By the tiswa editorial team, from the official sources listed at the end of this guide. How we write our guides
Before you book a flight for a son or daughter's spouse, or for a parent, know that joining a companion is not granted on wish alone. It is allowed, but only for named groups and only when the conditions on remaining scholarship time, admission and place of study are met. The official FAQ is plain on one point: no companion or mahram is required. Joining is a choice, not an obligation1.
Who may be added?
The Ministry of Education page for joining the scholarship as a companion lists 3 main groups: the spouse of the scholarship holder, a mahram, and the children of the sponsored student2. Each group has its own conditions, and a family relationship alone does not establish eligibility. The remaining scholarship time and the academic admission are checked for each case.
| Group | Condition stated on the page | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | At least 6 months of the main scholarship remaining | The academic admission must be unconditional |
| Mahram | A power of attorney if the mahram is not a father or husband | A mahram joins only with the power of attorney |
| Children | A general secondary certificate or equivalent, and unconditional admission | Joining is limited to the bachelor stage |
| Parents | A support deed for each parent | Allowances for a father depend on his being a mahram of the female scholar3 |
What conditions does the Ministry set for a spouse or mahram?
The first condition is time. At least 6 months of the main scholarship must remain from the companion's start date. If the scholarship is close to ending, joining makes little sense, even when the paperwork is complete. The second condition is place: the university the companion attends must be in the location where the main student is based. The third is academic: the companion needs unconditional admission in a programme track the Ministry recognises2.
Families often assume the conditions are checked after they apply. They are checked at the date of the request. So count the months left on the scholarship before you press send, and count the start date of the companion's course next to it. The gap between those two dates is the number that matters.
If the family cannot agree on who joins first, start with the category that meets the conditions today, not the one you hope to add tomorrow. A category that qualifies now is easier to finish, and it saves you from applying twice.
Can parents join a scholarship student?
Yes, with conditions. Each parent needs a support deed3. A mahram who is neither a father nor a husband needs a formal power of attorney, and that document takes time to obtain, so start it first. The services page also says allowances for a parent are not paid unless the father is a mahram of the female scholar3. That detail changes the household budget, so check it before you plan around it.
How do you apply, step by step?
- Pick the category first
Write down who wants to join and compare their relationship with the table above. A spouse, a mahram, children and parents each have different rules, and a wrong category delays the whole file.
- Read the document list on the service page
The list changes with the category, and the companion services page on the Ministry site is the reference. Match each paper to your category, and do not rely on a list copied from a forum.
- Get the deeds before you apply
Support deeds and powers of attorney take time to obtain, so begin with them. Make sure the companion's passport and visa are valid, because an expired one stops the file.
- Sign in through the portal
The joining page directs you to the ministry portal. If it asks for a Nafath login, use Nafath. Then review and complete your personal data, and start the request.
- Update the companion record when needed
If a passport or visa has an error, needs renewing, or the companion status changes to continuing after payments were stopped, the student updates the record. Agree in advance who follows that up.
- Keep the request record
Save the request number, the submission date and every message from the Ministry. If a reply is late or a correction is requested, these papers are your reference.
In practice the family and the student share the work. The family gathers the papers and checks the conditions, and the student uses the portal and updates the record. Agree before the first appointment who follows each step, and where paper and digital copies are kept.
When do companion payments stop?
The companion services page says a companion may be outside the study location for up to 3 months in a year, and that the leave may be taken in one block or split3. If it is shown that the companion went beyond 3 months outside the location in the year, the status changes from continuing to not continuing, payments stop, and amounts paid for irregular periods are recovered3.
The second case is absence after the request has been accepted. If it is shown that the companion is not at the study location, payments stop, and a new application can be made once the companion returns3. Count leave in months, not in days, and keep one simple log of each trip outside the location.
Which mistakes delay a companion file?
- Applying before checking how many months remain on the scholarship.
- Forgetting a support deed or a power of attorney, which holds up the whole file for one document.
- Delaying a passport or visa renewal, so payments stop without a clear reason.
- Spending more than 3 months outside the location in one year, since split trips are added together.
When is joining the custodian of the two holy mosques scholarship a poor choice?
If the scholarship is close to ending, or if the companion you have in mind would not study on a recognised track, check the conditions with the Ministry before you spend on papers and travel. If you plan a long visit that takes the companion away from the location, the leave limit may cancel the payments you were counting on, so work out the leave before you commit.
For a sense of the household budget while a companion is with the student, read how much allowance a university student needs. If you are comparing a scholarship abroad with studying in Saudi Arabia, start with university fees in Saudi Arabia, then check scholarships for Saudi students to see what is open to you.
