GREEN CERT IRELAND
Get your Green Cert. Keep farming while you do it.
Complete your Green Cert in nine months through live online evening classes, expert trainer support and four practical days on a working farm – designed for people balancing farming, work and family commitments.
JANUARY 2027 INTAKE
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Places are limited and offered first-come, first-served.
- 4.9★ Google rating
- Real trainer support, not a call centre
- Built around farm life, not the other way around
Ready to get your Green Cert?
Applications for our next intake is open now. Places on a first-come, first-served basis.
What is the Green Cert?
“Green Cert” is the name everyone uses for two QQI awards done together: the Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture and the Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farming. Finish both, and Revenue and the Department of Agriculture (DAFM) recognise you as a “trained farmer” — the qualification that unlocks reliefs like stamp duty exemption on land transfers and enhanced stock relief.
It’s for farm successors getting ready to take over the home place, working farmers making it official, and farm employees looking to take on more responsibilities.
Duration
Finish in 9 months
Delivery
Weekly live Zoom evening classes + 4 on-farm days, set out before you start.
Award
Green Cert (QQI Level 5 & 6 combined)
Award Codes
5M20454 · 6S20487
A Green Cert you can trust.
Complete the QQI Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture and Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farming with Forus Training,
an approved QQI provider.
Complete the QQI Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture and Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farming with Forus Training, an approved QQI provider.
Choose your path
Dairy & Beef
Beef & Sheep (Drystock)
Tillage & Crops
How it works
Live Online Sessions
Format
Tutor-led discussions, on Zoom
Schedule
Two-hour evening classes + 4 on-farm days.
Course Portal
One place for materials, submissions and results
Materials
Learner Pack (Module manual/presentations/assessment brief) to support your online session posted to you
Online Self Study
Your online learning portal: Access your course content, work through each module and submit your assignments in one convenient place.
Format
Self-directed, on your own time
Materials
Learner Pack — printed and posted to you, with the same content available through your online learning portal.
Weekly Load
Up to 6-8 hrs in total (4 hrs online sessions and 2-4 hrs self direct learning to prepare for the sessions)
Assessment prep
Practice papers & sample exams with worked solutions
Pay in full, or spread the cost
A payment plan is there if you need it. All prices in euro.
Subtotal
€4,950
Pay today and save €500
−€500
Ongoing charges
€0
€4,450
Weekly payment plan
52 weekly payments
starting in 7 days (includes a €49 admin fee)
€86.52
Deposit, paid today
€500
Total plan cost
€4,999
What you pay today
€500
What the Green Cert can unlock
Under 35 with an approved qualification? Revenue gives you full stamp duty relief on farmland and 100% stock relief.
CISYF & National Reserve
A recognised Level 6 qualification meets the education requirement for CIS-YF and the National Reserve, open to young farmers and new entrants of any age.
Higher TAMS grant rates
Up to 60% instead of 40% for qualifying young or women farmers, within age and time limits.
Succession & inheritance supports
Your qualification also counts for tax reliefs beyond CAP payments, including the Succession Farm Partnership tax credit (successors under 40), Consanguinity relief, Agricultural Relief on inherited or leased farmland.
The Green Cert doesn’t automatically unlock every payment — eligibility depends on your age, timing and circumstances. We’ll talk you through what genuinely applies before you enrol.
Why Forus
What learners say about Forus
Green Cert is our newest course — here’s what learners say about training with Forus.
“Fitting the course around a full-time job wasn’t easy, but the evening classes and the support from trainers made it work. Couldn’t recommend Forus enough.”
“Really well organised — clear materials, practice papers before every exam, and someone always available when I had a question.”
Let’s find the right Green Cert path for you.
Talk through course timing, study paths, grants and the application process with our team.
Frequently asked questions
For everything else, see the links below.
What actually is the Green Cert?
Two QQI awards completed together: Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture (5M20454, 120 credits) and Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farming (6S20487, 50 credits). Finish both and you have "trained farmer" status with Revenue and DAFM, which is either required or a real advantage for schemes like the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF), the National Reserve, the TAMS Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme, Young Trained Farmer stamp duty relief, stock relief and Agricultural Relief on inherited land. Some of these supports have age limits (for example, under 35 or under 40), so check each scheme's conditions before you apply.
What are the entry requirements?
Knowledge and skills around Level 4 on the National Framework of Qualifications. 18+ on the date of your first class — you can apply at 17, as long as you turn 18 before the course starts. Able to work with initiative, on your own. A Category W tractor permit. And access to a farm — your own, or one you're involved in.
More on eligibility (RPL, age, language, computer skills): see Course Overview.
I've no farming background and no farm — can I still do it?
Yes. You don't need your own land. You can do your placement on a nominated farm, on-farm days happen at our partner farms, and you've support the whole way through.
What's the weekly time commitment?
Two evening classes a week — about two hours, on Zoom — plus study on your own time, around four hours most weeks and more near assessments. On-farm days are scheduled well ahead so you can plan around them.
Which path should I choose?
Match it to what you farm: Dairy & Beef, Beef & Sheep (Drystock), or Tillage & Crops. Your path sets your two Level 5 elective modules and which Farm Hub you'll attend.
What does it cost?
€4,950 — or €4,450 if you pay in full (a €500 saving). Or spread it: €86.52 a week for 52 weeks, with a €500 deposit upfront. There's no separate grant for the course itself — like any private course, you fund it yourself.
What if I fail something?
You get one repeat. Exam fail: €100. Assignment fail: €40. Skills fail: €160 a day or half-day.
Will this get me the grants?
A Green Cert makes you a recognised "Young Trained Farmer" with DAFM and Revenue. It doesn't hand you every payment automatically — that depends on your age, timing and circumstances — but it can mean real savings and higher grant rates.
Every scheme, broken down in full: see the Grants & Tax Reliefs Guide.
How do I apply and secure my place?
Apply: Complete the Eligibility Check Form and upload your driving licence, proof of PPSN, passport and birth certificate.
Tell us about your needs: Complete the Health and Support Questionnaire.
Get approved: Forus Training reviews and approves your documents.
Secure your place: Pay in full at a discounted rate or choose a weekly payment plan with a €500 deposit. You'll then receive confirmation of your place.
Get ready to learn: We'll register you on our learning platform and post your learner pack to you.
If we need more information, our programme lead or their deputy will contact you. Please answer openly so we can provide the support you need.
Can I do just Level 5? Or start with Level 6?
No — both go to QQI together. You can't stop after Level 5 and call yourself a trained farmer, and you can't start at Level 6 unless you already hold Level 5 (this is reviewed case by case, at our discretion). If your own experience already covers the ground, that's an RPL conversation — see the Recognition of Prior Learning and Exemptions Policy.
Ready to get your Green Cert?
Applications for the January 2027 intake are open now. Places on a first-come, first-served basis.