Study abroad in Saudi Arabia: the European Health Insurance Card does not apply there, and the Federal Foreign Office advises travel health insurance. German citizens need a visa, a tourist e-visa exists, and for studies the mission clarifies the rule. The Foreign Office warns against travel to Saudi Arabia. The DAAD sets 800 euros per month.
Travel warning of the Federal Foreign Office (status 25.10.2026): The German original reads, in our translation: “Travel to Saudi Arabia is warned against.” The source is the Federal Foreign Office page on Saudi Arabia (in German). Before any planning, check the current status with the Federal Foreign Office and the position of your university and your funding programme.
Study abroad in Saudi Arabia at a glance
| Item | Information (status October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not apply. The Federal Foreign Office advises travel health insurance for the duration of the stay. We have not found a social security agreement covering health insurance. | European Commission (EHIC FAQ, undated), Federal Foreign Office, Saudi Arabia (status 25.10.2026) |
| Visa | German citizens need a visa. A tourist visa can be applied for electronically before travel as an e-visa. We do not state a rule for studies. | Federal Foreign Office, Saudi Arabia |
| Travel document | Passport, valid for at least six months on entry. The ID card is not accepted. | Federal Foreign Office, Saudi Arabia |
| Living costs | 800 euros per month as the DAAD scholarship rate for students and graduates, a guide figure and not a budget | DAAD, scholarship rates (undated) |
| Auslands-BAföG | Possible, competent office per the DSW assignment: Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim | German Student Services, leaflet (as of January 2026) |
All details are general information, not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative.
How are you insured in Saudi Arabia?
The European Health Insurance Card and social security agreements
The European Health Insurance Card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Saudi Arabia is not among them, so the card on the back of your German health insurance card does not help you there. We have not found a social security agreement with Saudi Arabia that covers health insurance, so we name none. Ask your statutory health insurance fund (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) in writing whether and to what extent it covers you during the semester abroad before you sign the learning agreement.
If you have private cover, the basics are in Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German), and the specifics for countries outside the EU in Private health insurance for students outside the EU (in German).
Healthcare, advance payment and vaccinations
For direct entry from Germany, the Federal Foreign Office says no vaccinations are as a rule compulsory. According to the page, the meningococcal ACWY vaccination is compulsory for Hajj and Umrah, which does not affect a semester abroad. On care, the Foreign Office points out that doctors and hospitals often require costs to be paid before discharge or even advanced. Plan a reserve and keep your insurance documents at hand.
For controlled medicines, an electronic authorisation from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has been required since 1 November 2025. Ask your doctor whether your medication is affected, and obtain the authorisation before you travel.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The Federal Foreign Office advises taking out travel health insurance for the duration of the stay abroad. We have not checked whether your statutory health insurance fund covers repatriation from Saudi Arabia, so ask it about the scope of cover. We have not found a minimum cover that Saudi authorities or universities require of students, so ask the host university. More in Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and work and travel (in German).
Do you need a visa for Saudi Arabia?
Yes. According to the Federal Foreign Office, German citizens need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia. They can apply electronically for a tourist visa before travel as an e-visa. A passport is accepted, the ID card is not, and the document must be valid for at least six more months on entry.
Whether and which visa you need to study in Saudi Arabia is something the mission of the country tells you with binding effect. We do not state a rule of our own, because we have not documented an official source for it. Whether the tourist visa is suitable for a semester is not something we have documented, so asking the mission is important. The Federal Foreign Office travel and safety advice (status 25.10.2026) lists the entry requirements for German citizens. The embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Germany is the point of contact. Keep ready:
- A passport, valid for at least six more months on entry
- The visa the mission names for your studies, or for tourism an e-visa before travel
- Proof of travel health insurance for the duration of the stay
- The electronic SFDA authorisation for controlled medicines
- A reserve for treatment costs that can fall due before discharge
The Federal Foreign Office warns against travel to Saudi Arabia (status 25.10.2026). The page names attacks in the provinces of Riyadh, Asir, Jazan, Medina, Mecca, Najran and the Eastern Province, and states that since September 2026 drone and missile attacks have repeatedly occurred, which have already caused deaths and injuries. Locally limited fighting continues on the border with Yemen. According to the page, attacks on further provinces and important infrastructure still cannot be ruled out.
Legal notes on the page
The page names rules that matter in everyday life during a semester abroad. Possession of drugs and alcohol is a criminal offence, and the death penalty can be imposed for drug offences. The Foreign Office advises avoiding conspicuous clothing, and tight-fitting and shoulder-baring clothing is unwelcome in public.
What does a semester in Saudi Arabia cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees the host university charges depends on the exchange agreement of your university. We state no general amount, because we have not documented an official source for it. Ask your university and the host university before you accept a place.
Living costs
The DAAD applies a monthly scholarship rate of 800 euros for students and graduates in Saudi Arabia. This is a guide figure, not a budget. The list carries neither a status date nor a publication date. We have not found a monthly amount from the host university or an official body, so ask the host university about its budget for exchange students. The national currency is the Saudi riyal (SAR), so convert amounts into euros at the current exchange rate.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
Saudi Arabia is not one of the Erasmus+ programme countries that the European Commission lists in the Programme Guide. Your international office can tell you what funding your university offers for a partnership with Saudi Arabia. More in Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).
Auslands-BAföG, the German study abroad grant, is available for part of a degree abroad if you have studied at least one academic year in Germany and have your permanent residence in Germany. For Saudi Arabia, the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim (Office for Educational Funding Abroad) is responsible according to the DSW assignment. According to the leaflet (as of January 2026), there is a one-off supplement for the outward and return journey, a health insurance supplement and tuition fees of up to 5,600 euros for a maximum of one year. Outside the EU and Switzerland, a monthly foreign supplement may be added. For places of study outside Europe, the foreign supplements ordinance names a travel supplement of 500 euros each for the outward and the return journey. All details are in Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German).
Worked example: For five months, the DAAD rate gives a guide figure of 4,000 euros for living costs (5 times 800 euros). Flights, the visa, travel health insurance, a reserve for treatment costs and any fees of the host university are not included, because we have no documented amounts for them. The total is a rough guide, not a commitment.
Steps before you leave
- Ask your insurer to confirm in writing whether and how you are insured in Saudi Arabia before you sign the learning agreement.
- Take out travel health insurance for the whole stay and check whether repatriation is included.
- Check that your passport is valid for at least six more months on entry, and do not travel with the ID card.
- Ask the Saudi mission which visa applies to your studies, and apply for an e-visa only if the mission names it for your purpose.
- Ask your doctor whether you need an SFDA authorisation for your medication, and obtain it before you travel.
- Set aside a reserve for treatment costs, which according to the page are often payable before discharge.
- Follow the Federal Foreign Office advice until shortly before you leave, check whether your place of study lies in one of the named provinces, and clarify with your university and funding programme whether a stay in Saudi Arabia is covered there.
- Submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim about six months before you start if you want funding.
- Ask your international office about funding and the fees of the host university.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card work in Saudi Arabia?
No. The card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Federal Foreign Office advises travel health insurance for the duration of the stay.
Do I need a visa for Saudi Arabia?
Yes. According to the Federal Foreign Office, German citizens need a visa, and a tourist visa is available electronically as an e-visa. For studies, the mission tells you with binding effect what applies, and we have not documented a rule of our own.
Is my ID card enough to enter Saudi Arabia?
No. According to the Federal Foreign Office, a passport is accepted, and it must be valid for at least six more months on entry.
How high are living costs in Saudi Arabia?
The DAAD applies a scholarship rate of 800 euros per month for students. This is a guide figure. We have not found a documented amount from your host university.
Is there a travel warning for Saudi Arabia?
Yes. The Federal Foreign Office warns against travel to Saudi Arabia (status 25.10.2026). Check the current status and the position of your university and funding programme before you plan.
Do I have to advance treatment costs?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, doctors and hospitals often require costs to be paid before discharge or even advanced. The Foreign Office advises travel health insurance.
Who handles Auslands-BAföG for Saudi Arabia?
According to the DSW assignment, the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim, Office for Educational Funding Abroad.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Saudi Arabia: travel and safety advice (page of 25 October 2026, in German)
- European Commission, social security FAQ: European Health Insurance Card (undated)
- European Commission, Erasmus+ Programme Guide: eligible countries (undated)
- DAAD, scholarship rates for students and graduates (undated, in German)
- BAföG foreign supplements ordinance, section 4 (undated, in German)
- German Student Services, Auslands-BAföG leaflet (as of January 2026, in German)
Sources accessed on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Related guides
- Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Semester abroad in Jordan (in German)
- Semester abroad in Egypt (in German)
- All countries for your semester abroad (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
