🇦🇪 How to apply to university in the United Arab Emirates

There is no central application system: you apply to each institution directly. Programmes usually start: Fall semester (August–September); some universities also admit for spring (January).

Checked on 20 October 2026 against the official sources listed below.

The essentials

Application system: None — apply to each institution on its own website.
When programmes start: Fall semester (August–September); some universities also admit for spring (January).
International applicants: International students apply directly to each university through its own online application; there is no national system for them.
Language: IELTS Academic, TOEFL or the university's own accepted test for English-taught programmes.

Key dates

Each university announces its own application periods. UAE University lists May–July as its application months for the first (fall) semester and September–November for the second (spring) semester, without a year; check its admissions site for the current window.

The dates for the next intake haven't been published yet. We add them once the official source does.

Your checklist

The usual steps for an international student applying to a bachelor's in the United Arab Emirates, in order. Tick them off as you go — your ticks stay in this browser, with no account.

1.Choose universities and programmes — some, such as medicine at UAE University, are restricted to UAE nationals or funded students.
2.If your school certificate doesn't follow the UAE Ministry of Education curriculum, get an equivalency certificate from the Ministry.
3.Take an English test the university accepts (UAE University asks for IELTS Academic 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 70).
4.Apply online to each university during its announced application period.
5.Receive an admission decision — admission is competitive, so meeting the minimum isn't a guarantee.
6.Accept the offer and pay the fees the university asks for.
7.Get a student residence visa — ask the university, which normally sponsors it.
8.Arrange housing on or near campus.

0 of 8 done · ticks are saved in this browser only

Next steps

Sources

Written by CollegeMatcher in our own words from these official pages, checked on 20 October 2026. Dates change every year.

UAE University — undergraduate admission, international students