Six years of study, hundreds of thousands of riyals, then a return to the Kingdom only to discover that your degree cannot be equated. This is not a hypothetical story but a reality lived by Saudi students who previously chose foreign universities without verifying Saudi recognition in advance.
In this reference guide, the Future Way Academy team provides a comprehensive list of European universities recognized in Saudi Arabia, organized by country, with the recognition criterion for each country and the verification steps before enrolling — because a minute of advance verification saves years of regret.
How does the Saudi Ministry of Education decide to recognize a European university?
The three official references
| Reference | What is it? | Its role in recognition | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The international WHED | A global database of more than 19,000 educational institutions | The university must be listed in it — an essential condition | Mandatory |
| The Saudi Ministry of Education | The body granting recognition and degree equivalency within the Kingdom | The official recognition it issues is the decisive criterion | Mandatory |
| NCAAA — the Evaluation and Accreditation Commission | Assesses how well foreign curricula align with Saudi standards | Influences the equivalency of some health and education specializations | In certain cases |
| WDOMS — the WHO directory | The directory of globally recognized medical schools | Mandatory for medical faculties and health professions | For medicine and health |
EU membership — an advantage or a condition?
A university being in an EU country is not a condition for Saudi recognition, but it is an advantage that facilitates the procedures. The EU member states apply the unified Bologna system for higher education, which makes assessing their curricula and accreditation frameworks easier.
On the other hand, universities outside the EU such as those in Georgia and Serbia may also enjoy full Saudi recognition if they are listed in WHED and meet the criteria.
| How do you verify immediately? The fastest method: the Saudi Ministry of Education website (moe.gov.sa) → e-services → foreign university verification. Search by the university name in English and specify the specialization. Or contact the Future Way team and we will carry out the verification free of charge within 24 hours. |
Recognized European universities — organized by country
Below is a detailed card for each country covering its leading universities, the specializations, and recognition notes:
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Well-established | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Charles University Prague — Third Faculty of Medicine | Human medicine, dentistry | Recognized |
| Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) | Engineering, applied sciences | Recognized |
| Masaryk University — Brno | Medicine, sciences, business | Recognized |
| Palacký University Olomouc | Medicine, pharmacy, sciences | Recognized |
| 📌 The Czech Republic is one of the most established European medicine destinations for Saudis — documented Saudi recognition for many years. Competition for admission to Charles is high. | ||
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Well-established | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Medical University of Warsaw (WUM) | Human medicine, dentistry | Recognized |
| Jagiellonian University Kraków | Medicine, sciences, business | Recognized |
| Medical University of Gdańsk | Medicine, pharmacy | Recognized |
| Poznań University of Technology | Engineering, technology | Recognized |
| 📌 Poland is a well-established Saudi scholarship destination — competitive tuition and European quality. Verifying the specific specialization is always recommended. | ||
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Available | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Lithuanian University of Health Sciences — LSMU | Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy | Recognized |
| Vilnius University | Sciences, business, law | Recognized |
| Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) | Engineering, technology, AI | Recognized |
| 📌 A growing destination attracting increasing Saudi interest. LSMU is the most prominent — its recognition is documented and tested. See our dedicated Lithuania article for more details. | ||
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Available | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Humanitas University | Human medicine, health sciences | Recognized |
| Saint Camillus International University | Medicine, health sciences | Recognized |
| University of Bologna (UNIBO) | Engineering, business, law, sciences | Recognized |
| Sapienza University of Rome | Medicine, engineering, humanities | Recognized |
| Politecnico di Milano | Engineering, design, architecture | Recognized |
| 📌 Italy has varied options — venerable public universities and new English-taught medical universities. The English-taught medical programs (Humanitas, Saint Camillus) are the most sought-after by Saudis. | ||
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Available | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Ghent University (UGent) | Engineering, medicine, sciences, business | Recognized |
| Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) | Medicine, law, social sciences | Recognized |
| KU Leuven | Medicine, engineering, sciences, business | Recognized |
| 📌 Belgium is a well-established EU member with a venerable educational structure. Some of its programs require French or Dutch — English-taught ones are fewer. See the studying-in-Belgium page for details. | ||
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Available | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| University of Lisbon (ULisboa) | Engineering, business, sciences, medicine | Recognized |
| University of Coimbra | Medicine, law, sciences | Recognized |
| University of Porto | Engineering, medicine, sciences | Recognized |
| Nova University Lisbon | Business, economics, social sciences | Recognized |
| 📌 Portugal is a growing Saudi scholarship destination — lower living costs than Western Europe with European educational quality. Some programs require Portuguese. | ||
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | 🌍 Outside the EU | Saudi recognition: Partial | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| University of Novi Sad | Medicine, engineering, sciences, business | Verify the specialization |
| University of Belgrade | Medicine, engineering, law | Verify the specialization |
| 📌 Serbia is outside the EU — Saudi recognition is available for some universities and specializations but is less comprehensive. Direct verification is mandatory before enrolling. | ||
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 🇪🇺 EU | Saudi recognition: Well-established | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Technical University of Munich (TUM) | Engineering, medicine, technology | Recognized |
| Heidelberg University | Medicine, natural sciences | Recognized |
| Free University of Berlin (FU Berlin) | Medicine, business, social sciences | Recognized |
| University of Hamburg | Law, business, engineering | Recognized |
| 📌 Germany is a historic Saudi scholarship destination with high academic standards. Many of its undergraduate programs are free or have very low fees. Some programs require German. | ||
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Outside the EU | Saudi recognition: Well-established | ||
| University | Leading specializations | Recognition |
| Queen Mary University of London | Medicine, engineering, business, sciences | Recognized |
| University of Lincoln | Business, engineering, sciences, media | Recognized |
| University of Manchester | Medicine, engineering, sciences, business | Recognized |
| University of Edinburgh | Medicine, engineering, business, arts | Recognized |
| 📌 The UK is outside the EU (Brexit) but is the most famous and most recognized. The fees are high but the degree carries great weight. The Queen Mary campus in Malta offers the same degree at a lower cost. | ||
| An important note about this table The list above represents the leading universities most sought-after by Saudi students and is not exhaustive. Each European country has dozens of recognized universities — verifying the specific university you are targeting is done via the Saudi Ministry of Education website or through the Future Way team. |
A quick comparison — the leading European scholarship countries for Saudis
| Country | EU | Recognition | Leading specializations | Average annual cost (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | ✅ | Well-established | Medicine, engineering | 13,000 – 16,000 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | ✅ | Well-established | Medicine, pharmacy, engineering | 10,000 – 14,000 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | ✅ | Well-established | Engineering, medicine | 500 – 3,000 (public) |
| 🇬🇧 Britain | ❌ | Well-established | All specializations | £22,000 – 36,000 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | ✅ | Available | Medicine (English), engineering | 8,000 – 16,000 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | ✅ | Available | Medicine, engineering | 835 – 4,000 (+ English more expensive) |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | ✅ | Available | Engineering, medicine, business | 697 – 6,000 (public) |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | ✅ | Available | Medicine, pharmacy, technology | 8,000 – 14,000 |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | ❌ | Partial | Medicine, engineering | 4,000 – 9,000 |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | ✅ | Available | Business, technology (QMUL) | 14,000 – 17,000 |
Steps to equate a European degree in Saudi Arabia — the general framework
For full step-by-step details, please see our dedicated article: equivalency of European certificates in Saudi Arabia. Below we review the general framework of the equivalency path:
| Stage | Action | Responsible body | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Before enrolling | Verify the recognition of the university and the specialization | Ministry of Education website / WHED | Immediate |
| 2 — During study | Keep all grade records and documents | The European university | Ongoing |
| 3 — 6 months before graduation | Obtain the official degree and transcript | The university | 2 – 4 weeks |
| 4 — Certifying the degree | Certification by the official bodies in the European country (Apostille) | European Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 1 – 4 weeks |
| 5 — The Saudi Embassy | Certifying the degree at the Saudi Embassy abroad | The Saudi Embassy | 1 – 4 weeks |
| 6 — Translation | Translating the degree into Arabic with a certified translator | Certified translation offices | 3 – 7 days |
| 7 — Electronic submission | Uploading the application to the electronic degree-equivalency platform | Saudi Ministry of Education | Immediate |
| 8 — Official equivalency | Awaiting the equivalency decision and responding to inquiries | Saudi Ministry of Education | 3 – 6 months |
The difference between degree equivalency and academic authentication — do not confuse them
| Item | Degree equivalency | Academic authentication |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Official recognition of the foreign degree as a Saudi qualification | Proving the validity of the study documents to various bodies |
| Responsible body | Saudi Ministry of Education | Multiple bodies depending on the purpose |
| When do you need it? | For employment in Saudi government bodies and regulated sectors | For registration in other programs or sometimes for the private sector |
| Is it mandatory? | Mandatory for working in government jobs and many regulated sectors | According to the requirements of the beneficiary body |
| Its duration | Permanent once approved | May expire depending on the type of authentication |
The most common mistakes in choosing a European university — and how to avoid them
The first mistake: relying on the university’s fame instead of official verification
An internationally famous university does not necessarily mean it is recognized in Saudi Arabia for the specialization you want. The only approved criterion is what the Saudi Ministry of Education decides — not international rankings.
The second mistake: verifying the university without verifying the specialization
A university may be recognized in the field of medicine, but a particular sub-specialization such as psychiatry or forensic medicine within it may not be recognized. The precise specialization is the unit of recognition.
The third mistake: postponing the equivalency procedures until after returning
Many students return with a degree and discover that equivalency takes 6 months or more and that they have missed a job opportunity because of it. Start the certification procedures at least 6 months before graduation.
The fourth mistake: not inquiring about the updated scholarship lists
The list of universities approved for the scholarship is updated annually. A university that was accepted for the scholarship 3 years ago may have dropped out of the list — and vice versa. To review the latest updates on the Saudi external scholarship and its conditions, see our dedicated page.
| A summary of the Future Way team’s tips Verifying (the university + the specialization + the validity date of the recognition) before applying = complete safety. Verification is done free of charge within 24 hours via the Future Way team — do not make a fateful academic decision without this step. |
Frequently asked questions — European universities recognized in Saudi Arabia
Are all European universities recognized in Saudi Arabia?
No. Saudi recognition is granted to universities and specializations that meet the Ministry of Education’s criteria and are listed in WHED. Small universities, joint programs, or rare specializations may not be recognized. Verification before enrolling is mandatory.
How do I verify my European university’s recognition in Saudi Arabia?
The official method: the Saudi Ministry of Education website (moe.gov.sa) → e-services → foreign university verification. Enter the university name in English and specify the specialization. You can also verify via the international WHED database (whed.net), or contact the Future Way team and we will carry out the verification free of charge.
How long does equivalency of a European degree take in Saudi Arabia?
Equivalency usually takes 3 to 6 months once the documents are complete. The most common delay occurs at the European Foreign Affairs and Saudi Embassy certification stages. We advise starting 6 months before the expected graduation date to avoid delay.
What is the difference between a public and a private university in terms of Saudi recognition?
In Europe, public universities usually enjoy more comprehensive and broader recognition due to being under direct government oversight. Private universities may also enjoy full recognition if they are officially licensed and accredited in their country and listed in WHED — but verification is more pressing.
What documents are required to equate a European degree?
Usually required: the official graduation certificate + the transcript, both certified by the university, then European Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification (Apostille or its equivalent), then Saudi Embassy certification abroad, then a certified Arabic translation, and finally the electronic submission on the Ministry of Education platform.
| Is your European university recognized? Verify now, free of charge Send us the university name and the specialization — the Future Way team will send you the official verification result within 24 hours. A free service, no obligation. |
