The results of the present study demonstrate that EBV-miR-BART8-3p is upregulated in human NPC specimens, and EBV-miR-BART8-3p overexpression facilitates EMT, invasion and migration through directly targeting RNF38 in NPC cells, via the activation of NF-κB and Erk1/2 signaling pathways. Here, RNF38 is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.