University of Nicosia (UNIC): Guide for International Applicants
Fees, entry requirements, the English-taught MD and the Cyprus entry permit, based on the university's own published rules.
The University of Nicosia (UNIC) is a private university in Nicosia, the capital of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state. According to the university, it started in 1980 as Intercollege and became a university in 2007. It describes itself as the largest university in Cyprus and reports over 11,000 students from over 70 countries.
All UNIC bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees are accredited by the Republic of Cyprus. Bachelor's and master's programs are available in English, and the medical school runs a 6-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) in English.
UNIC suits you if you want an EU-accredited degree in English, have solid school grades and can show funds for the first year of study. It is a weaker fit if your budget is well below €10,000 a year for tuition alone, or if you plan to work in the EU straight after a bachelor's degree.
| Key fact | Details |
|---|---|
Type | Private university, degrees accredited by the Republic of Cyprus |
Quality agency | CYQAA, registered in EQAR |
Main campus | Nicosia, Cyprus (also a campus in Athens, Greece, and distance learning) |
Students | Over 11,000 from over 70 countries (university data) |
Schools | 8, including a Medical School and a School of Veterinary Medicine |
Language of study | English |
Bachelor's tuition, non-EU | €10,320–11,820 per year |
MD tuition |
University of Nicosia tuition fees for international students
The figures below come from UNIC's current fee list for non-EU students on the Nicosia campus. Fees for the next academic year are usually published closer to the intake, so treat these as the latest confirmed prices.
| Program | Length / credits | Tuition, non-EU |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor's: business, humanities | — | €10,320 per year |
Bachelor's: IT, engineering | — | €10,800 per year |
Bachelor's: law | — | €11,700 per year |
Bachelor's: architecture | — | €11,820 per year |
Pharmacy | 5 years |
Every non-EU applicant also pays a non-refundable application fee of €60 and a non-refundable student visa fee of €150. UNIC also charges an International Student Guarantee of €400, which is refunded when you leave the university. Recurring fees include registration (€30 per semester) and health insurance (€175 per year).
Medical students have extra one-off payments: an administration fee of €1,500 and a seat deposit of €3,500. Yearly insurance adds €180 (medical), €300–1,250 (malpractice, rising in years 5–6) and €50 (accident). For a full budget, see our page on the cost of studying in Cyprus.
What a year at UNIC costs
EUR per year, Nicosia campus, non-EU students
- Medicine (MD), graduate entry€25,000
- Medicine (MD), undergraduate entry€24,000
- Veterinary Medicine (DVM)€21,000
- Bachelor's: architecture€11,820
- Bachelor's: law€11,700
- Bachelor's: IT, engineering€10,800
- Pharmacy (5 years)
Programs and the degree you receive
UNIC has eight schools: Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Law; Life and Health Sciences; Medical School; Sciences and Engineering; and Veterinary Medicine. English-taught bachelor's and master's programs cover business, law, architecture, IT and engineering, international relations, psychology and more.
Your degree is issued by UNIC and accredited by the Republic of Cyprus. UNIC holds the ECTS Label and the Diploma Supplement Label. In Greece, the recognition body D.O.A.T.A.P. treats UNIC as equivalent to Greek universities.
The medical school was set up in cooperation with St George's, University of London. The university calls it the first and largest medical program in Cyprus, with over 500 students. The degree you receive is the UNIC Doctor of Medicine.
- 6-year MD: 360 ECTS over 12 semesters, taught in English.
- 5-year graduate-entry MD: 300 ECTS, for applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree.
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Admission requirements for international students
For bachelor's programs, UNIC asks for a recognized school-leaving certificate with an average of at least 7.5/10 or 15/20. Applicants below that can be admitted with extra support in the first year, and some programs set higher requirements.
For English, bachelor's applicants need IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 72, or A-level English at grade C, or IB English HL 4. With IELTS 4.5 or higher, you can take UNIC's internal placement test and study with language support. Master's applicants need an accredited bachelor's degree and IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79. If your first degree was taught in English, you can be exempt.
The MD has stricter entry rules:
- a school certificate of 90%, with similar grades in biology and one of chemistry, physics or mathematics;
- or A-levels ABB, or IB 32 points (HL 16);
How to apply to UNIC
1
Check your grades against the program. We compare your certificate with UNIC's 7.5/10 or 15/20 benchmark, or with the MD's 90% rule in biology and chemistry, physics or math.
2
Get your English score in time for the deadline.
3
Certify your documents. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain use an apostille. Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait need consular legalization. Everything must be officially translated and certified.
4
Submit the application and pay the fees: €60 application fee and €150 student visa fee, both non-refundable.
5
Receive your offer. After a conditional or unconditional offer, UNIC files your entry permit application with the Migration Department and the Ministry of Education.
6
Pay at least the first semester. Cyprus requires non-EU students to pay at least the first semester before entry and study full time (30 ECTS per semester).
UNIC's general deadlines are late June for the Fall intake (September–January), late October for Spring (February–May) and late February for Summer. Exact dates are announced closer to each intake. The MD pages do not list separate deadlines, so for medicine we confirm the timeline with you at the consultation.
What to know before you apply
- Proof of funds is concrete. UNIC asks for a bank letter on your sponsor's solvency (issued within 6 months) and a 1-month bank statement showing at least the first year's tuition.
- Bank guarantee depends on your passport. The state guarantee is €850 for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria, and €350 for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. A university can lodge a group guarantee instead.
- Medical tests have an expiry date. HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B/C tests and a TB chest X-ray must be no older than 4 months. The police certificate must be no older than 6 months.
Rankings and accreditation
All UNIC degrees are accredited by the Republic of Cyprus. Programs are evaluated by CYQAA, the national quality agency registered in EQAR.
For medicine, the 6-year and 5-year MD programs are accredited by CYQAA against WFME standards, and CYQAA itself holds WFME recognition status. The program is listed in WDOMS. UNIC notes that since 2024 ECFMG (USA) only certifies graduates of programs that meet WFME standards.
UNIC is a member of the EUA and the ACU. We publish ranking positions only after checking them in the ranking tables.
Housing and student life
UNIC's official residences in Nicosia are called UNIC Residences; according to the university, they include the SIX, U and Triangle buildings. Room prices are not published on the open pages, so we request current rates when you get your offer.
For budgeting, UNIC estimates yearly living costs as follows: shared housing €4,000–6,000 or a private room €6,000–10,000; food and personal costs €3,350–5,000; books €400–500. The medical school gives a minimum of €12,000 per year for living in Nicosia. Your residence permit also requires a rental contract.
Student visa
You do not apply for a Cyprus student entry permit yourself. After your offer, UNIC files it with the Migration Department and the Ministry of Education. The official processing time is 1 month with a complete file, and longer if documents are missing.
After arrival, you have 7 days to register and apply for a temporary residence permit. The decision can take up to 3 months. The full document list, fees and timeline are on our Cyprus student visa page.
Other options
European University Cyprus offers an English-taught MD at €23,000 per year. UCLan Cyprus in Larnaca charges €9,000 per year for bachelor's programs after its standard discount. The public University of Cyprus charges non-EU bachelor's students €6,834 per year, but most bachelor's teaching there is in Greek. See all universities and admission in Cyprus or our study in Cyprus guide.
14 questions to ask before you pay the deposit
Deposits are almost never refundable. Ask these by email before paying — and keep the university's answer on record.
- What to ask about the programme, accreditation and the degree
- What tuition does not include and when a deposit is refunded
- Who files the visa application — you or the university
- Five red flags that mean you should not pay
We check them against the University of Nicosia (UNIC)'s requirements for your program, plan the entry permit timeline for your intake and compare 2–3 alternatives in Cyprus. The first consultation is free: use the form, WhatsApp, Telegram or our contacts page.
