🇧🇼 How to apply to university in Botswana

There is no central application system: you apply to each institution directly. Programmes usually start: August at the University of Botswana (its undergraduate intake); other institutions set their own.

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: August at the University of Botswana (its undergraduate intake); other institutions set their own.
International applicants: International students apply to each institution directly, through the same online application as Batswana. At the University of Botswana, students from elsewhere in Africa pay the resident rate and others the higher non-resident rate.
Language: English is the language of instruction; the University of Botswana asks for English at grade C or better for non-science programmes and D for science programmes (BGCSE or an equivalent).

Key dates

There is no central application system: each institution sets its own dates. The University of Botswana has not yet published its dates for August 2027 entry; for August 2026 entry, applications from local and international students closed on 6 August 2026. Check each institution's website during 2027.

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 Botswana, in order. Tick them off as you go — your ticks stay in this browser, with no account.

1.Choose an institution and programme, and check its entry requirements for your school-leaving qualification — at the University of Botswana a degree needs at least 34 points at BGCSE (NCQF level 4) or an equivalent, with five subjects at C or better.
2.Make sure your programme and institution are registered with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).
3.Get certified copies of your passport and school certificates, with certified English translations of any that are not in English.
4.Pay the non-refundable application fee (University of Botswana: P250) and keep the receipt.
5.Apply online on the institution's website before its closing date, uploading the receipt and documents.
6.Accept your offer and arrange your sponsorship or fee payment — self-sponsored students at the University of Botswana can pay in four instalments.
7.Check with a Botswana embassy whether you need an entry visa, and apply for it with your admission and sponsorship letters.
8.After you register, apply for a residence permit with the help of the institution's international office — Botswana issues no separate study permit, so the residence permit is your permission to study.

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Next steps

Sources

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

University of Botswana, A Guide to Prospective Applicants 2026 — Undergraduate