For school leavers and parents
Malaysia requires international students to have at least 12 years of schooling before a diploma or degree, while school in Uzbekistan lasts 11. A one-year Foundation programme bridges the gap and leads into a bachelor’s degree. Here is how to plan the route from grade 10.
TAS
Tashkentgrade 11
KUL
Campus in Malaysia
Three routes after school
EMGS, Malaysia’s official service for international students, requires at least 12 years of education for diploma or degree entry. School in Uzbekistan lasts 11 years, so most students start with a Foundation year.
The usual route
1 year + 3–4 years
Foundation is a one-year, English-taught programme that prepares you for university: core subjects for your field, academic English and independent study skills. Afterwards you move into the first year of a bachelor’s degree, usually at the same university.
Best if you already know your field: business, IT, engineering, medicine or design.
The hands-on route
2–3 years + 2 years
A diploma is a practical qualification in its own right. With a relevant diploma you can often join a bachelor’s degree in year two. Because of the 12-year rule, not every university accepts grade 11 leavers onto a diploma, so we check this against your documents.
Suits students who want more practice and an early qualification: hospitality, design, IT or nursing.
With A-Levels or the IB
3–4 years
Direct entry to year one usually requires A-Levels, the IB, a completed Foundation or a relevant diploma. A grade 11 certificate on its own is rarely enough. If you have already studied at a college, technical school or university, the university will assess those documents separately.
For international school graduates and students already in post-school education.
Durations from City University Malaysia: Foundation 12 months, bachelor’s degrees 36–48 months. Medicine and dentistry degrees take longer.
After grade 9
Malaysian universities generally do not take students straight after grade 9: Foundation and diploma programmes start after you finish secondary school (in Malaysia, the SPM certificate or an equivalent). But you can use those two years well, so that you lose no time later.
The most direct option. The grade 11 certificate is the main document for Foundation entry.
Under Uzbekistan’s Law on Education, after grade 9 you can spend two years at an academic lyceum or go to a vocational school (kasb-hunar maktabi). Universities look at your final certificate, so we check in advance whether it is accepted for Foundation entry.
With a certificate you skip a separate language term, and your visa is not held up.
Choosing a country
Malaysia is OPAL’s main destination. In Australia we can walk you through programmes at Kingston International College and Murdoch University in Perth.
Malaysia
Universities in Malaysia
Your full guide to studying in Malaysia →Australia
English
Malaysian universities teach in English, and your level is checked twice: when you apply and when your student visa is processed.
As a guide, the private Multimedia University asks for IELTS 4.0 for Foundation and 5.0–6.0 for a bachelor’s, depending on the programme. We check the MAHSA and City University requirements for your programme. EMGS accepts IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, MUET, Cambridge English exams and ELS CIEP.
You can start with an intensive English course on campus. At City Language Centre, part of City University, each level takes 3 months, with intakes in January, April, July and October, and it is also an IELTS and MUET test centre. Foundation starts after the course.
Leaving English until the spring of grade 11. Without a language certificate your EMGS visa application may take longer, as EMGS itself warns.
A two-year plan
A guide for the September intake. If something slips, there are January and May starts too.
Grade 10 · Sep–May
Start regular IELTS preparation and keep your grades up in core subjects: the university will ask for your school transcripts and certificate.
Summer after grade 10
We agree on the subject, country and family budget, shortlist 2–3 programmes and calculate the full cost.
Grade 11 · Sep–Dec
Take IELTS or choose a language programme. Get or check your passport: for an EMGS student visa it must be valid for at least 18 months.
Grade 11 · Jan–Apr
We apply with your current grades. The university may issue a conditional offer, confirmed once you have your certificate. This is also when we apply for a Foundation scholarship.
June–July
You receive your certificate and get a notarised English translation. The university applies to EMGS for your student visa; at City University the whole process takes 6–8 weeks.
August–September
You receive the Visa Approval Letter, book your tickets and fly out. If you tell City University your flight details 7 working days ahead, university staff will meet you at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
First-year scholarship
Terms change from intake to intake, and each university confirms separately whether international students are eligible. We will check the current terms and your chances during a consultation.
Budget
These are guide figures for Malaysia. The exact amount depends on the university, programme and scholarship; we calculate it before you apply.
Tuition
$3,000–6,000
a year
OPAL’s experience for non-medical programmes at private universities in Malaysia. Medicine and dentistry cost more, and Foundation may come with a scholarship.
Housing, food, travel
≈ RM 15,000
a year · ≈ $3,700
City University Malaysia’s estimate for an international student.
Application and visa
≈ RM 3,810
one-off · ≈ $930
Application fee and EMGS visa processing at City University. These payments are non-refundable.
First weeks
RM 500–1,000
in cash · ≈ $120–250
For the first 1–2 weeks, until a bank transfer clears, as City University recommends.
RM is the Malaysian ringgit. Dollar figures use the Bank Negara Malaysia rate of 1 October 2026, about 4.08 ringgit to the dollar.
If the student is under 18
Many grade 11 leavers are 17 when they start university. That is not a barrier, but the rules differ by country.
Malaysia’s Immigration Department issues Student Passes from age 3, from school to university, so being 17 is no obstacle to getting a visa.
Universities enrol minors together with their families. On City University’s application form, a parent or guardian signs if the student is under 21.
The university decides where a student under 18 lives and who is responsible for them on the ground. We confirm these terms before applying and go through them with you.
A student under 18 gets an Australian visa only with welfare arrangements confirmed until they turn 18: a parent nearby, a relative aged 21 or over nominated in writing by the parents, or accommodation and welfare approved by the education provider.
Parental oversight
You pay, and you decide. Here is what lets you follow every step, from the application to the first exams.
Pay tuition fees directly into the university’s account against its official invoice. City University states plainly that no agent is authorised to collect fees on its behalf.
Keep the offer letter, university invoices and scholarship terms: they set out the amounts, deadlines and refund rules.
Application, registration and EMGS visa fees are usually non-refundable. City University asks for at least 60 days’ notice before the semester if a student withdraws; otherwise an international student gets no refund. Read these clauses before paying.
The student visa application can be tracked on the EMGS website, so you can see what stage it is at.
International students in Malaysia may work only during breaks of more than 7 days, up to 20 hours a week and with immigration approval.
We update the family at every stage of admission and stay in touch throughout their studies; our team in Malaysia supports students on the ground.
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