Registering at university after you are accepted.

Applying gets you a place. Registering makes you a student. After you accept your offer and your results confirm, you pay the registration fee or confirm NSFAS, submit documents, pick your modules, and get your student number. Here is the full process.

Application vs registration

Before you have a place

Application

You submit an application, the university assesses you, and it may offer you a place. This happens months ahead, while you are still in Grade 12, before your final results are out.

After you accept and results confirm

Registration

You accept the offer, pay the registration fee or confirm NSFAS, submit your final results and documents, choose your modules, and get a student number. This is what makes you an enrolled student.

How to register, step by step

Accept your offer

Registration only starts once you have a confirmed place and have accepted it within the university’s acceptance window. Accepting is not the same as registering; it is the gate that opens registration.

Pay the registration or minimum fee, or confirm NSFAS

Most universities require an upfront registration fee or a minimum first payment before you can register, paid only through the institution’s official channel. If you are NSFAS-funded, confirm your funding status so the university can register you without the upfront fee.

Submit your final results and documents

Upload or hand in your final NSC results and certified copies of the documents the university asks for. Your final results confirm that you met any condition on your offer.

Select your modules and curriculum

Choose the subjects or modules for your first year, following the prescribed curriculum for your programme. Many universities have a set first-year structure, with some elective choices. Get help from a faculty advisor if you are unsure.

Complete registration and get your student number

Once your fees, documents, and module selection are confirmed, your registration is finalised and you are issued a student number. This is the proof you are an enrolled student, and you use it for everything from your student card to results.

Documents you need to register

A certified copy of your South African ID (or passport and permit for international students).
Your final matric (NSC) results, or your statement of results.
Proof of payment of the registration or minimum fee, or your NSFAS confirmation.
Your acceptance of the offer, if the university requires a signed acceptance.
Any programme-specific documents the university lists (for example a medical certificate or portfolio for certain courses).

Each university publishes its own exact document list. Check it before registration day and have certified copies ready, since missing a document can hold up your registration.

First year and orientation

Around registration, universities run orientation (often called O-Week): sessions that help new students find their way around campus, meet their faculty, set up student email and online learning accounts, and learn how things work. Attend it. It is the quickest way to settle in and avoid first-term mistakes.

You will also collect or activate your student card, get access to the library and learning portal, and confirm your timetable. Keep your student number handy, because you will use it everywhere.

NSFAS and registration

If you are NSFAS-funded, you do not pay the registration fee yourself. You confirm your NSFAS status with the university so it can register you and claim the fees from NSFAS. NSFAS funds students who are actually registered, so both your NSFAS application and your university registration need to be complete.

Never pay a registration fee into a personal bank account, and never pay anyone who offers to "register" you for a fee. Fees go only through the university’s official channel. See our application scams guide.

Deadlines matter

A confirmed place is only held until you register. Miss the registration deadline and you can lose the place even though you were accepted. Registration usually runs in January and the windows are tight, so know your dates, get your documents and fee ready early, and register as soon as your slot opens. If you are running late, contact the university’s registration office through its official channel straight away.

Before you register

Still need to apply, or sort out funding? Start here.

How to apply NSFAS funding

Registration questions, answered

Applying happens before you have a place: you submit an application, the university assesses you, and it may make you an offer. Registering happens after: once you accept the offer, your results confirm, and you pay the registration or minimum fee, you formally enrol, select your modules, and receive a student number. Application comes first, registration comes last.

Accept your offer within the university’s window, pay the registration or minimum fee through the official channel (or confirm your NSFAS funding), submit your final results and required documents, select your modules or curriculum, and complete registration to be issued your student number. Each university runs this on its own portal, usually in January.

Most universities require an upfront registration fee or a minimum first payment before you can register, paid only through the institution’s official banking details or payment page. Never pay a registration fee into a personal bank account. If you are NSFAS-funded, confirm your funding and you may register without the upfront fee.

If you are NSFAS-funded, you do not pay the registration fee yourself; instead you confirm your NSFAS status with the university so it can register you and claim the fees from NSFAS. Make sure your NSFAS application and your university registration are both complete, because NSFAS funds students who are actually registered. See our NSFAS guide for the detail.

Typically a certified copy of your ID, your final matric (NSC) results, proof of payment of the registration or minimum fee (or your NSFAS confirmation), your signed acceptance if required, and any programme-specific documents the university lists. Check your university’s exact list before registration day.

Missing the registration deadline can cost you your place, even after you were accepted, because a confirmed place is only held until you register. If you are running late, contact the university’s admissions or registration office immediately through its official channel to ask whether a late registration is possible. Do not assume your place is safe until you have registered.

AskSmarty is an independent national guide - not a university, college, or the CAO. This page explains how university registration works in general terms; the exact steps, fees, documents, and dates differ by institution and change between cycles. Always confirm registration details directly with the official institution. We never take payment and never register or apply on your behalf.