it to the care of the International Education Office at UCC. 

 

 

Overnight Stay in Dublin

If it is at all possible please try to fly directly to Cork or connect on arrival into Ireland .  Sometimes it will be necessary to stay in Dublin overnight.
If you are continuing to Cork from Dublin by airplane we recommend you stay in the immediate airport area because Dublin airport is not in the city centre. Please note that, should you fly from Dublin to Cork , this is a domestic flight and your baggage allowance is dramatically reduced. Another disadvantage to staying near the airport is that accommodation is expensive. There are no youth hostels in the immediate vicinity. If you choose to book a local guest house, be sure to check its proximity to the airport and methods of transport available to you. Allow for heavy traffic in morning or afternoon.

  • Hilton Dublin Airport Hotel. A free shuttle bus will collect/ drop you at airport. Approx. €100 per night, if booked on orbitz.com
  • Travelodge Hotel, Dublin Airport .  From €59 per night.
  • Express by Holiday Inn, Dublin Airport .  From €90 per night.

All hotels were priced for one person. Please note prices are subject to change.

If you are continuing to Cork from Dublin by train or bus, we recommend you stay in the city centre.  Dublin city has a great range of youth hostels for you to choose from. We recommend you book far in advance to secure a space. A full list of Dublin hostels is available at: hostels.com.

  • Isaacs Hostel, Frenchman’s lane, Dublin . Mixed dorm €12.50, private from €22.50
  • Abraham House, 82 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. Mixed dorm €18,  private from €33
  • Kinlay House,  2-12 Lord Edward Street, Ireland . Mixed Dorm €20, double private €33

Please note prices are subject to change.

To get the train to Cork you need to go to Heuston Station. You can get there by bus 92 from Leeson Street or Aston Quay. Alternatively, take a taxi which should cost €10 - €15; provided there is no traffic the journey should take 20 minutes maximum. Trains to Cork leave every hour, details of schedules and fare are available at irishrail.ie

If you choose to continue to Cork via bus you can get the Aircoach either at Dublin airport or at Westmoreland Street in the city centre. This is by far the cheapest way to get to Cork, however it is also the longest. Details of this service can be found at: aircoach.ie

 

 

Sea Connections

Sea connections include Rosslare-Le Havre (France) as well as various Ireland-UK routes. Swansea Cork Ferries operate the Swansea-Cork route all year round. There are direct sea services from Roscoff (Brittany) to Cork during the tourist season only.

For information on bus, train and domestic airline connections please consult the following websites:

buseireann.ie
irishrail.ie
aircoach.ie
ryanair.com
aerarann.ie

 

 

Health Insurance

All non-EU students must have private health insurance for Immigration purposes.  Immigration will only grant permission to reside in Ireland if you can produce private health insurance policy documentation.  In the case of visa requiring students it is mandatory to submit private health insurance details with the visa application.   (The health insurance document must be written in English).
Visiting European students are expected to have their European Health Insurance Card, which is issued in their home country, prior to departure and before arrival in Ireland.

While EU students can avail of the public health service, all students are advised that it is highly desirable to have cover for private medical care.  Such cover would ensure that a student has choice of doctor, choice of hospital and choice of hospital accommodation in the event of illness. 

Students are advised that in addition to medical insurance being a visa and immigration requirement, the cost of Healthcare in Ireland is high. A one night stay in hospital can cost in excess of €1200. Therefore we would recommend that all students carry medical insurance in case they are taken ill or are involved in an accident whilst studying with us.  

Students often wonder why private health insurance is necessary given that UCC has a Student Health Department.  You need private medical insurance to cover any emergency situation where you might need to be hospitalised or access to private consultations. 
 
Options for Private Health Insurance:

A. Obtain health cover from home country. 

Please ensure that it is valid in Ireland .  Please note that in case where there is a high deductible (excess) it may be less expensive to purchase health insurance in Ireland

B. Obtain private health insurance from providers operating in the Irish Market.

The most competitively priced insurance policy available to UCC students is the Medicover Medical Expenses policy underwritten by Ace at €120 for cover for a year. This policy is now available to UCC students at odon.ie/ucc

The main 3 healthcare providers in Ireland are VHI, Laya Healthcare and Aviva Health.  Please see below contact details:

VHI
Voluntary Health Insurance Board 
VHI House   
70 South Mall
Cork  Call Save 1850 44 44 44  
Line open:   8am - 8pm Mon-Fri      9am - 3pm Sat
Fax: 021 427 7901
Website: vhi.com
Email: info@vhi.ie  

VHI Details for UCC Students
Please indicate that you are a student at University College Cork.  In the case of international students, the University has an agreement with VHI under scheme 33/2793 which enables you to avail of a group plan.
Please note that, except in the case of an accident, there is a waiting period of several weeks before cover commences.

LAYA HEALTHCARE
Eastgate Road, Eastgate Business Park,
Little Island, Co Cork, T45 E181, Ireland
LoCall: 1890 904 067
Tel: 021 202 2000
Website: layahealthcare.ie
Email: info@layahealthcare.ie

AVIVA HEALTH
Postal Address
PO Box 764,
Togher,
Cork .

Head Office
Aviva Health,
One Park Place,
Hatch Street,
Dublin 2.  Call Centre - 1850 717 717
Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm
Website: avivahealth.ie
Email : info@avivahealth.ie
 
 

C. Some students have also availed of the services of BUPA Global.

Details are available at ihi.com

Please check when cover commences and what exactly is covered in the policy.  Give consideration to repatriation.