How to Get Into a University in Cyprus as an International Student

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Cyprus has two very different routes into a bachelor's degree. The two public universities select students through national exams that most foreign applicants cannot sit. The private universities and colleges admit directly, on a school-leaving certificate and proof of language. For most international students the second route is the realistic one.

Our catalogue lists 251 programmes at 37 institutions, of which 163 are taught in English. It is built from the register of the Cyprus Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (CYQAA), so it covers the Republic of Cyprus only. It does not include universities in the northern part of the island.

Public universities: the Pancyprian Examinations

The University of Cyprus and the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) are the two public universities. According to Eurydice, admission to both is based on the Pancyprian Examinations, and each university sets a restricted number of places. A small share of places is set aside for special categories, which include international students.

The Ministry of Education says who may sit the exams: Cypriot citizens, or people with one parent of Cypriot origin, who are in the last year of or have graduated from an upper-secondary school, in Cyprus or abroad. EU and third-country citizens may sit them only if they attend or have finished one of the schools in Cyprus (public schools, the English School in Nicosia or licensed private schools). In practice, a foreign applicant who finished school abroad does not take these exams. The 2026 exams ran from 8 to 27 June.

Public universities: the route for foreign certificates

Foreign school-leaving certificates go through a separate, limited route run by each university.

CUT says it accepts applicants who graduated from a recognised secondary school, hold a citizenship other than Cypriot or Greek and know the language of the programme. It currently assesses applications only on international exam results, with lists of required GCE and IB subjects and grades on its site. CUT also states that all its bachelor programmes are taught in Greek.
The University of Cyprus runs its own call for holders of foreign qualifications. For 2026/27 the application window ran from 2 to 30 April 2026. Most of its programmes are taught in Greek.

If you do not speak Greek, these routes are closed for most programmes.

Private universities and colleges

Private institutions are governed by the Private Universities Law. Eurydice notes that they usually ask for a leaving certificate from a recognised secondary school. Beyond that, each sets its own rules:

European University Cyprus (EUC) asks for an application form with an €80 non-refundable fee, the official certificate and mark sheet in English, a passport valid for at least two more years for international applicants, and proof of English. Accepted proof includes IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 or Pearson PTE Academic 66.
University of Nicosia (UNIC) names a recognised High School Leaving Certificate as the minimum. Applicants whose certificate grade is below 7.5 out of 10, or the equivalent, receive extra academic guidance in the first year. For English-taught programmes UNIC accepts, for example, IELTS 6 or TOEFL iBT 72.

Medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine have stricter conditions at both universities. See IB and A-level admission to Cyprus for subject and grade requirements.

Check the accreditation

A programme can only be trusted if CYQAA has accredited it. Accreditation is time-limited: CYQAA's page quotes the law saying it is repeated every five years. Before you pay a deposit, find your programme in CYQAA's table of accredited programmes and check the accreditation dates and the language of instruction.

Bachelor's length and structure

Bachelor's programmes last four years and 240 ECTS credits. Medicine takes six years. Programmes also include foreign-language courses as part of the credits.

Steps in practice

Decide the language you can study in. If it is not Greek, look at 163 English-taught programmes at private institutions.
Check the programme in the CYQAA register and on the institution's website.
Prepare your certificate, mark sheet, passport and English proof. See document recognition in Cyprus.
Apply, usually online. See admission calendar for Cyprus for intakes.
If you are not an EU citizen, start the entry permit. See student visa for Cyprus.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.