Application fee waiver

Some applicants do not need to pay the application fee when they apply to Cambridge.

Depending on your circumstances, your fee may be waived automatically, or you might need to submit a fee waiver request.

Check the eligibility criteria below to find out whether you qualify and how to apply.

International applicants

You do not need to pay an application fee if you are a national of an eligible country listed below and have lived there since birth.

You do not need to request an application fee waiver. The application fee will be waived automatically when you submit your application. 

Eligible countries

Please note:

• International applicants from other countries must pay the application fee. Requests not to pay will be refused.
• If you were born in an eligible country but have since moved to another eligible country, or were forced to leave because of displacement or conflict, you may request a fee waiver using the Application Fee Waiver Request Form. You must provide supporting evidence to confirm your circumstances.
• This list is reviewed and updated annually (last updated September 2026).

* The UK government has announced a ‘visa brake’ on new Student visas for nationals from certain countries. For more information, see Visa Brake for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.  

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program applicants

If you’re an African student applying for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and you're not from one of the eligible countries listed above, you may request an application fee waiver.

In these circumstances, you should complete and submit a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Fee Waiver Request Form by 20 November 2026, after starting but before submitting your Cambridge application. 

UK applicants and applicants with Refugee, Asylum Seeker, or Humanitarian Protection Status in the UK 

You can request an application fee waiver if you meet one of the following conditions and can provide documentary evidence.

• You received full state support for living costs (also known as maintenance) in your final undergraduate year at a UK university (within the last 4 years).
• You were not a student in the last full academic year and are receiving one of the following when you apply:
  • Income Support
  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Employment Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
  • Universal Credit
• You hold a UK Biometric Residence Permit confirming Refugee/Humanitarian Protection status 
• You hold an Asylum Registration Card issued by the UK Home Office confirming Asylum Seeker status 

We are unable to offer fee waivers to refugees or those seeking asylum in a country outside the UK.

If you cannot provide evidence of one of the conditions listed, do not request a fee waiver, as your request will be refused. 

How to request a fee waiver

For UK applicants and applicants with Refugee, Asylum Seeker, or Humanitarian Protection Status in the UK: 

1. Start your Cambridge application (but do not submit it).
2. Complete and submit the Application Fee Waiver Request Form and your supporting evidence.
3. Allow at least 10 working days for your request to be reviewed.
4. Once you receive confirmation, you can submit your application.

You should submit your application fee waiver request well in advance of your course or funding deadline.

If you are applying for funding, you must submit your request by 24 November 2026 (for the 8 December 2026 funding deadline) or 11 December 2026 (for the 6 January 2027 funding deadline).

If you have already submitted and paid the application fee, a waiver cannot be given.

Martingale Postgraduate Scholarship Programme applicants

If you are a qualified candidate for the Martingale Postgraduate Scholarship Programme and have received a Martingale Qualified Candidate letter, you may request an application fee waiver.

You should complete the Application Fee Waiver Request Form and send us your Martingale Qualified Candidate letter by 8 December 2026.

You need to start your applications for all courses you’d like to apply to, but do not submit your application until you have been informed of the outcome of your fee waiver request.