CAO Application Information
What is the CAO?
The Central Applications Office (CAO) processes applications for EU applicants to undergraduate courses in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Decisions on admissions to undergraduate courses are made by the HEIs who instruct CAO to make offers to successful candidates.
The CAO is independent of the University and administrates the application process for Trinity before an application is formally reviewed. If you have any queries about the online application process itself, please contact the CAO directly.
Who can apply to the CAO?
Applicants who are resident in the EU, EEA (European Economic Area), UK countries and Switzerland apply through the CAO.
How you apply to Trinity is determined by your fee status and if you applying as an EU or as a non-EU/international student.
Applicants who qualify for EU fees apply through the CAO .If you are unsure of your application status, please fill in our EU Undergraduate Fee Eligibility Reckoner form.
Please be aware that this form is for your guidance only. You may be required to submit documentation to be assessed before a final decision is made.
How do I apply to the CAO?
Applicants submit their course choices through the CAO website.
For a complete guide on how to apply, please visit the CAO website.
Application Dates
| CAO Application | Opening Date | Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Applications | 5 November 2025 (12:00) | 1 February 2026 (17:00) |
| Amending Course Choices | 5 November 2025 (12:00) | 1 March 2026 (17:00) |
| DARE and HEAR | 5 November 2025 (12:00) | 1 March 2026 (17:00) |
| Mature Applications | 5 November 2025 (12:00) | 1 February 2026 (17:00) |
| Late Applications | 5 March 2026 (12:00) | 1 May 2026 (17:00) |
| Change of Mind | May 2026 | 1 July 2026 (17:00) |
Please be aware that these dates are subject to change.
The full CAO application timeline can be found here.
CAO Round Offer Dates
| Offer | Release Date | Accept Offer - Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Round 0 | ||
| Round 1 | ||
| Round 2 | ||
| Round 3 | ||
| Round 4 | ||
| Round 5 |
Accepting an Offer
Accepting an offer (all applicants)
Applicants who wish to accept an offer of a place must submit a formal acceptance on-line, within the specified time period. If an acceptance is not submitted in time the offer will lapse.
Please note that if an applicant does not follow the instructions in full, the right is reserved to cancel the offer.
School leavers & standard applicants
Offers to all successful EU applicants (school leavers) are made through the CAO in August following the publication of Leaving Certificate and GCE A-Level results.
The University does not make conditional offers prior to the publication of examination results. However, the level at which entry was granted in the previous year may give an indication of the level of achievement required.
Applicants are advised that the competitive entry level may fluctuate from year to year.
Mature Students
Offers to successful mature student applicants and to candidates who have deferred entry from the previous year will be issued by CAO in early July.
DARE and HEAR students
DARE students: a condition of acceptance of a DARE place is that students must register with the Disability Service. Failure to register or attend scheduled meetings with the Disability Service without prior permission could result in the reduced points DARE place being withdrawn.
HEAR students: a condition of acceptance of a HEAR place is that students must attend the HEAR Orientation Programme. Failure to attend without prior permission from the TAP office could result in the HEAR place being withdrawn or in the withdrawal of other potential post-entry supports (e.g. financial supports).
CAO Points
A full list of CAO points for each course from previous years can be found here.
FAQs
If you have any queries, please visit the CAO website.