Study in Bosnia and Herzegovina from Saudi Arabia (2026)

Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Study in Bosnia editorial team

If you want to study in Bosnia from Saudi Arabia, the short version is this: Bosnia and Herzegovina offers European Bologna degrees taught in English, a Muslim-majority capital where daily life feels familiar, and tuition far below the UK, Ireland or Central Europe. You plan with a visa D, apply for a residence permit after arrival and budget roughly €9,000 to €20,000 a year, depending on the programme and the city.

Below is what we explain to Saudi families in a first call: the English programmes, the costs in euros and riyals, the visa situation for Saudi passports, life as a Muslim student in Sarajevo, flights, and how your degree is recognised at home.

Why Saudi students in Bosnia feel at home quickly

Saudi students choose Bosnia and Herzegovina because it combines a European university system with a Muslim everyday life. In Sarajevo you hear the adhan from dozens of mosques, most restaurants serve halal meat, and Ramadan is part of the city's calendar.

Many Saudi families already know the country from summer holidays in Sarajevo, Ilidža or around Lake Jablanica. That familiarity matters: parents are more relaxed when they have walked the streets their son or daughter will live in. Female students wearing the hijab are a normal sight on campus and in the old town, Baščaršija.

• Admission independent of your high-school grades. Places are generally not tied to a national quota, which opens Medicine and Dentistry to students who narrowly missed the cut-off at a Saudi university.
• English teaching. You study in English from day one; Bosnian is useful for daily life and the hospital years, and many students take a language course in their first year.
• Short distance. A direct flight to Sarajevo takes around four hours.

Study medicine in Bosnia: options for Saudi students

Six state-accredited universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina teach Medicine in English: four public universities and two private universities in Sarajevo. All run six-year integrated programmes with 360 ECTS and clinical training in university hospitals.

Fees for international students for 2026/27. At the International University of Sarajevo, Medicine and Dental Medicine continue in Turkish in Istanbul from year 4. Compare all programmes in our university finder.

For Saudi students who want Sarajevo itself, the University of Sarajevo is the most frequent choice: public, the oldest university in the country and a teaching hospital in the city. Outside medicine, International Burch University teaches business, IT, architecture and Dentistry entirely in English. A wider view of medical schools in the region is on our sister site Medschool Experts.

Costs to study in Bosnia from Saudi Arabia

Studying in Bosnia and Herzegovina costs a Saudi student roughly €9,000 to €20,000 a year in total, tuition included. The riyal is pegged to the US dollar and the convertible mark to the euro (1 € = 1.95583 KM), so work with about SAR 4.3 to 4.5 per euro in 2026 and check the rate when you pay.

What we see in practice: Saudi students more often rent a one-bedroom flat of their own than share, and they budget accordingly. A modern flat in Marijin Dvor or Grbavica costs noticeably more than a room in a student house, but it is still well below rents in Vienna or Budapest. Detailed figures are in our guides to cost of living in Sarajevo and tuition fees in Bosnia.

Visa for Saudi citizens: summer waiver and visa D

Saudi citizens can visit Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa from 1 June to 30 September 2026 for up to 30 days, a seasonal waiver for tourism. For a degree, which lasts years, we plan with a long-stay visa D applied for before travel.

The seasonal waiver has been renewed year by year, and its dates and conditions are set by government decision. Whether a student who arrives visa-free can switch to a residence permit inside the country depends on the rules in force and the field office; we do not build a study plan on it. The safer route is the visa D at the Bosnian embassy responsible for Saudi Arabia, with an invitation letter from your university certified by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.

Visa D checklist for Saudi applicantsWhat embassies usually ask for. The exact list depends on the embassy.+

• Visa application form, completed and signed
• Saudi passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay
• Colour photo, 35 × 45 mm
• Certified invitation letter and admission letter from the university
• Proof of accommodation and proof of funds
• Travel health insurance valid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, commonly at least €30,000 cover
• Police clearance certificate, no older than six months, legalised
• Consular fee, typically about €95 or the local equivalent

Processing usually takes two to six weeks after a complete file. Details for every step are in our student visa guide.

Residence permit and proof of funds

Within 48 hours of arrival you register your address (the "white card"). In your first month you apply for a temporary residence permit for study at the Service for Foreigners' Affairs; the fee is 150 KM (about €77) and the permit is renewed every academic year. Proof of funds is 400 KM (about €205) per month of stay, usually shown on a statement from a bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Saudi scholarship or sponsor letter can be accepted at many field offices as well; we check what your office wants before you go.

Halal food, mosques and daily life in Sarajevo for Saudi students

Sarajevo is one of the easiest European cities for a Muslim student: halal meat is the norm in most restaurants and butchers, mosques are within walking distance in every central district, and the city has an Islamic heritage going back more than 500 years.

• Mosques: the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Baščaršija dates from 1531; the King Fahd Mosque and its cultural centre in Alipašino Polje is one of the largest in the Balkans. Friday prayer is easy to fit around lectures.
• Food: ćevapi, burek and grilled meat are halal in most traditional restaurants; supermarkets carry certified halal products. Some cafés and bars serve alcohol, and you can choose places that do not.
• Ramadan: iftar is a public event in Sarajevo, with the cannon fired from the Yellow Fortress at sunset.
• Climate: winters are cold and snowy, with temperatures below zero. Students from Riyadh or Jeddah should budget for a proper winter coat and boots in the first month.

Banja Luka, Foča and Mostar have mosques and halal options too, but Sarajevo is where Saudi students feel at home fastest. Our comparison of the best student cities in Bosnia shows the trade-offs.

Flights: Sarajevo for Saudi students

Sarajevo for Saudi students is a short trip: flynas flies direct from Riyadh and from Jeddah to Sarajevo International Airport, with the most frequencies during the summer season.

Outside summer, check the current flynas schedule early. The reliable alternative all year is one stop via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines or Pegasus) or via Dubai (flydubai). Students in Banja Luka, Mostar or Foča still fly into Sarajevo and continue by bus or with a transfer we arrange. Students starting in October usually book their first flight in August, before autumn fares rise.

Recognition at home: Ministry of Education and SCFHS

A degree from a state-accredited Bosnian university is recognised in Saudi Arabia through two procedures: equivalency of the degree by the Ministry of Education, and, for health professions, classification and registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS).

1. Before you enrol: check that your university and programme meet the Ministry of Education's current equivalency criteria for study abroad. We prepare the university documents you need for this check.
2. During your studies: keep every enrolment certificate, transcript and residence permit, because the equivalency file asks for proof that you studied in the country.
3. After graduation: apply for the equivalency certificate. Saudi citizens with foreign degrees need it before professional registration.
4. For doctors and dentists: register through the SCFHS Mumaris Plus system, have your diploma verified by an approved verification company, pass the Saudi Medical Licensing Exam and complete the internship requirements that apply to your case.

Rules are set by the Saudi authorities and are updated from time to time, so check them at the start of your studies and again before graduation. Recognition in Europe is covered in our guide to degree recognition.

Your path from Saudi Arabia to a Bosnian university

How Study in Bosnia helps you study in Bosnia from Saudi Arabia

We represent all 21 state-accredited universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a main office in Bern and an office in Bosnia. For Saudi students and their families we handle:

• Programme and city choice, including a frank comparison of public and private medical schools
• Admission and the certified invitation letter for the visa D
• University documents for your Ministry of Education equivalency check
• A furnished flat near your faculty and pick-up at Sarajevo airport
• White card, bank account, medical certificate and residence permit in the first weeks

Parents often ask us to meet them in Sarajevo during a summer visit to see the faculty and the flat. We are happy to do that. Before you sign with any institution, read our article on non-accredited universities in Bosnia.

Frequently asked questions

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