New students applying through the University
All international students must obtain a Student Pass (Visa) to study in Malaysia. Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLBG) under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MoHE). EMGS acts as a one-stop centre mandated by MoHE to manage and facilitate all student pass applications.
The Immigration Department of Malaysia is the sole authority that approves, rejects, and issues Student Passes. Please note that the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) does not have the authority to approve or reject visa applications. New international students have two options for applying for their Visa Approval Letter (VAL):
Option A: Applying via the UNM Visa Office Option B: Applying directly to EMGS
While Option A is the preferred and more streamlined method, students who choose Option B may still contact the UNM Visa Office for assistance if needed.
All new international students applying for their Visa Approval Letter (VAL) are required to pay visa deposit fee of RM2,000. This deposit will be refunded once the student submits their passport for Student Pass shortening/cancellation after completing their studies or graduating, prior to returning to their home country.
The visa processing fee is charged based on your level of study, as shown in the table below:
Program Level | Visa Processing Fee (RM) |
Foundation / Master's / MPhil / Mobility (1 year) |
3,150 |
Undergraduate / PhD |
3,900 |
Mobility / PhD Research (3–6 months) |
1,800 |
Example: The total visa application fee for an international student enrolling in an undergraduate program is RM5,900 (RM2,000 deposit + RM3,900 processing fee). All payments are to be made via the MyNottingham portal.
Visa application checklist
The following outlines the required documents for your VAL application. Failure to submit any of these documents will result in an incomplete application and may delay or prevent further processing. You are strongly advised to check your email regularly and respond promptly to any communication from the Visa Office.
All documents must be submitted via email to: apply.visa@nottingham.edu.my
Documents required for residents of all countries
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UNM Offer Letter - Conditional or Unconditional Offer Letter from UNM
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Passport-Sized Photograph - Digital copy of passport-sized photo with white background (35mm x 45mm). Refer to EMGS Photo Guidelines for details
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Student Passport Copy - Submit a clear, cover-to-cover coloured scan of your passport with the following guidelines:
a) All Visa pages in the Passport (including Passport details page, empty pages and Observation pages)
b) Passport must be valid for at least 18 months from your registration date, or for the entire course duration to qualify for full-duration Student Pass (3 years)
c) Include Special Pass or Exit Stamp, if applicable
d) Maximum 2 passport pages per A4 page
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Academic Qualifications - Complete academic certificates and transcripts, including English language proficiency (if applicable). Non-English documents must include a certified English translation alongside the original
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Health Requirements - Completed Health Declaration Form (compulsory)
a) Students from countries at high risk for yellow fever (see WHO list) must submit a copy of the Yellow Fever vaccination card/booklet
b) Students must attend post-arrival medical screening within 7 days of arrival in Malaysia at an EMGS-registered panel clinic.
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Visa Application Fee Payment Reciept - payable via the MyNottingham portal. This includes visa processing fee & Visa deposit fee.
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Student Declaration Form - Completed and signed copy of the Student Declaration Form
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Additional Documents (If Applicable) - Based on nationality
a) No Objection Certificate/ NOC (for Sudanese students). The University apply for the NOC from the Sudanese embassy in Malaysia on your behalf. Any charges from the embassy will be borne by the student.
b) Letter of Eligibility/ LoE (for Iranian and Omani students). The University will apply for the LOE on your behalf from the Iranian and Omani embassy in Malaysia). Any charges from the embassy will be borne by the student.
c) Libyan students who wish to study in Malaysia are required to obtain a Letter of Eligibility (LoE) from the Academic Affairs of the Embassy of Libya-Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. Students are advised to directly apply LoE with their embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
d) For students from China, you are required to provide the online verification report of your academic certificate which can be obtained through the China Credentials Verification (CSSD) / Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC) / Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange