The University of Namibia (UNAM) enrols about 26,302 students as of its 2025 reporting cycle, from over 40 countries, and teaches in English. Undergraduate applications for the 2027 intake run from 22 May to 30 September 2026, and international applicants pay a NAD 300 application fee. Degree applicants need English at grade C or better at NSSCO level, and other school-leaving qualifications are assessed on their own merit. UNAM does not publish full programme tuition; its 2026 fees prospectus sets registration payments of NAD 12,125 for SADC students and NAD 20,775 for non-SADC students, including a tuition fee deposit of NAD 5,650 or NAD 14,300 and a NAD 3,500 international student levy, and non-SADC students pay double the Namibian rate for class fees and postgraduate tuition. UNAM states that international students are not eligible for its financial support.
The Ministry of Home Affairs website could not be opened for this guide, so the study permit rules below are taken from UNAM's international students page, which is based on the Immigration Control Act of 1993. Under that Act, all international students, whether from SADC or non-SADC countries, should have a valid and approved study permit and visa before entering Namibia to study. UNAM and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security have an agreement that lets international students apply for their study permits during UNAM's registration period. Applicants submit a completed main application form and visa form, a copy of their current student permit where they have one, and a paragraph explaining their reasons for studying in Namibia; these documents are separate from the documents needed for admission or registration.
At submission, applicants pay a handling fee of NAD 80, and once a first-year study permit application is approved they pay a permit fee of NAD 2,200. Handling and permit fees are paid to the Ministry, not to the university, and payment receipts must be kept for the permit endorsement. Rules on working while studying and on staying after graduation are not published on the pages read.