🇺🇬 Ugandan citizens · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · Student
New Zealand student visa for Ugandan citizens: requirements, cost and odds
We do not publish a Ugandan-specific approval rate for a student visa to New Zealand, because we do not yet hold a figure from New Zealand for this category broken down by nationality. Rather than estimate one and format it like a statistic, we leave it out. For background, the published figures that do exist for Uganda are a 57.6% US visitor-visa refusal rate in FY2025 and a 36.8% Schengen short-stay refusal rate in 2025 — different countries and a different visa class, so treat them as context rather than as your odds. What is documented is the decision itself — officers assess whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course, and the single biggest lever is admission and funding. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record instead.
Last reviewed July 2026 per our editorial standards.
New Zealand assesses a student visa on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 68% base approval for Ugandan citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Ugandan applicants often face elevated scrutiny; clearly documented finances, employment and ties move the needle most.
Estimate my personal oddsEstimate your personal odds
Pre-filled for this route. A few taps and it’s done — privately, in your browser.
Your trip
The essentials. Pre-filled if you came from a specific page.
Where Uganda sits in the official data
Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Ugandan applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Uganda.
US visitor visas — FY2025
A 57.6% adjusted refusal rate places Uganda 162nd of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 19% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Uganda is 25.8 points above it.
Schengen short-stay visas — 2025
Across all Schengen consulates in Uganda, 36.8% of short-stay applications were not issued — 108th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 21.2 points above the 15.6% median.
| Destination | Refused | Issued | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 15.1% | 84.9% | 3,967 |
| France | 32.7% | 67.3% | 5,794 |
| Germany | 41.4% | 58.6% | 5,557 |
| the Netherlands | 59% | 41% | 3,606 |
Among Schengen states, applications lodged in Uganda were refused least often by Italy at 15.1% and most often by the Netherlands at 59% — a gap of 43.9 points on a like-for-like basis. That gap reflects who applies where as much as how strictly each state decides, so it is a starting point for choosing a main destination, not a ranking of leniency. You must still apply to the state where you will spend the most nights.
Demand and outcome moved together for Uganda between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 20,398 short-stay applications, against 17,935 the year before — up 13.7% — while the refusal rate went from 35.7% to 36.8%. Had 2024's rate held, roughly 232 of the 20,398 applicants refused in 2025 would have been issued a visa instead.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.
What actually moves the needle
Admission to an accredited institution
This is the heart of student decisions for New Zealand. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.
Clearly documented funding for tuition and living costs
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
A credible study plan that fits your background
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
Context for Uganda applicants
Ugandan applicants often face elevated scrutiny; clearly documented finances, employment and ties move the needle most. Your personal profile matters far more than any nationality-level pattern, so focus on the levers above.
Avoid the common pitfall
The most frequent reason this route fails is unclear funding or a course that does not fit your profile. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official New Zealand student visa success rate for Ugandan citizens?
Not one we currently carry. We only print a rate when we hold the publisher's own figure for this nationality and this visa category, and we do not hold one for New Zealand student visas. The figure shown on this page is a modelled estimate built from published route-level data and your answers — we label it as such rather than presenting it as a government statistic. What you can act on is the documented requirement set below, which is what the decision actually turns on.
What matters most for a New Zealand student visa?
Officers focus on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. In practice the single biggest lever is admission and funding, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.
Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?
Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.
Is this a guarantee of approval?
No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.
Is my information private?
Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.
