Southern Asia, capital Islamabad

Study in Pakistan: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

Foreign students in Pakistan receive a study visa, issued or extended for two years after security clearance within 30 days, on an admission letter and no-objection certificates from the relevant Pakistani ministry and the student's own country. Visa fees are charged in US dollars on a reciprocal basis. At LUMS in Lahore, undergraduate tuition for 2026-27 is PKR 45,800 per credit hour and international applicants pay a USD 200 application fee.

Verified 15 Sep 2026 Sources
Public tuition, per year
Not listed
international students
Living cost, per month
Not listed
typical range
Work during study
Not listed
per week
Post study work
Not listed
after graduation
Intakes
Fall
main application cycles

Pakistan's universities admit foreign students to degree programmes taught largely in English. Tuition is set by each university. At Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), a private university chartered in 1985, undergraduate tuition for 2026-27 is PKR 45,800 per credit hour, and the first year of BS Computer Science costs PKR 2,182,200 including school fees. The first year of the two-year MBA costs PKR 2,449,000, and MS Computer Science tuition is PKR 56,600 per credit hour. LUMS does not publish a separate tuition rate for international students, but international applicants pay a USD 200 application fee instead of the local PKR 11,500.

Admission runs once a year for Fall entry. In the Fall 2026 cycle at LUMS, undergraduate applications closed on 27 January 2026 and MBA and most MS applications on 14 April 2026, with classes starting in late August. Undergraduate applicants take the LUMS admission test or submit SAT or ACT scores. Foreign applicants, defined as people not of Pakistani origin without a Pakistani passport, NICOP or CNIC, go through the regular process. Fall 2027 dates had not been published in September 2026.

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports sets the visa rules. Following a revision of the study visa duration, a study entry visa or extension is issued for two years after clearance by the security agencies, which is to be given within 30 days. Applicants need the routine visa documents, a passport copy and a photograph, an admission or bonafide letter from the institution, a no-objection certificate from the concerned ministry of Pakistan, and a no-objection certificate issued to the student by their own country. An older line on the same page still refers to one-year visas with one re-entry.

Visa fees are always charged on a reciprocal basis according to the applicant's country, and all fees are charged in US dollars, so the amount depends on nationality. The immigration pages read for this guide do not publish rules on part-time work for students or a post-study stay option.

Financial support for foreign students is limited and set by each university. LUMS offers Shahid Hussain Foundation Scholarships to nationals of SAARC member countries, including Bangladesh, need-based undergraduate aid of 20% to 100% of tuition, and a full tuition waiver with a monthly stipend for all PhD students.

Sources, checked 15 September 2026
  1. https://dgip.gov.pk/visa/categories.php
  2. https://dgip.gov.pk/visa/fee.php
  3. https://lums.edu.pk/programmes/bs-computer-science
  4. https://admission.lums.edu.pk/critical-dates-all-programmes
  5. https://financial-aid.lums.edu.pk/financial-aid-options-fa