Study in the UK from Saudi Arabia — visa, costs, scholarships and timeline

From Saudi Arabia you apply through UCAS for most undergraduate courses or directly to universities for postgraduate study. After your offer is confirmed and conditions are satisfied, your university issues a CAS. You then complete the online Student visa application with your CAS reference, valid passport, financial evidence and an approved English-language qualification. Saudi-government scholarship holders should check with their sponsoring body for any additional requirements or documentation. Study UK Now provides full end-to-end support — from selecting the right university and course through to assembling a strong visa file.

Undergraduate: apply through UCAS. UK universities accept A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and recognised American-curriculum diplomas (with AP or SAT scores) for direct entry, and each university sets its own grades for the Saudi secondary certificate; where it asks for more, a one-year international foundation programme is the standard route in. Postgraduate: a bachelor's degree at the grade each university publishes for Saudi degrees. English: for a degree-level Student visa your English must be at CEFR level B2, and each university sets its own score on IELTS or an equivalent test (it may also assess you itself). Study UK Now checks the exact requirement at every university on your shortlist before you apply.

Here is what a year in the UK costs, in pounds and in SAR.

Cost	GBP	SAR (approx.)
Tuition, international undergraduate range (UCAS)	£11,400–£38,000	SAR 56,700–188,900
Tuition, average international undergraduate (UCAS)	£22,000	SAR 109,400
Living costs to show for the visa, London (9 months × £1,529)	£13,761	SAR 68,400
Living costs to show for the visa, outside London (9 months × £1,171)	£10,539	SAR 52,400

Converted at £1 = 4.97 SAR (29 September 2026). Tuition figures from UCAS; living costs from GOV.UK's Student visa money rules, which ask you to hold the money for 28 days in a row unless an official sponsor funds you.

Saudi students study abroad on the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, the Ministry of Education's overseas scholarship, restructured in 2022 around Vision 2030: applicants need unconditional acceptance from a university on the Ministry's approved list and apply through the Ministry's Safir portal, and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in London looks after scholarship students in the UK. Where a recognised official sponsor funds you, the sponsor's letter replaces personal bank statements as your visa's financial evidence, and Study UK Now makes sure it meets UKVI's rules exactly. UK universities also offer their own scholarships and early-payment discounts to Gulf students. Book a free consultation and Study UK Now builds your shortlist around your grades, your budget and your sponsor's approved list.

Plan for tuition plus living costs from roughly £30,000 a year. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program (formerly the King Abdullah Scholarship Program) funds many Saudi students in the UK; its tracks and approved universities change, so check the current list with the Ministry of Education before you apply. University scholarships and merit awards are also available and worth applying for alongside your admissions application. Study UK Now helps you map every deadline — scholarship, university and visa — into one clear timeline.