NUST admission for overseas Pakistanis, dual nationals and foreign students

Overseas Pakistanis and dual nationals can apply to NUST through NET, through ACT/SAT national seats, or through ACT/SAT international seats, and can use more than one route at once. Foreign nationals can apply through NET or ACT/SAT international seats. The route you pick decides your fee, your merit list and what you need from IBCC.

Key facts

• Expatriate: living abroad with a Pakistani passport or dual nationality
• NET fee: Rs 5,000 (USD 40) for Pakistanis and dual nationals, Rs 10,000 (USD 80) for foreign nationals
• ACT/SAT international seats: 100% ACT/SAT, international fee in USD
• An international seat cannot be converted to a national seat
• IBCC equivalence is mandatory for any foreign qualification
• NET is held only in Islamabad, Quetta, Karachi and Gilgit

Source: NUST expatriate students, entry route, ACT/SAT, fee and UG FAQ pages, checked October 2026

Which category you are in#

NUST's FAQ defines an expatriate student as someone living, temporarily or permanently, in a country other than Pakistan who holds a Pakistani passport, or dual nationality with one of the two being Pakistani. A foreign national here means a non-Pakistani.

NUST's entry route table shows who can use which route:

Foreign nationals (non-Pakistani) can apply on NET basis and on ACT/SAT international seats. NUST's updates page confirms the NET option for foreign nationals. If you need a visa to study in Pakistan, NUST sends you to a separate international admissions portal run by the NUST International Office. Pakistanis, dual nationals, and POC or NICOP card holders apply through the normal admissions pages instead.

Route 1: NET#

You compete on the same merit list as students in Pakistan, with the usual aggregate: NET 75%, HSSC 15%, SSC 10%. A-Level final-year candidates use NET 75% and O-Level equivalence 25%.

The practical problem is travel. NET is held only in Pakistan: computer-based in Islamabad and Quetta, paper-based in Karachi and Gilgit. You have to be in the country on your test date. NUST lets you pick a CBNET date and session from the available slots. A missed session is not normally rescheduled, though NUST says it considers extreme emergencies case by case.

Fee per NET series: Rs 5,000 or USD 40 for Pakistanis and dual nationals, Rs 10,000 or USD 80 for foreign nationals. Fees cannot be refunded or moved to another series.

If you will be in Pakistan for one window only, pick the series that fits and plan to sit the test once. The CBNET vs PBNET post compares the two formats.

Route 2: ACT/SAT national seats#

You sit the ACT or SAT wherever you live and send the scores to NUST. ACT or SAT takes NET's 75% weight, with HSSC and SSC equivalence at 15% and 10%. You pay national fees in rupees.

Route 3: ACT/SAT international seats#

Your ACT or SAT score is 100% of your merit, on a separate list. You pay international fees. NUST also asks international candidates for TOEFL 500 or IELTS 5.5, unless your HSSC was taught in English. International candidates cannot apply for Aerospace or Avionics Engineering at CAE Risalpur. A student selected on an international seat cannot switch to a national seat later.

Score requirements are the same as for national ACT/SAT seats. SAT counts only for Business Studies, Social Sciences and LLB. Engineering and Computing need an ACT composite of at least 25 and an ACT Science score of at least 25. The ACT/SAT post has the full table, the score codes and the deadlines.

What it costs#

These are NUST's published undergraduate fees for 2026-27, checked October 2026. NUST notes that all fees are subject to revision.

National tuition for Architecture, Social Sciences and Business Studies is Rs 302,950 per semester. Money sent from abroad needs a SWIFT message from the sending bank. The fee structure post covers the national side in more detail.

IBCC equivalence and documents#

Any qualification outside the Matric and FSc system needs an IBCC equivalence certificate in the relevant group and subjects, with at least 60% marks. NUST lists Cambridge, British GCE A Level, the American High School Diploma (grades 9 to 12) and the IB Diploma as examples. Grade sheets alone are not accepted.

Points from NUST's pages that matter for students abroad:

• You can apply on your O-Level (SSC) equivalence. Admission is confirmed only once you provide the A-Level (HSSC) equivalence.
• Overseas Pakistanis who did O and A Levels abroad do not need to pass Urdu, Islamiyat or Pakistan Studies for IBCC equivalence, according to NUST's FAQ.
• To register you need a CNIC, Form B or NICOP. Foreign nationals give a passport number.
• NUST registers your name as it appears on your Matric or IBCC O-Level equivalence. If your passport spells it differently, NUST says to change the passport, not the certificate.

The A-Level guide covers IBCC timing and the subjects each programme needs.

Preparing for NET from abroad#

NET follows Pakistani HSSC textbooks. If you studied a foreign syllabus, some FSc chapters will be new to you. Find them before you book a flight. A full paper taken under timed conditions shows you where you stand.

FAQ#