VISAS AND WORK PERMITS FOR SAUDI ARABIA

Visas and work permits for Saudi Arabia can differ depending on the employee’s nationality. In the last few decades, Saudi Arabia has become a significant economic power and encourages economic growth and much-needed skills for development. Expats were welcomed in their millions. However, the focus since the launch of ‘Saudization’ in 2011 has been on developing the local workforce and diversifying beyond petroleum. As well as introducing a fee on expatriate dependents causing a cost of living increase, there have also been restrictions on which professions and sectors foreigners can be employed in.

Foreigners require a Saudi Arabian employer to sponsor them and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) to approve them. Workers also need an ‘Iqama’, the official Saudi Arabian ID that proves employees are legally in the country and includes details of the work and residence permits. In September 2019, Saudi opened to tourists by introducing the e-Visa, either issued online or on arrival to eligible visitors. Nationals of five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman – do not need visas to enter Saudi Arabia.

Around 50 countries’ citizens can apply for the e-Visa online, or some people can apply for a ‘visa on arrival’ (VoA) at an immigration office, but the e-Visa is the quickest and easiest route. Other nationalities have to visit an embassy or consulate in their home country. Since restricting employment for foreigners, the system has become more complicated and convoluted. This is where Bradford Jacobs can help with our comprehensive knowledge of work documentation procedures and experience in supporting business expansion into the Middle East!

The different types of Visas and Work Permits for Saudi Arabia

Holiday visitors must apply:

  • online for an e-Visa, or,
  • on arrival at an immigration centre, or,
  • at a local embassy or consulate in their home country before they leave.

Travellers must check to see which procedure applies to them. These are not employment Visas.

The e-Visa has 360 days validity; people can stay for 90 days at any time up to 180 days in the year. There are four travel Visas:

  • Tourism
  • Event Visa
  • Family Visit Visa
  • Pilgrimage for Umrah

Note: For the five other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), their nationals can enter without a Visa and on their country’s national ID.

Other Main Visa types include:

  • Employment Visa / Work Visa for those who have a job with a sponsoring employer and employment contract
  • Temporary Work Visa for short-term employment, usually connected to a particular project, acquired before entering Saudi Arabia in a similar process as the Employment Visa. It allows employees to work on behalf of a foreign company if there is no representative in Saudi Arabia. Duration 30 or 90 days
  • Business Visit Visa with a letter of invitation regarding business meetings, conferences, or for the employed, self-employed, or sole traders. Also, business owners, officers of companies or directors without a letter of invitation may want to investigate business in Saudi. This is, however, at the discretion of the Foreign Affairs Department at the local embassy where the visa is applied for.
  • Residence Visa gives people the right to reside in Saudi Arabia, own property and a car and have the legal right to work in private companies. In 2019, Saudi Arabia implemented a ‘Premium Residence Permit’ as part of a reform plan to allow new employee rights, a.k.a. Green Card. This allows permanent residency without the need for a sponsor at the cost of SAR 800,000 (EUR 209,000; USD 213,000) or SAR 100,000 (EUR 26,000; USD 27,000) for an annual residence permit
  • Family Visas issued for dependents which incur a monthly fee of SAR 400 (EUR 104; USD 107)
  • Transit Visa for no longer than 48 hours available to stopover travellers

The Employer must apply for The Work Permit and the Residence Permit before the Employment Visa expires, and obtaining those permits is part of the process for acquiring the Iqama ID Card with a 10-digit number, required by ALL residents living and working in Saudi Arabia.

Note: Changes and updates can complicate the procedures for obtaining the required work documentation as the country goes through accelerated Saudization, officially called the Saudi Nationalisation Scheme or ‘Nitaqat’ and is implemented through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD). Companies are expected to consider local workers before applying to onboard foreigners.

Documentation needed to work in Saudi Arabia.

  1. The Work Visa allowing workers to travel to Saudi Arabia and work:
  • This is the primary work visa for foreigners working for legally-registered companies who act as their sponsors. They should have an employment contract to be able to apply for this visa
  • When receiving the visa, the employee can enter the country to work. It is issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a local embassy or consulate in their home country and can take from three weeks to eight weeks
  • This visa is valid for one year for the worker to use. Then the holders can travel to and enter the country to work for 90 days. During this time, the employer must apply for a residence permit and work permit for long-term employment and residence
  • There are fines if the company fails to comply with the work documentation to SAR 100,000 (€26,000; US$27,000), and they can also have their license rescinded. Employees also can be fined up to SAR 10,000 (€2,600; US$2,700) and may even be arrested
  • The employer starts the visa application process with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD). However, to act as sponsors, they require a visa allocation to be able to employ foreigners for which they receive a block number for the visas, also from the HRSD
  • After the employee receives his contract and the visa block number, they finalise the process at the local embassy by presenting documentation and completing the application form
  1. The Work Permit is part of the Residence Permit process, which allows long-term employment and residency:
  • Before foreign companies can begin operating or employing workers, foreigners or locals, they require a commercial license which is the final part of setting up a company in Saudi Arabia
  • The employment contract is registered with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) before a Residence Permit can be issued; the MOI keeps an immigration file on all the employers’ foreign workers
  • The employer, as the sponsor, applies for Residence Permit and Work Permit when the employee receives the employment visa and travels to Saudi. They are the legal permits to live and work in the country.
  1. The Iqama is the National ID Card:
  • This is also the Residence Permit. The Work Permit must be finalised before applying for the Iqama. Initially, this is done through the HRSD and, once approved, is forwarded to the Ministry of Interior, where it is issued via the ‘Directorate General for Passports.’
  • The Work Permit (and employment contract) determines how long the Residence Permit or Iqama is valid (up to two years).
  • The ID details include name, DOB, nationality, expiry date and employer details. The Iqama serves as the Residence and Work Permit. It can be used to deal with government agencies, open a bank account etc.
  • Employees who want to travel out of the country during employment must apply through the Ministry of Interior for an Exit/Re-Entry Permit, which takes about one week.

Important: This Iqama ID Card should be carried continuously to prove legality in the country.

Note: The employer is responsible for providing health care and insurance (Article 144 of the Labour Law). Employer-provided insurance payments for private sector employees are divided between the company and expatriate workers and are relatively basic. However, extra cover can be purchased separately.  Saudis and public sector employees pay into the social security scheme (GOSI), and healthcare is free.

How to Obtain Visas and Work Permits for Saudi Arabia

The procedures for obtaining the required work documentation can be complex as there have been changes and updates, especially as the country goes through Saudization, which is officially called the Saudi Nationalisation Scheme or ‘Nitaqat’, executed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD).

This is not a new policy, but it has accelerated since 2018 and is a way of continually protecting the local workforce by investing in education, upskilling, and reserving certain professions for Saudi Arabian nationals. So, it is worth checking how this can affect business and potential staff.  For instance, companies are colour-coded according to their compliance with Saudization from red up to platinum, the highest rated platinum, which gives them preferential treatment for processing immigration documentation and the ability to apply for ‘block’ visas for all workers at the same time.

Process for working in Saudi Arabia

  • Receive a job offer from a Saudi-registered company.
  • The employer acts as the sponsor and must have approval from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) to sponsor foreigners and receive a block visa number allocation to employ expatriates.
  • Employer starts applying for the Employment Visa with the HRSD by registering with the Enjazit portal. They use this portal to pay for the visa and to directly contact an embassy abroad for the employee to finalise the Employment Visa.
  • The employer supplies HRSD with the business registration certificate.
  • The employment contract, which should be in Arabic but can also be in English, is registered with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) before a Residence Permit is issued. The MOI keeps an immigration file on all the employer’s foreign workers.
  • Employee receives the employment contract and visa block number to finalise the Employment Visa.
  • When the Employment Visa has been approved, the HRSD informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the local embassy or consulate in the employee’s home country. Within two weeks, the MOFA issues a Visa Authorisation Number.
  • The employee finalises the Employment Visa by submitting a completed and signed application form alongside the required documentation.
  • It takes around seven to 21 days to issue the visa. At this point, the employee can travel to Saudi Arabia and begin work.
  • The employer applies for the Residence Permit and the Work Permit within 90 days of the employee arriving in the country. This is called the Iqama Card, which is the ID detailing the employee’s name, nationality, expiry date, and employer’s details as the sponsor of the ID Card. This is carried out constantly to show they are in the country legally. It allows them to open a bank account and deal with government authorities. It is valid for up to two years, depending on the length of the employment contract and subsequent work permit.
  • The Iqama Card, with a 10-digit ID number, is applied for at the HRSD and, when approved, sent to the MOI to be issued through the Directorate General for Passports. The employer is responsible for applying, renewing, and paying for the Iqama Card (Article 40 (1) of the Labour Law).

Employees who also want to travel out of the country during employment have to apply through the Ministry of Interior for an Exit/Re-Entry Permit, which takes about one week. Employees and employers must supply the relevant paperwork, some of which must be legalised and attested. The employer pays for the visa and permits during the application procedure.

Note: The employer is responsible for providing health care and insurance (Article 144 of the Labor Law). Employer-provided insurance payments for private sector employees are divided between the company and the expatriate workers. However, extra cover can be purchased separately.  Saudis and public sector employees pay into the social security scheme (GOSI), and healthcare is free.

How to Apply for Visas and Work Permits for Saudi Arabia

It is essential to understand which authorities are responsible for which documentation and what paperwork is required by the employer and employee. You also need to figure out what documents need attesting to, translating and legalising. We cover the requirements for foreign employees to work for registered companies who already have a job with a sponsoring employer. The documentation is generally applied for and paid for by the employer.

Required to work in Saudi Arabia

  • Employment Visa (Work Visa)
  • Work Permit and Residence Permit
  • Iqama National ID Card

Documentation required

  • Passport valid for the duration of employment and a minimum of six months from the date of entry with two facing pages for the visa (note: For some nationals, it may be advisable to apply for a second passport as Saudi Arabia, e.g., Israel may not approve some visa stamps).
  • Coloured photographs along passport guidelines – some embassies need more than others.
  • Proof of fees paid by the employer through the Enjazit website portal.
  • Downloaded, completed and signed application form.
  • Copy of the employment contract signed by employer and employee and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Chamber of Commerce (by employer).
  • University degree, educational certificates or similar as required for the job. These must be authenticated and legalised by the Saudi Arabian Embassy and attested by a cultural bureau in the home country. Most countries with an embassy also have a cultural bureau.
  • A certificate of good conduct by police in the home country, issued no more than six months before the application for the visa.
  • Medical Report re: Hepatitis, HIV, Chest X-ray and more recommended and legalised by the embassy or consulate in the home country. This must be done no more than three months before the start of the application for the Employment Visa. Three copies are required.
  • Letter of support from employer verified by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and MOFA, which the employer must organise.
  • Biometrics taken
  • Copy of Letter of Invitation from MOFA giving details of the employer and allocated Visa number.
  • Block number from employer regarding visa allocation for foreigners and Company ID number.
  • Visa Authorisation Number issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • If applicable, any other previous visas for Saudi Arabia.
  • A pre-paid envelope.

Employers’ documentation for the Ministry of Interior

The Ministry keeps an immigration file on employers’ foreign workers. The employers register the employment contracts with the MOI, which are kept on file instead of the Iqama, including the Residence Permit being issued:

  • Company’s Certificate of Registration proving they can apply for Work Visas.
  • Company Seal.
  • Zakat Certificate as proof they are registered with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.
  • GOSI Certificate to show they are registered for social insurance contributions.
  • Chamber of Commerce Certificate.
  • Nitaqat statement, which shows the level of Saudization of the company from Red (low) to Platinum (high), may affect their visa allocation and documentation processing time. The employer must demonstrate that no Saudi could do the job offered to the foreign worker.

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