Is a woman's travel for study without a mahram – given the availability of safety and avoidance of mixing – considered a sin, especially if there is a need for her medical specialization in her country, and is it permissible to share living expenses with a female roommate who travels without a mahram?

A mahram (definition) (unmarriageable kin) is required for a woman's travel, but not for her residence in a country other than her own. A woman can ask one of her mahrams to accompany her on her journey, and then the mahram can return while she stays for her studies. However, traveling without a mahram is not permissible, even if it is for the purpose of study. It is advisable to seek a righteous woman to live with, as staying alone is prohibited. A woman's travel without a mahram is forbidden, but the money earned from her work does not become unlawful if it was acquired through legitimate means.