For entry in 2027. Registering is the start, not the whole application. You still need to enter your qualifications, choose courses and supply any required evidence. The colleges decide admission; CAO processes the application. CAO Handbook 2027, printed pages 2 and 5–6.
Before you register
Make a shortlist using the course search, then check the college's current course page for subjects, grades and assessments. Previous points are a record of an earlier competition, not a promise of entry. Put restricted-entry courses and any mature-entry requirements on your checklist before February. Handbook, printed pages 2–3.
Register and get your application number
- Use the application link on CAO's official website. The 2027 facility opens on 5 November 2026 at noon.
- Enter personal details carefully and use an email account you can access throughout the cycle.
- Select every qualifications or assessment category that applies. A mature applicant can also present Leaving Certificate or QQI results.
- Pay the fee, create your password and complete the remaining registration steps.
- Check for the email with your 2027 application number. Payment alone is not confirmation of registration.
These steps and the opening date come from the handbook timetable and printed page 5. Keep your password private; this site does not collect applications.
CAO application fees for 2027
| Online application | Fee | Closing date, Irish time |
|---|---|---|
| Discounted | €35 | 20 January 2027, 5pm |
| Normal | €50 | 1 February 2027, 5pm |
| Late, where permitted | €65 | 1 May 2027, 5pm |
Application fees are non-refundable. The €10 February course-amendment facility is separate from the application fee. Summer Change of Mind is free. These are application charges, not college tuition or a SUSI grant application. Handbook, printed pages 6, 19–20 and 27.
Missed 1 February?
Late online applications open 5 March 2027 at noon and close 1 May at 5pm. Not every route is available through late application. Restricted courses, mature assessment and some qualification categories have limits. Check with the relevant college before paying if a restriction may apply. An existing applicant changing a course list needs the amendment or Change of Mind facility, not a second application. Handbook, printed pages 3–6.
Reapplying after a gap year
Make a new application in full and pay the current fee. Last year's application and documents do not transfer automatically. Enter previous examination years and numbers so CAO can obtain the correct results. If you already hold a deferred place, follow the deferral procedure instead of building an ordinary new shortlist. HEAR/DARE eligibility has its own one-year carry-forward conditions. Handbook, printed pages 6–7, 32 and 99.
Finish the application, then check it
Use genuine preference order, send the right supporting documents and respond to Check and Confirm. Save acknowledgements after changes and return to your account to verify what is recorded.
Sources and verification
Checked 7 September 2026 against the user-supplied CAO Handbook 2027, principally printed pages 2–7, 19–20, 27 and 99. Official handbook download. Dates may be amended; CAO key dates separates the 2027 application calendar from 2026 offers.