Education in Zambia for US citizenship

Visa requirements for students wishing to study in Zambia vary by nationality. Select your country below to learn about the relevant rules and find embassies and consulates in your country.

 All international students need a study visa to study in Zambia. Foreign students need to learn the process of obtaining a visa in the country of residence.

 A Zambian study permit is only issued after the student has been admitted to the university to which he/she applied and only if it is registered with the relevant ministry.

Please note that the study permit application must be submitted before the student enters Zambia. A study permit is issued only to residents of the country and persons seeking asylum.

The holder of a study permit may enter and exit Zambia during the period of validity of the study permit.

An educational institution that accepts a foreign student is obliged to issue a certificate to the director of the immigration service, which indicates the ability of the foreign student to pay for tuition and living costs during his/her stay in the country.

The Zambian study permit depends on the specific educational institution. Holders of a study permit in Zambia are not permitted to engage for profit in any activity, business, trade, job, profession, or any other activity not specified in the permit.

To find out more about what a study permit does or doesn't allow you to do, visit the Zambia Immigration website.

Requirements for obtaining a study permit in Zambia:

• A completed application form to the educational institution in which the applicant wishes to study
• Two passport-size photos (recent)
• Police certificate from the applicant's country of permanent residence for obtaining a study permit, if the applicant is over 18 years old
• A photocopy of a valid passport
• Letter of acceptance from the registered educational institution in which the student wishes to study
• Status of the receiving party, parents or guardians, if any
• Medical report/chest X-ray
• A cover letter addressed to the Chief Immigration Officer.

If you do not manage to submit all documents on time, the embassy will ask you to book another reception date, so to avoid delays, please submit all documents in full.

As the international student visa process can take up to 3 months depending on the country, we strongly recommend that you allow enough time for this.

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Can I combine studying and working in Zambia?

Students may want to work part-time in their spare time as a way to earn extra income.

Students may work no more than 30 hours per week, as exceeding the suggested number of hours may adversely affect academic performance. Part-time work is designed to meet the needs of the student, such as food and toiletries.

Zambia does not allow international students to work, however, there are other services you can provide that can help you generate income.

It is also important to find out at the university of your choice whether it offers part-time work on its territory or if there is a possibility of internships for foreign students at other educational institutions.

International students should consider working in campus cafeterias as cooks, in stores as sales agents, in restaurants as waiters, in hotels as servers, potters, and front desk operators.

During the school holidays, you may want to consider taking on a full-time job to ease the financial pressure for next term.

A good example of what you can do is work as a career coach. Non-governmental organizations working with teenagers are always open to volunteers in exchange for free work or a scholarship.

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Is it possible to get a scholarship for studies?

All Zambian, African, and other international students can check the Zambia Scholarships category for information on the latest scholarship opportunities. All scholarships are for bachelor's, master's, and professional education.

Zambia scholarships and grants are available for studying at renowned colleges and universities around the world. Students from developing countries can take advantage of the available scholarships and grants updated on this page:

https://scholarship-positions.com/category/africa-scholarships/zambia-scholarships/.