Frequently Asked Questions

You can apply on our website when applications are open. Applications for incoming first years, applying via the CAO system, open in February and remain open for a three-week period. If you miss the initial application window, you can submit an application to join a waiting list in July.

There is a separate application process for new-entrant international students.

1. You’ll need a valid email address that you will have access to for at least the next 12 months. We recommend using an email address that you check regularly.
2. You’ll also need your unique CAO number (- NOT your Leaving Certificate exam number).
3. We recommend using a PC or laptop to complete your application to reduce the potential for error.
4. Decide which village and room type you’d like to apply for in advance.
5. You can include your first choice on the CAO as the ‘course’. Don’t worry, you can update this later if it changes.
6. You can’t change the ‘Year of Stay’, which is set at ‘2425’. This stands for the academic year 2024/25.
7. Seeing ‘join waiting list’ beside your preferred room? This is correct! You can only apply to join a waiting list at this point.

No, you can only apply for one village. Multiple/Duplicate applications will be deleted and will not be entered into the room lotteries.

To help you decide which village would be the best fit for you, you should think about your needs and your budget. There are three main questions to ask yourself before you make your application.

1) Am I happy to share a bathroom with housemates?
2) Am I happy to share a bedroom with a housemate?
3) What’s my accommodation budget?

No, there is no payment required at application stage. A booking deposit is required to secure a reservation if you are offered a room in the lottery

No, all eligible students who submit a valid application for accommodation on campus will be entered into a lottery for rooms once applications have closed.

No, applications remain open for a number of weeks. So, you can make your application at any stage during that period and you will be entered into the room lottery. Applications are not processed on a first-come-first-served basis. We recommend that you take your time submitting your application and ensure that all information provided is accurate.

Yes, you have to select your preferred room type when filling out an application. It is an indication of your preference only and cannot be guaranteed. If you are selected from the lottery, you will be offered any rooms available at the time – this may or may not include your room preference.

No, accommodation on campus is allocated on an inclusive basis.

In order to be deemed valid, and included in the room lottery, an application:

• Must be completed and submitted before the application deadline
• Must include a valid CAO number for incoming first year applicants
• Must contain true and accurate information re. applicant (personal information, course, year of study etc.)

Note:

• Only one application is permitted per person
• Multiple and/or duplicate applications will be deleted and excluded from room lotteries
• Only students registered for courses at University of Galway are eligible for accommodation at Corrib Village, Goldcrest Village and Dunlin Village during the academic year.

Priority for on-campus accommodation is given to incoming first year students and new-entrant international students. Second, third and fourth year students should contact the University of Galway Accommodation Advisory Service about other suitable accommodation options.

All valid applications will be entered into the relevant room lottery. Only applications from incoming first year students will be entered into the lottery for first year accommodation. Only new-entrant international students will be entered into the lottery for international student accommodation.

Applicants who have been selected by the lottery will be sent a room offer by email. Please add live@universityofgalway.ie to your email contacts. Room offers for incoming first year students will commence in mid-March.

If you are offered a room, you will receive an email with instructions for selecting a room and making a reservation. A booking deposit will be required to secure your reservation. Details of the next steps of the reservation process will be included in the email.

The booking deposit needs to be paid within the time frame specified in room offer email. If payment is not received by the given deadline, the room offer will be automatically withdrawn and offered to another student on the waiting list. There are no exceptions to this.

No, all payments must be made online.

While we try to accommodate friends who would like to live together, it is not guaranteed. Sharing request for twin rooms will be prioritised.

This means that your preferred room type is unavailable. You have the option to reserve the room that is currently available. Alternatively, you can select waiting list to join a waiting list for your preferred room. Note, there is no guarantee that you will receive another room offer.

No, it is not possible to change room type after you have booked your room.

No, only students who are selected from the lottery and sent a room offer are eligible to make a reservation.

You will automatically stay on the waiting list for the village for which you applied. If we receive cancellations and places become available after CAO offers are published in August, you may be offered a room then. All room offers are sent by email.

It’s impossible to say as the number of cancellations we receive varies from year to year. If you are on the waiting list, you would be relying on a cancellation to secure a room on campus. We do not recommend relying solely on the waiting list to secure accommodation for the academic term. Contact the University of Galway Accommodation Advisory Service for guidance on suitable off-campus options.

No, you can only join one waiting list. Duplicate and multiple applications will be automatically deleted and will not be entered into the room lotteries.

When waiting lists are open, you can find application links on our website. Please note that you can only join a waiting list for ONE of the three villages.

No, there is no fee to join a waiting list.

Following CAO offers and before the start of the academic year, it is usual for us to receive a number of cancellations. At that point, we offer any available rooms to waitlisted applicants using a computer-generated random selection lottery.

Applicants are not numbered on the waiting lists, any rooms that become available are on a random selection basis.

All correspondence will be via email using the email address you used to submit your initial application. Please ensure that you add live@universityofgalway.ie to your email contacts to prevent room offer emails being filtered to your spam/junk mail.

In the event of cancellations, any available rooms will be offered to students on the waiting list for accommodation.

Applications and lotteries for each residence are separate. If you are on the waiting list for a particular village, you will be offered available rooms in that village. If all rooms in your preferred village are booked and rooms remain available in another village after the start of the academic year, you may then be offered a room in the other village.

The University of Galway Accommodation Advisory Service will be able to provide you with information and advice about suitable off-campus accommodation in Galway.

Sharing requests are subject to availability and feasibility and cannot be guaranteed.

Rooms are allocated based on room type and availability. We try to allocate students from similar courses and year groups together but this is not always possible. Please note that apartments are allocated on a mixed-gender basis.

All bedrooms in Goldcrest Village and Dunlin Village come with a private en suite bathroom. There are a number of en suite rooms available in Corrib Village also though most standard rooms will share a bathroom with housemates.

No, you should bring your own bed linen.

All apartments are fully equipped with crockery, cutlery, and saucepans.

Only guide dogs are permitted.

International Students: Sunday, 1 September 2024 is the earliest possible check-in date.

CAO Applicants: We will contact you to arrange a check-in time once CAO offers have been made.

You will need to bring photo ID and proof of student status at University of Galway. We will not be able to give you access to your room until all payments due in advance of check-in have been made.

There is temporary ‘drop-off’ parking available near the residences to facilitate moving-in. If you would like to keep your car on campus, you will need to apply for a parking permit from the University’s Parking Office. Parking is only permitted in designated areas and clamping is in operation on campus. You must park your car at a location indicated by any member of staff or security personnel if and when requested to do so. Cars are parked at own risk. Atalia Student Residences DAC management does not accept any responsibility for cars parked at our residences.

No, e-bikes and e-scooters are not permitted in campus residences.

Yes, but please be mindful that other students will be moving in on the same day.

Yes, the pre-arrival induction is mandatory.

The International Office will be in touch with you in due course with details of how to apply for on-campus accommodation.

There are a number of rooms available in Corrib Village for postgraduate students who would like to extend their stay for the summer months. Please contact live@universityofgalway.ie to express your interest.

Yes, while we cannot accept any liability for your luggage, you are welcome to have it delivered in advance. We will store it securely once it’s delivered. Please make sure it is clearly labelled with your name and contact details and arrange delivery no more than 3 days prior to your own arrival.

If you have accommodation booked at Corrib Village or Goldcrest Village, please ensure your name is clearly visible and send it c/o:

Goldcrest Village reception
Upper Newcastle,
Galway,
H91 F78F,
Ireland.

If you have accommodation booked at Dunlin Village, please ensure your name is clearly visible and send it c/o:

Dunlin Village reception
Upper Newcastle,
Galway,
H91 DFD0,
Ireland.

We recommend that you check the Irish Embassy/Consulate website in your current country of residence before making travel arrangements. See Irish Department of Foreign Affairs website for up-to-date travel information. You may require a study visa to enter Ireland, so please check the INIS (Immigration Service Delivery) website.

The University of Galway International Office may also be able to advise you.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter !

Yes, keep an eye on your email and @StayUniofGalway social media!

Yes, residents of both villages can use both common rooms (there is a common room in each village).

You should log any concerns or maintenance issues on your Student Accommodation Portal. This sends a direct notification to our maintenance team and issues are dealt with in order of priority.

All the information you need is in your Student Handbook.

Yes, you need to submit a request form.

Please email reception at live@universityofgalway.ie

There is a locked indoor bicycle store area at Block G and H in Goldcrest Village. There are outdoor bike racks in Corrib Village. Bicycles are not permitted inside apartments or stairwells.

There is a shop/café located on site in Corrib Village. From groceries to stationery, it offers all the essentials and all the convenience!

Laundry rooms are located in each residence. Laundry is not included in your accommodation. There are instructions on how to download the circuit laundry app in the launderette. You can pay via app.

Please refer to the posters on display inside the launderettes or click here for detailed instructions on how to purchase credit, how to use the machines and get support. With Laundry View you can go online and check the availability of washers and dryers in your launderette.

We do not provide meal plans for any students. However we have 16 restaurants/cafés located across campus including a café here in our residences and all boast a good variety of food and beverages at special student rates.

Yes, the tap water in the kitchen of your apartment is safe to drink.

As it is stored in a tank, water from the tap at your bathroom sink is not classed as fit for drinking. However, it is perfectly suitable for washing, tooth brushing etc.

Corrib Village: Check out our how-to video guides here.

Goldcrest Village: The heating is centrally controlled. If we receive requests to turn it up or down from several students, we can edit the heating for a block. Otherwise, we will leave it as the standard setting.

Please contact reception. The phone number is 091 527112.

Our residences have security outside of office hours. All residents are provided with an ID card which should be carried at all times, as residents may be requested to present this to security or management.

In addition, there is a friendly reception team who are available 6 days a week to deal with any queries that students may have.

Yes, there are locks on all bedroom doors and we remind you to please bring your key card with you at all times especially when you leave your bedroom. Your keycard is programmed so that only you can access your bedroom.

No, there is no curfew. However, we do require that residents carry their Residence ID cards with them at all times.

No, smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited.

Moving to university and living in shared accommodation can present some challenges at first. We would encourage you to discuss any concerns or niggles with your housemates openly in the first instance. If issues persist, please talk to our welfare co-ordinator.

It is not usually possible to change rooms or apartments after you have moved in.

Apartments are self-catering so you are responsible for keeping your room and the apartment clean.

Yes, your apartment will be inspected at regular intervals to ensure it is maintained in good condition. You will be notified of inspections in advance.

Yes, use removable White-Tac rather than tape and take care to avoid removing paint.

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No, you must pay for your accommodation directly. For information about grants, click here.

No, it is recommended that you take out your own insurance cover for your personal possessions.

It is very rare that utility bills would exceed the prepaid deposit. However, should it happen, a charge per apartment will apply.

Only students of the University of Galway are eligible for accommodation at Corrib Village, Goldcrest Village and Dunlin Village. If you do not receive and/or accept a course offer from the University of Galway, you should cancel your accommodation reservation by logging into your Student Accommodation Portal. You will be sent log in credentials and access to the Student Accommodation Portal once you have a confirmed room reservation.

If you have not moved into your room, you must cancel your booking via the Student Accommodation Portal before the cancellation deadline. If you are an incoming first-year student, we will notify you of the cancellation deadline once the date for publication of CAO results is known. No cancellations will be accepted by telephone or by email.

As long as you cancel on the Student Accommodation Portal before the cancellation deadline, an administration fee of €100 will be deducted from the booking deposit and the remainder will be refunded. Where cancellations are received after the given cut-off point but before move-in, the reservation will be cancelled but no refund will be issued.

Refunds will be processed within 1 month of cancellation.

No. Reservations are non-transferable. If you cancel your reservation, it will be offered to a student on the waiting list.

In line with current Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) legislation, if you wish to cancel your on-campus accommodation within the licence period, you are required to give 28 days’ notice in writing by submitting a cancellation form. You will be liable to pay the licence fee and any and all associated charges up to the end of the 28-day notice period or such longer period of notice stated in the cancellation form. A cancellation charge of €100 will apply in all cases.

We understand that, as a parent/guardian, knowing that your son or daughter is making a smooth transition from school to university life is of utmost importance. Not only that, you want to know that they are living in a safe and secure environment with a community-feel.

At our campus residences, we put the welfare of our student residents first and do all that we can to make their stay as comfortable and secure as possible. With security outside of office hours (with regular patrols), a dedicated reception team and Residential Assistants, they can make the most of university life in a friendly and safe environment, while at the same time, enjoy their independence and become familiar with the responsibilities that come with young adulthood.

Other safety measures:

• Apartments can only be accessed with key cards.
• Reception and security are contactable by phone.
• Note: all residents are provided with an ID card which should be carried at all times, as residents may be requested to present this to security or management.

• Not sure how the heater in your apartment works? Find out this and more with our useful video guides