Terms and Conditions

English Language Programmes: Cancellation and Refund Policy

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all students booking English language programmes with ISI Dublin, including EU and non-EU students.

The specific provisions for visa refusal, refusal of entry into Ireland and refusal to renew immigration permission take priority over the general cancellation provisions where applicable.

Nothing in these terms limits a student’s statutory rights.

2. How to cancel or request a refund

To request a refund, complete our online Refund Request Form.

For assistance, or if you cannot access the form, contact:

Rachel Sheridan, Accounts Department
Email: accounts@isi-ireland.ie

Provide your booking details, reason for requesting a refund and relevant supporting documents. For immigration-related refusals, provide the official refusal notification.

Cancellation notice is calculated from the date ISI first receives your written cancellation, whether through the form or by email. Completing the form later does not restart the notice period or refund deadline.

Tuition cancellation periods are measured against the booked course start date. Accommodation cancellation periods are measured against the booked check-in date.

ISI will explain the refund decision and provide a breakdown of any deductions. Refunds will normally be returned to the original payer using the original payment method.

3. General tuition cancellations

These rules apply to all students, except where the specific immigration-refusal provisions below apply.

When ISI receives your cancellation	Tuition refund
At least four weeks before the booked course start date	Tuition fees paid, less €200
Less than four weeks before the booked course start date, but before the course starts	Tuition fees paid, less €500
On or after the booked course start date	No standard tuition refund

A deduction will never exceed the tuition fees paid.

Cancellation charges reflect work already undertaken and commitments made for the booking, including application processing, student correspondence, arrival planning, teaching arrangements and classroom capacity.

The no-refund provision applies to voluntary withdrawal both shortly after the start date and later during the programme. Examples include changing personal plans, returning home early, finding employment, transferring to another school or choosing not to attend.

This provision remains subject to statutory rights, the immigration-refusal provisions below and the exceptional-circumstances review.

4. Visa refusal and refusal of entry into Ireland

If your application for an Irish study visa is refused, or you are officially refused entry into Ireland to attend your booked programme, ISI will refund the fees paid for the booking, less a single €100 administration charge.

This charge includes the application fee; no additional application or general tuition cancellation charge will be deducted.

Accommodation fees paid to ISI will be refunded in full.

Provide the official refusal notification so that ISI can verify the decision. Refunds will be issued within 20 working days of the refund request or refusal decision being communicated to ISI. ISI will request any necessary supporting information promptly.

Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and Irish public holidays.

5. Refusal to renew immigration permission

If your application to renew student immigration permission is refused before the booked course starts, tuition fees paid will be refunded less a €50 administration charge, upon presentation of official evidence of refusal.

If the booked course has already started, no standard tuition refund applies. This is ISI’s cancellation policy and remains subject to statutory rights and the exceptional-circumstances review.

Eligible refunds under this section will be issued within 20 working days of receipt of the refund request.

6. Accommodation cancellations

The following general accommodation conditions apply unless the immigration-refusal provisions above or statutory rights require otherwise.

ISI Dublin residence accommodation, Stoneybatter

At least four weeks before check-in: accommodation fees paid will be refunded less €200.
Less than four weeks before check-in, or after the accommodation booking starts: no standard refund.

Host family accommodation

More than two weeks before check-in: accommodation fees paid will be refunded less €200.
Two weeks or less before check-in, or after the accommodation booking starts: no standard refund.

Third-party residences and hotels

Third-party accommodation may carry non-refundable charges. The applicable supplier cancellation conditions will be disclosed before booking and payment.

ISI will explain any amount retained and its basis. Where a supplier returns money to ISI for a cancelled service, that recovered amount will be passed back to the payer, less any separately disclosed, applicable charge.

7. Junior groups and mini-stays

Unless different written group terms were agreed before booking:

At least four weeks before the programme start date: package fees paid will be refunded less €200 per student and any additional, disclosed, irrecoverable booking costs.
Less than four weeks before the programme start date, or after the programme starts: no standard refund.

ISI will provide a breakdown of deductions and will not charge twice for the same cost.

8. Airport transfers

No standard refund applies where a booked transfer is available but the student makes alternative arrangements.

No standard refund applies where a student arrives more than 70 minutes late and fails to notify ISI using the emergency contact number supplied with the booking.

These provisions do not exclude a refund where ISI fails to provide the booked service.

9. Third-party payments

ISI may make payments on a student’s behalf for services such as travel passes, tours, activities, examinations, accommodation and secondary school fees or deposits.

Such payments are non-refundable only to the extent that they are genuinely irrecoverable under supplier conditions disclosed before purchase. ISI will explain any deduction and pass on any refund recovered from the supplier.

This section does not override the specific visa-refusal and refusal-of-entry provisions or statutory rights.

10. Exceptional circumstances

Students unable to continue because of serious illness or close-family bereavement may request an individual review, supported by relevant documentation.

Depending on the circumstances, ISI may offer a refund, postponement or credit. These additional arrangements are considered individually and are separate from refunds to which a student is already entitled.

11. Eligible and ineligible refund examples

Eligible refunds include:

Cancellation before the course starts under the published notice conditions.
Documented visa refusal or refusal of entry into Ireland.
Documented immigration-renewal refusal before the booked course starts.
Refunds required by applicable law, including where a booked service is not provided and a refund is due.

An eligible refund may be subject to a deduction expressly stated in this policy.

Examples normally ineligible for a tuition refund include:

Voluntary withdrawal on or after the course start date.
Leaving early because of employment, changed travel plans or a decision to attend another school.
Missing classes while the booked programme remains available.

All exclusions remain subject to statutory rights and the specific exceptions in this policy.

12. Refund payment deadlines

Visa refusal or refusal of entry: within 20 working days, as described in section 4.
Eligible immigration-renewal refusal: within 20 working days of receipt of the request.
Other eligible refunds: within 30 calendar days of receipt of the cancellation or refund request.

These periods run from receipt of the request or relevant refusal notification, not from a later management approval date.

13. Review and appeals

If you disagree with a refund decision, email Brian Burns, Director, at bburns@isi-ireland.ie, explaining why you believe the decision should be reviewed.

The review will consider the booking terms, supporting evidence, deductions and applicable requirements. Requesting a review does not delay payment of any undisputed refund already due.

14. Postponements and other booking conditions

Courses are non-transferable to another student.
Courses may be postponed for up to 12 months from the original start date without a postponement penalty, with at least one week’s notice.
Host family accommodation may be postponed for up to 12 months from the original check-in date without a postponement penalty, with at least two weeks’ notice.
Existing credit notes remain valid for a maximum of two years from the original booking dates. Annual price increases will not be applied during that validity period.
Moving a low-season booking to high season requires payment of the seasonal price difference. Moving a high-season booking to low season results in a refund of that difference.
A full week’s tuition fee applies where the teaching week includes an Irish public holiday.
Examination fees already committed to an examination provider are subject to the disclosed supplier cancellation conditions. Choosing not to sit a booked examination does not automatically create a refund entitlement.