Student Accommodation in Sharjah: University Dorms, Fees and Off-Campus Stays

Student accommodation in Sharjah is mostly on campus at University City, where the University of Sharjah (UoS) and the American University of Sharjah (AUS) run separate men's and women's residence halls for their own students. UoS lists 2026/2027 undergraduate rooms at AED 2,520 to AED 11,740 per Fall or Spring semester, and AUS's latest published rates (2025–2026) are AED 7,000 to AED 15,000 per semester plus 5% VAT. Off campus, students and parents use furnished apartments; below are the fees as each university publishes them, the student visa, buses and the first weeks.

• Deposits: AED 1,000 refundable at both universities; UoS also takes 25% of the semester fee when you book.
• Visa: the university or a resident parent sponsors it, and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) issues it for Sharjah; AUS charges AED 1,114.50 for a one-year visa and Emirates ID.
• Spring 2027: classes start on Monday 11 January 2027 at both universities.
• Transport: campus shuttles, Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) buses with a Sayer card, and taxis; Etihad Rail's Sharjah Station is scheduled for 30 March 2027.

Student accommodation in Sharjah: on campus or off campus?

Most new international students start in university halls: they are on campus, furnished, supervised and priced per semester. Off-campus housing suits graduate students, students with family, anyone who doesn't get a hall place, and parents who stay a month or more to settle a student in. The table compares the options as each provider publishes them.

Option	Who it suits	How to book	Published price	Rules to know
UoS halls (men's campus; women's halls in two locations)	Admitted UoS students	Online, with your UoS student ID	AED 2,520–11,740 per Fall or Spring semester (undergraduate, 2026/2027)	Women's halls: a guardian opens the file; nightly sign-in
AUS residential halls	Full-time AUS students	Online, after the admission letter	AED 7,000–15,000 per semester plus 5% VAT (2025–2026)	Curfew from midnight (1 am Thursday to Saturday)
Furnished monthly apartment	Parents, graduate students, families	Request to Book, 30 nights or more	On each listing, e.g. a studio from AED 7,150 a month (1 November 2026)	Deposit and any city fee shown on the listing
Private student residence	Students wanting a bed off campus	With the operator	Set by the operator	Check contract length and the ride to campus

How much does University of Sharjah housing cost?

For 2026/2027, the University of Sharjah charges undergraduates AED 2,520 to AED 11,740 per Fall or Spring semester, depending on the room, and half that for the summer semester. Graduate students pay about 50% more. Booking needs an AED 1,000 refundable deposit plus a non-refundable 25% of the semester fee.

UoS room	Undergraduate, Fall or Spring (AED)	Undergraduate, summer (AED)	Graduate, Fall or Spring (AED)
Triple	2,520	1,260	3,780
Normal double	3,460	1,730	5,180
Special double	4,320	2,160	6,480
Deluxe double	5,040	2,520	7,560
Normal single	6,770	3,385	10,150
Special single	8,500	4,250	12,740
Deluxe single	11,740	5,870	17,600

The balance is due before check-in and key handover, and summer is paid in full upfront. An annual contract, paid in advance, halves the summer fee: a special single comes to AED 19,125 instead of AED 21,250. Withdrawing costs 25% of the semester fee in the first month, 50% in the second and all of it after that. The fee page says fees rose 20% from 2025/2026 to fund housing and enhanced housekeeping; the sheets don't say whether VAT applies.

How do you apply for University of Sharjah dorms?

Apply online once admission is complete, logging in with the student ID and password the university gives you. Rooms are allocated after the reservation payment, grouping students by nationality and major where possible. Men need a photo and a passport copy. For the women's halls, a guardian must also open the student's file in person.

• Who opens a woman student's file: her father, a representative authorised by a court document, or another first-degree relative, bringing photos, her passport and Emirates ID, the guardian's ID, medical results, a good-conduct certificate, a birth certificate and, for non-nationals, the residence permit.
• House rules: a nightly sign-in between 8 pm and 10 pm, exit permits to leave with family, and transport permissions the guardian chooses; returning after 10:30 pm suspends permits.
• In the room: a bed, wardrobe, desk, fridge and electric cooker, cleaned twice a week. Bring a kettle, an iron and kitchen utensils.

How much are AUS residential halls, and how do you apply?

AUS's fees page, updated 16 March 2026, still shows its 2025–2026 hall rates: AED 7,000 for a shared room, AED 11,000 semi-private and AED 15,000 private per regular semester, plus 5% VAT and an AED 290 utilities fee. You apply online once you have your admission letter, and rooms go first come, first served.

AUS room (2025–2026)	Regular semester (AED)	Summer term (AED)
Shared: two students sharing the room's bath and kitchenette	7,000	3,710
Semi-private: own room, bath and kitchenette shared with one neighbour	11,000	4,880
Private: own room, bath and kitchenette	15,000	6,890

Undergraduates staying in the halls for the first time get a discount by year at AUS: 25% per semester in year one, 20% in year two, 15% in year three and 10% after that. New undergraduates pay the AED 5,000 seat reservation deposit that admission requires plus the AED 1,000 maintenance deposit; a late cancellation costs AED 500 of it, and a room isn't guaranteed. Rooms are furnished, cleaned weekly, with free laundry. Residents report in nightly; curfew is midnight Sunday to Wednesday, 1 am Thursday to Saturday and 2 am in Ramadan.

Can students live off campus in Sharjah?

Yes. Neither university's housing pages make the halls compulsory, and a furnished monthly apartment avoids a long lease: one monthly price with furniture, a kitchen and housekeeping as listed. It suits graduate students, students with family, anyone without a hall place, and a parent staying for the first month.

On our Sharjah page, apartments are in Al Majaz, around Khalid Lagoon, and Al Nahda, on the Sharjah–Dubai boundary. None is in University City, so check the journey to campus first. As an example, a studio at Golden Sands Hotel & Residences was listed on 1 November 2026 from AED 7,150 a month, with an AED 500 deposit, an AED 300 city fee per stay and a 30-night minimum.

An ordinary Sharjah lease needs the tenant's Emirates ID number and attestation within 15 days: our guide to moving to Sharjah covers the lease and utilities, and our guide to hotel fees outside Dubai explains city fees. Private student residences have also been built near University City; ask what the contract includes and how residents reach campus.

Who sponsors a student visa in Sharjah?

A student can live in the UAE on a residence visa sponsored either by a resident parent or by the accredited university, according to the UAE government portal u.ae. In Sharjah, ICP issues it on a university letter stating the programme and its length, and the entry permit must be used within 60 days of issue.

AUS publishes its process. Admitted students without UAE residence, other than GCC citizens, send the Student Visa Request Form at least two months before arrival. The single-entry permit gives 60 days in the country to finish the residence: buy a UAE SIM card at the airport, take the medical test (not needed under 18), give Emirates ID fingerprints, then pay.

• AUS fees: AED 1,114.50 for a one-year visa and Emirates ID or AED 1,314.50 for two years (new students get two); AED 656 more if you entered on a visit visa; renewal AED 556.76 or AED 756.76.
• Limits: AUS-sponsored students can't sponsor family or take full- or part-time jobs; course-related internships need AUS approval and a no-objection certificate.
• UoS: the University of Sharjah doesn't publish its student-visa process or fees online (checked 1 November 2026): ask admissions before booking flights.
• Parents: u.ae says resident parents can sponsor sons up to 25 and daughters until they marry, and that families of foreign university students may live in the UAE if they can afford suitable housing; ask ICP for current conditions.

How do students get around Sharjah without a car?

Students in the halls use campus shuttles, SRTA city buses paid with a Sayer card, and taxis. AUS runs buses to Sharjah malls and the Dubai Metro on school days and to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain at weekends; UoS runs internal shuttles and, for women residents who register, weekend buses to other emirates.

• Sayer card: SRTA lists the card at AED 5, sold in packs of AED 50, 95 or 185 carrying AED 45, 90 or 180 of credit, and a monthly unlimited card at AED 225. It lists no student card. Register the card so a lost balance can be moved.
• Taxis: a metered taxi to Dubai starts at AED 20 plus tolls, and SRTA's ladies' taxis start at AED 3 by day.
• Rail: until 29 November 2026, SRTA has a traffic diversion between University City and the Institutes Land area for the Etihad Rail station access roads; route ER3 already runs from Sharjah city to the Al Dhaid station. See our Etihad Rail passenger train guide.

What should students and parents do in the first weeks?

Book the hall place and the visa together, since both start from the admission letter, and arrive with time for the medical test and Emirates ID before classes. For Spring 2027, both universities run new-student orientation from Monday 4 January and start classes on Monday 11 January 2027.

When	Student	Parent
From the admission letter	Apply for the hall and the visa; book flights once the entry permit arrives	Get your own visa (family can't use the student's); UoS women's halls need you to open the file
Arrival	UAE SIM card at the airport; keep the entry permit with the passport	A furnished apartment if you stay 30 nights or more
First week	Medical test, Emirates ID fingerprints, check-in (AUS halls open 2 January)	Set the leave and transport permissions halls ask guardians for; AUS welcomes parents on 3 January
First month	Sayer card, health insurance, Emirates ID copy to the university	A plan for weekends, breaks and summer

Budget for health insurance: UoS says it is mandatory, and AUS charges AED 600 plus VAT or AED 300 a semester, depending on the plan. Halls don't run like a lease either: AUS charges AED 92.50 plus VAT a night for approved stays over short breaks, and keeps summer rooms for summer courses or approved internships. Ramadan is expected to start in early February 2027, mid-semester; see our Ramadan 2027 guide.

Two months, not two weeks AUS asks for the visa request at least two months before arrival and says entry permits take one to eight weeks. Apply for the hall and the visa as soon as the admission letter arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Does the University of Sharjah have dorms?

Yes. UoS has on-campus housing for men and, in two locations, for women. Undergraduate fees for 2026/2027 run from AED 2,520 (triple) to AED 11,740 (deluxe single) per Fall or Spring semester.

How much are AUS dorms?

In AUS's 2025–2026 table, a shared room is AED 7,000, a semi-private room AED 11,000 and a private room AED 15,000 per regular semester, plus 5% VAT and an AED 290 utilities fee. First-time undergraduate residents get up to 25% off.

Who sponsors a student visa in the UAE?

The accredited university or a resident parent, according to u.ae; in Sharjah, ICP issues the visa. At AUS, a new one-year visa and Emirates ID costs AED 1,114.50.

Can international students work on a student visa?

Not at AUS: its sponsored students can't take full- or part-time jobs, though course-related internships are allowed with AUS approval and a no-objection certificate. Check your own university's rules.

Is there a student bus card in Sharjah?

SRTA's Sayer card page lists no student card. The Sayer card costs AED 5, and a monthly card with unlimited trips is listed at AED 225.

When does the spring 2027 semester start in Sharjah?

Classes begin on Monday 11 January 2027 at both the University of Sharjah and AUS, after new-student orientation from 4 January.

Sources

• University of Sharjah: Housing Fees, Academic Year 2026/2027 (fee sheets; the 20% rise from 2025/2026; checked 1 November 2026)
• University of Sharjah: Undergraduate housing fees and policy (PDF) (fees, deposit, advance payment, cancellations; checked 1 November 2026)
• University of Sharjah: Student Housing, Men (room types, documents; checked 1 November 2026)
• University of Sharjah: Female Student Dormitory Section (applying, the guardian's file, rules, transport; checked 1 November 2026)
• University of Sharjah: Transportation (campus shuttles; checked 1 November 2026)
• University of Sharjah: Living Expenses (health insurance is mandatory; checked 1 November 2026)
• University of Sharjah: Academic Calendar (Spring 2027 orientation and classes; checked 1 November 2026)
• American University of Sharjah: Residential Halls (applying, deposits, rooms, curfew, breaks, buses; checked 1 November 2026)
• American University of Sharjah: Undergraduate Tuition and Fees (2025–2026 hall fees, discounts, health insurance; updated 16 March 2026; checked 1 November 2026)
• American University of Sharjah: Student Visas (process, fees, work rules; checked 1 November 2026)
• American University of Sharjah: Undergraduate Academic Calendar 2026–2027 (PDF) (Spring 2027 dates; updated 3 September 2026; checked 1 November 2026)
• u.ae: Residence visa for studying in the UAE (sponsors; families of students; updated 28 September 2026)
• ICP: Issuance of a Visa (study category: university letter, 60-day entry window; checked 1 November 2026)
• Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority: Sayer Card (cards and prices; checked 1 November 2026)
• Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority: FAQs (taxi fares; checked 1 November 2026)
• Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority: University City traffic arrangement (6 October to 29 November 2026; checked 1 November 2026)
• Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority: Bus routes to the Etihad Rail station in Al Dhaid (routes ER1 to ER3; checked 1 November 2026)
• Etihad Rail: Passenger (Sharjah Station 30 March 2027; checked 1 November 2026)

Coming to settle a student in, or need a base until a hall place is confirmed? Send your dates through a listing's Request to Book, or WhatsApp the team, for a stay of 30 nights or more.