Student Visa Question

You do not need a visa to travel anywhere in Europe if you are an American citizen. You would need one if you were going to Russia. If you have a student visa that will allow you to study in a country but it has no bearing whatsoever on your travel. I am sure sure someone who is knowledgeable will tell you about the Shengen requirements.

As Monte said, you do not need a visa. And since you aren't traveling to the continent, you won't need to worry about the Schengen agreement, either, since neither the UK nor Ireland are parties to it.

Thanks for the help! So just to confirm, so long as I don't travel to the main continent of Europe, I am fine. But if I did want to travel to the main continent, I would need a visa?

No visa needed to travel to "mainland" Europe as you call it, just don't stay beyond the ninety day rule.

Let's define some terms here. As you are aware, you need a student visa to study in Ireland, but that only applies to your stay in Ireland. If you were simply visiting Ireland on a short trip, you would not need a visa. Most of western and central Europe are signatories of the Schengen Agreement. Among other things, the treaty eliminated most border checks between member states, and allows for visa-free, unrestricted travel throughout the "Schengen Zone" for citizens of the signatory countries and certain other countries outside the zone, of which the US is one. So, you don't need a visa to visit most of Europe, provided your stay in the Schengen Zone lasts less than 90 days within 180 days of your initial entry. Ireland and the UK are not signatories of the Schengen Agreement, but they also fall under the visa exemption. No visa needed for travel between Ireland and the UK either. So, the only thing you will need to enter the Schengen Zone or the UK from Ireland is your passport.

Clare - Our daughter studied in Maynooth last year and had to pay 100 - 125 euro for some kind of visa. You should be able to find this out through your university. ***Edit - Thanks Nancy, I misread the first line of the post.

The Republic of Ireland and the UK are part of the Common Travel Area. As the UK Border Agency says: "The UK does not make routine immigration checks on passenger travel within the CTA, and passengers are not required to carry a passport or national identity document for immigration purposes. The CTA is a 'free movement' zone, based on the principle that a person who has been allowed to enter one part of the CTA will not normally require permission to enter another part of it while that permission is extent (provided they do not leave the CTA)." This applies for the UK if you are not a visa national (which the USA isn't). My understanding and experience though is that passports are checked on entry at airports in the Republic of Ireland though, even if travelling from other parts of the CTA.

Joel, the OP is asking about a visa for travel outside of Ireland while she is a student there. There is no visa required for that. She probaby has already made arrangements for her student visa for Ireland, which is what you are referring to.