Host an exchange student

Host families provide the student with room and board, and are expected to treat their student as a member of the family, not as a guest. Students cover their own travel costs, health insurance, school expenses, phone bills and spending money. EF has established certain requirements for all host families. For example, host parents should be at least 25 years of age or older, pass a Garda Vetting and have a stable and suitable household.

There is no 'typical' host family. Our families represent the diversity of Irish culture and we encourage families of all shapes and sizes to host.  Some families have young or teenage children while others may be empty-nesters or newlyweds. We've had single people, same-sex couples,  and grandparents all be wonderful hosts.

Financial support is offered to all of our host families in Ireland. Such remuneration is intended to cover some of the day-to-day costs of hosting an international teenager, which includes three meals a day and household expenses. This way we ensure that our host families participate in the programme for the right reasons.

EF exchange students come from 15 countries across Europe, Asia and South America. They represent a diverse set of communities and backgrounds which offer an interesting breadth of students to choose from.

Yes, our Regional Managers and full-time office staff will work with you to find a great student match. We have spent more than 20 years matching students to their Irish host families and high schools. If you have an idea of what type of student would fit best in your family, let's talk about it!

EF exchange students come to Ireland for either one semester (beginning in September) or one school year (usually September to June, though it depends on your school district).

We are committed to making sure that our exchange students and host families have a great experience. If problems ever arise, you can rely on your Regional Manager and full-time EF staff to be there for you. In the rare case that we can't resolve the issue together, we will find the student a new home.