Up Online Application is open and anyone who is willing to study at the University of Pretoria should file their applications right now.
If you are on this page, then you might probably be interested in studying at the University of Pretoria. If not, I will assume you want information on something relating to the University of Pretoria. No matter what you want, I am very happy to be of assistance to you.
The information on this page is purposely to help anyone with queries about the University of Pretoria application. To make it even easier, I have included a table of contents to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for.
Kindly check the table of contents below. You can click on any of the headings to jump to that particular article.
The University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (UP) is one of the best public research universities in South Africa. UP was established in 1908 and has been in operation since then. It is also the fourth college in South Africa to be granted University status.
UP currently has up to nine facilities creating many different career paths for many students both in South Africa and outside.
The University has over 50,000 students and up to seven suburban campuses to accommodate and educate all the students. There are also learning facilities available to help teach the students what they must know.
UP is known for its very good research outputs. The university has won several research awards on many occasions. Some of the common names most people call the university include Tuks/Tukkies, Pret, Pretoria, and/or UP.
UP Online Application
While most people prefer to submit their applications by traditional post mail, online application is still the fastest.
The question is, how do you fill your online application if you don’t know much about the entire UP application system?
Here is everything you must know about the application. Take a seat while I take you through the entire application process and provide all the information you need.
UP Online Application Opening Dates
The application is available on 1 April of every year preceding the year of study. It is available to all interested applicants, not limited to race, colour, ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
Since the University expects a number of applications, as soon as the capacity is reached the application window closes. If not, then the application will be available for approximately two to four months depending on what you want to study.
The nationality of the person applying also affects the closing date. For instance, there is a different closing date for South African applicants and there is a separate one for internationals too.
Apart from the normal UP online application opening dates, there are programme specific application dates. Since there are many programmes available, kindly check the University of Pretoria Website to know when the specific course you are applying for will close.
University of Pretoria Online Application Requirements
Before moving up to quickly fill the form, there are some key things you must put in place before you start your application process.
- An active email and internet connection are compulsory since you can’t get access to the forms without them. Besides that, you also need some other documents to apply.
- You must also have a scanned copy of your National ID card or Passport for international applicants.
If you don’t have any degrees yet(New first-year students), then you must select undergraduate when filling the form and make the following documents available.
- Softcopy of your year-end Grade 11 marks or your final Grade 12 results if you have one.
- You must also scan your school results which you will upload during the application.
If you doubt which subject you qualify for with your results, you can always use the “What to Study Calculator“ to check. You will only select your previous qualifications and the system will give you the list of programs available for you. You MUST have exemption / Bachelor’s degree studies to use this system.
check screenshot below

Note: Being eligible for some programs does not guarantee successful admission.
- A soft copy of a comprehensive certified academic record is also required.
- The original documents of all the softcopies you will upload should also be available for verification later on.
All the files you will upload should be converted into a PDF that is readable by any PDF reader. You can use UP’s recommended PDF converter to convert the files.
You might also want to download a full guideline on how to prepare yourself for the application.
If all your documents are ready, you are still not done yet. You still have to check the fees.
UP Online Application Fee
The University of Pretoria application fee is waived for certain applicants under certain circumstances. Applicants whose household income is below R150,000 per anum will not pay application fees. But the applicant must upload an income report as proof of payment in STEP 12 of the application.
Note that the University of Pretoria will verify this document for authenticity when processing the application.
If your household income is more than R150,000, the application fee is R300 which is equivalent to USD $30 for the 2023 applications.
You have to make your payments through these online payment processors; Master Card, Visa Card, American Express, or Diners Club.
Make sure you have a sufficient balance on your card and the card is valid before you attempt payment.
You can also make payment by electronic money transfer where you can make a direct deposit into the University of Pretoria’s bank account.
You can find the bank details for doing that on their official application fee page.
If you decide to use the electronic money transfer make sure you quote your online application number which UP will email to you as the payment reference.
Make sure you scan your deposit receipts as well because you will have to upload them for verification.
Note: the application fee is not refundable
The Form and UP Online Application Process
If all your documents are ready, then the next step will be to go to the form and start the application. The application is a lengthy process especially if you have not done anything like that before.
Allocate approximately an hour to two hours for the application since you will have to read the terms and conditions and all there is to know.
Here is the direct link to the APPLICATION PAGE.
If you are on the right page, you should see a similar application page like the one in the screenshot below. Make sure you take note of the URL.

The process is back and forth. You will be moving from your email inbox to UP’s website every now and then so it will be better if you leave your email open in another tab.
Most of the time UP will send something to your email which you will have to make use of in the form. Some examples of such things are the form reference number and a temporary password.
If you are able to understand everything from the top of this page till here, you are about 80% through to completing your application.
Do not forget to click on the VERIFY and APPLY button after completing the form.
Checking UP Application Status
Checking UP application status is what every potential student must do after filing their application.
After application, most people pick the next option of waiting. But waiting must not be your last option. You have to check things out and track your progress from time to time.
The first thing to do is to check your email since that is where all communications between you and UP will go on.
Inside your email lookout for an email from the University of Pretoria with instructions on how to access your UP Portal to track the application status. I have a full guide on how to access the University of Pretoria Students Portal which you must check out.
In the emails, also lookout for an email containing a temporary student ID Number/EMPLID. This email will arrive in approximately 15 days. The email doesn’t confirm your application is approved so don’t jubilate yet.
The next thing to do is to go to the Students Center in the UP Portal and check the status of your application. This is very important because the majority of communications will be through this medium.
There is no harm in applying to multiple Universities. Try and read about The Tshwane University of Technology application or CAO application process.
Contact University of Pretoria
If there are queries you want only the experts to answer, you can easily reach the University of Pretoria through the following mediums;
Location
University of Pretoria
cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street
Hatfield
South Africa
Postal address
University of Pretoria
Private bag X20
Hatfield 0028
South Africa
General Enquiries: [email protected] | Phone Number: 012 420 3111
NSFAS and UP funding related queries: [email protected]
Student accounts related queries: [email protected]
Payment related queries: [email protected]
If you wish to contact specific Faculty or Department, you can always visit the UP Contact page for more detailed contacts.
Conclusion
In short, the application window has a time limit and a threshold. If the threshold fills early, the window closes. The online application is also the most reliable way to apply.
While this page is trying to provide as much information as possible, if there is something that you feel I must touch on, simply leave a comment.
UP Online Application FAQs
I know most of you have questions concerning the University of Pretoria online application. I have answered a couple of questions here. If you don’t see answers to the questions you have in mind, kindly use the comment box and I will reply as early as possible.
When Can I Apply To UP?
You can apply to UP at any time. However, UP applications open from 1 April, and the earlier you apply the better your chances of getting admission. Usually, the applications are opened for three to four months and they close.
The application will also close early if the spaces available fills quicker than expected. That is the reason why you must apply on time to increase your chances of getting admission.
What is UP Acceptance Rate?
The University of Pretoria’s acceptance rate is estimated to be around 10% to 20%. This means that 1 or 2 out of every 10 applications will be successful.
This is quite difficult looking at the number of people willing to study here. Don’t panic tho. There are ways you can beat the UP acceptance rates. One of the many ways is to file your application on time.
You should also have better grades to qualify for most programmes so that if one of your choices couldn’t get you admission, you can bounce onto the others.
3 Comments
I want to achieve my dream to
come through
I will be a good student who follow the term and condition
Am ready to be in your varsity next year
Thank YOU
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