Countries
Study in Djibouti: costs, visa, scholarships and universities
Costs, visa process, work rights, scholarships and university options for studying in Djibouti.
Overview
Djibouti's public higher education is concentrated in one institution, the University of Djibouti (UD), which became a full university in 2006 from the earlier Pole Universitaire de Djibouti. By its own account it has more than 11,000 students, about 300 teachers, 35 distinct programmes and seven teaching units, and follows the LMD (licence-master-doctorate) system. A private institute, ISCAE Djibouti, describes itself as the first state-accredited private institute and offers DUT, licence and master programmes in management, logistics, finance and networks.
Foreign visitors, including prospective students, enter on an electronic visa from the immigration directorate's portal (evisa.gouv.dj). The portal lists a passport valid for at least six months, a flight reservation, an accommodation address, an invitation letter from an organisation or host, and a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card; a 10% VAT applies to the fee and an express service costs an extra 150 EUR per person. Canada's travel page states that students are issued a tourist visa. No student-specific residence permit, work right, financial-proof rule or processing time was found on official pages.
The University of Djibouti's published admission information is aimed at national baccalaureate candidates (online pre-registration on the eCampus platform with a baccalaureate number, 25 May to 3 July 2025). Its Faculty of Engineering teaches entirely in English after a preparatory phase, in partnership with Istanbul Technical University, and engineering and medicine admit by competition. Tuition for international students, deadlines for foreign applicants and language-test thresholds are not published.
Safety information differs by government: the UK advises against all travel to the Djibouti-Eritrea border, Canada advises a high degree of caution and avoiding non-essential travel within 10 km of that border, and Germany reports drone and missile attacks linked to the Houthi conflict since early September 2026 and a closed Eritrean land border. Verify current advisories and institutional requirements directly before planning study here.
- Public university tuition
- Not yet verified
- Monthly living cost
- Not yet verified
- Visa processing time
- Processing time not stated in the portal's text files. The portal says an ordinary visa requires an intended arrival date at least several days ahead (text gives 'three (6) days') and an express visa is available.Source
- Work rights
- No official source describes work rights for international students.
- Intakes and deadlines
- For the 2025/26 year the University of Djibouti ran online pre-registration for baccalaureate candidates from 25 May to 3 July 2025 on its eCampus platform. No intake calendar for international applicants and no 2026/27 dates were found. ISCAE Djibouti advertises 'Admissions 2026-2027' without dates.Source
- Language requirement
- No official language-test thresholds found. The University of Djibouti's Faculty of Engineering teaches entirely in English after a preparatory phase (with English preparation courses), in partnership with Istanbul Technical University; other faculty pages are in French and do not state a test requirement.Source
Tuition and living costs
- Public university tuition
- Not yet verified
- Private university tuition
- Not yet verified
- Monthly living cost
- Not yet verified
Accommodation
No official student-housing information for international students found (a 'Vie universitaire' page exists but was not read in detail).
When planning the total budget, separate one-off and monthly items. Budget planning guide
Visa and residence permit
Entry is by electronic visa issued through the immigration directorate's portal (evisa.gouv.dj), which replaces the visa formerly issued at the point of entry. The portal says applicants need a passport valid for at least six months, a flight reservation or other transport booking, an accommodation address, an invitation letter (organisation or host, with contacts) and a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card. Payment includes 10% VAT; an express visa is available for an extra 150 EUR per person. Canada's travel page states that students are issued a tourist visa and that electronic visas are available. Germany's Auswaertiges Amt states German citizens need a visa obtainable via the embassy in Berlin, the e-visa or on arrival. No student-specific visa or residence permit is described on official pages reviewed.
- Visa processing time
- Processing time not stated in the portal's text files. The portal says an ordinary visa requires an intended arrival date at least several days ahead (text gives 'three (6) days') and an express visa is available.Source
- Proof of funds
- No official financial-proof requirement for students found.;Source
- Health insurance
- No official requirement found.
Application steps
- Register on evisa.gouv.dj and confirm the e-mail address.
- Fill in the application and attach required documents (passport, travel booking, accommodation address, invitation letter).
- Pay the visa fee online by Visa, Mastercard or American Express (10% VAT applies; unpaid applications are cancelled after a week).
- Wait for approval, then download the e-visa as a PDF.
- Visa extension: apply while in Djibouti; contact the immigration office or [email protected] (eligibility requires at least 48 hours of remaining validity).
Documents required
- Passport valid at least 6 months
- Flight reservation or other transport booking
- Accommodation address (hotel or host)
- Invitation letter (organisation or host with phone and e-mail)
- Visa, Mastercard or American Express card
Travel advisories, sanctions and payments
As of 2026-10-26: UK FCDO (updated 27 Jul 2026) advises against all travel to the Djibouti-Eritrea border. Germany's Auswaertiges Amt (page dated 26 Oct 2026, unchanged since 8 Oct 2026): advises against non-essential solo trips to remote areas, especially the Eritrea and Somalia border regions; Eritrean land border closed; drone and missile attacks linked to the Houthi conflict since early Sept 2026; terrorism and crime possible; malaria risk year-round. Canada (updated 14 Oct 2026): exercise a high degree of caution mainly due to crime; avoid non-essential travel within 10 km of the Eritrea border. US State Department (page read 2026-10-26): Level 2 with an area-specific Level 3 for areas bordering Eritrea, date issued 6 Mar 2025 (terrorism; border tensions). Turkiye MFA: no Djibouti notice in the official advisory list read on 2026-10-26.
- Fees
- The portal text says a visa fee plus 10% VAT is payable and an express charge is 150 EUR per person, but the base fee amount is not in the portal's text files; third-party figures conflict and were not used.; amount: 150; currency: EUR; basis: per personSource
Nationality-specific notes: turkiye: No nationality-specific visa rule for this group found on official pages reviewed.; russia: No nationality-specific visa rule for this group found on official pages reviewed.; kazakhstan: No nationality-specific visa rule for this group found on official pages reviewed.; ukraine: No nationality-specific visa rule for this group found on official pages reviewed.; azerbaijan: No nationality-specific visa rule for this group found on official pages reviewed.
Work rights and after graduation
No official source describes work rights for international students.
After graduation: No official post-study stay provision found.
Language requirements and intakes
- Language requirement
- No official language-test thresholds found. The University of Djibouti's Faculty of Engineering teaches entirely in English after a preparatory phase (with English preparation courses), in partnership with Istanbul Technical University; other faculty pages are in French and do not state a test requirement.Source
- Intakes and deadlines
- For the 2025/26 year the University of Djibouti ran online pre-registration for baccalaureate candidates from 25 May to 3 July 2025 on its eCampus platform. No intake calendar for international applicants and no 2026/27 dates were found. ISCAE Djibouti advertises 'Admissions 2026-2027' without dates.Source
Scholarships
Verified scholarship information for this country has not been added yet; ask our advisor for current programmes.
Cities
Djibouti City
Universities
University of Djibouti (UD)
Djibouti City · Public
ISCAE Djibouti
Djibouti City · Private
Higher Institute of Health Sciences (ISSS)
Djibouti City · Public
African Institute of Djibouti (IAD)
Djibouti City · Private
Arab Academy for Banking and Insurance Training (AAFBA)
Djibouti City · Private
EMCG Djibouti
Djibouti City · Private
Official resources
Frequently asked questions
Information on this page is compiled from official sources and was verified on the date shown. Fees, dates and visa rules change often; check official sources before applying. Empty fields have not been verified yet; ask our advisor for the current information.
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