International students 2026 Unisa

What’s new for 2026?

• You may apply for a maximum of two qualifications, ranked in order of preference (although you may only register for one should both of your applications be successful).
• Unisa will inform you of the outcome of your application. If successful, Unisa will indicate for which qualification you have been accepted and will offer you a space for the period for which you have applied (ie either semester 1 or semester 2).
• You must accept or decline Unisa’s offer within the prescribed period of time.
  Why happens if I don’t accept Unisa’s offer?
  • The university will withdraw your offer and give your space to another applicant.
  • You will not be able to register for the 2026 academic year.
• If you accept Unisa’s offer, you must register for the period for which you have been granted admission (ie semester 1 or semester 2). Should you not register for the relevant semester of study, you will need to re-apply for admission during the next application period.

Who must apply for admission?

• Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission. This includes first-time Unisa applicants and Unisa students changing to a new qualification.
• Everyone completing a Higher Certificate or Alternative Pathway / Extended Programme must apply for admission to the follow-on qualification.
• You must re-apply for admission if you previously applied for admission and received feedback, but did not register for any reason.

Application dates: visit www.unisa.ac.za/apply.

How do I apply for admission?

All applications for admission must be submitted online during the prescribed application period. Visit www.unisa.ac.za/apply for more information.

I completed my schooling or undergraduate studies outside South Africa. Do I qualify?

For a list of acceptable school qualifications for admission per country, visit http://mb.usaf.ac.za/.

How do I pay the application fee?

The non-refundable online application fee is R105,00.

The preferred method of payment is credit card via the Unisa website. Unisa web payment link: http://www.unisa.ac.za/feepayment (this is a secure site). Alternatively, you can make payment by means of a SWIFT transfer (see bank account details below). Please note that any payments other than those made via the Unisa website might take a few days to reflect on the Unisa account. Please send proof of payment to susdepid@unisa.ac.za

SWIFT transfers can be made

• if you already have a student number
• in respect of fees, for example: study fees, examination fees (supplementary, sick or special exam fees), exemption fees and library charges
• provided that the details are filled in as follows:
  • Bank: Standard Bank
  • Beneficiary: Unisa student deposits
  • Branch code: 010645
  • Swift code: SBZAZAJJ
  • Account number: 011554622
  • Deposit reference: first eight (8) blocks are for the student number (if the student number consists of only 7 digits, then a “0” must be filled in as the first digit of the student number). Leave one block open, then fill in the following code: 5370810030 for the application fee

Funding for foreign students

The government is currently investigating the subsidy for foreign students, which means that prescribed student fees for foreign students could increase substantially in the future. Unisa reserves the right to charge fees in certain countries in the currency of that country. The levy for students in foreign countries must be paid in addition to the minimum initial payment at the time of registration. A student must be in possession of a student number before registration can be processed, or fees paid or deposited into the Standard Bank South African account.

What documents do I need to submit when applying for admission to Unisa?

Undergraduate applications:

• Copy of your school qualifications. For a list of acceptable school qualifications for admission per country, visit hhttp://mb.usaf.ac.za/
• Copy of your tertiary academic qualifications (if applicable)
• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your marriage certificate (if applicable) or divorce decree (if applicable)
• Original sworn translations of documents if they are not in English or Afrikaans
• M30 form – Application for a Certificate of Conditional Exemption (ONLY for admission to bachelor degree studies – not for BTech degree studies) (PDF 33KB) and supporting documents if you are applying for a certificate of exemption

* Please note that some qualifications may require additional documents. Unisa reserves the right to request original documents and / or to verify the correctness of submitted documents at any time.

Please note the following rules for uploading supporting documents:

• Files cannot be larger than 2MB (2048KB) each.
• Only black and white documents may be submitted.
• Only the following file types are allowed: PDF (Adobe Acrobat Portable Document format file), DOC (Word document file) or TIF (image file).
• Unisa does not provide scanners or electronic devices. Please ensure that your documents are in an electronic format before starting the application process.

How can I contact Unisa?

Please remember to use only your student number in the subject line with all correspondence. For enquiries related to undergraduate higher certificates, diplomas and degrees & honours degrees and postgraduate diplomas, send an e-mail to international@unisa.ac.za.

Accreditation of Unisa as an institution

Unisa operates in accordance with the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, as amended. It is recognised by the South African Department of Education (DoE), accredited by the South African Council on Higher Education (CHE) and all its qualifications are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Since Unisa operates in accordance with the Higher Education Act, 1997, it does not have a registration number at the Department of Education.

International accreditation of Unisa’s qualifications

One way for the accreditation of Unisa’s qualifications in foreign countries with an established Qualifications Authority, is for the two qualification authorities involved to negotiate the mutual recognition and accreditation of each other’s qualifications.

In other cases the publication of an institutions name in specific authoritative publications, forms the basis of accreditation. Unisa is inter alia listed in the International Handbook of Universities published by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and officially verified by the International Association of Universities.

Students must, however, enquire from the specific foreign country/university whether Unisa’s qualifications are accredited  / recognised.