When travelling to Saudi Arabia, whether it's for a short business trip, a reunion, or moving permanently with family, everyone requires a specific visa. Choosing the right visa is essential for comfort in travelling. How to get a work visa for Saudi Arabia?
For business travel, there are three main Saudi Arabia visa types available:
If you're visiting to work temporarily in the Kingdom on a project or other short-term work basis, you'll need a business visa. This visa allows you to work locally and require a letter of invitation (LOI) from the sponsoring company. As part of Saudi Arabia work visa requirements, the LOI is required for your visa application. The visa can be single or multiple and can be applied for 30, 60, 90 or 180 days.
If you visit the Kingdom for a conference, business meeting, negotiations, business presentation or investment talk, you will need a business visit visa. This visa will not allow you to work in the Kingdom in any capacity. This visa can be single or multiple and can be applied for 30, 60, 90 or 180 days.
If you are moving to the Kingdom permanently for work, you will need a work visa. This visa allows you to rent a home, open a bank account, and obtain a Saudi driver's license. To obtain this visa, the individual will need to submit their employment contract, academic documents and medical test results to the Saudi embassy/consulate in their home country or the Saudi authorities from the sponsor to issue a visa number.
What is the age limit for Saudi work visa? Saudi Arabia work visa age limit is 60 years for work visas in the public sector. Workers in the private sector obtain work permits and residency in their mid-sixties. Saudi Arabia work visa age limit for foreign employees is under the age of 58, and for some jobs under the age of 55, depending on whether they are doing physical labour or a highly trained and in-demand occupation. What is the age limit for Saudi work visa for younger employees? Saudi Arabia's work visa minimum age is 21 years old. Around the same age, you'll get your residency permit. The working-age in Saudi Arabia is 16 years old, and formal retirement in the public sector is 60 years old.
Saudi Arabia work visa requirements for applicants are a passport with at least 6 months remaining before expiration, two side-by-side pages, and applicants must not have any restrictions or conditions that prevent them from traveling.
The visa you are visiting Saudi Arabia must be in line with the purpose of your visit. Compliance is an essential part of doing business in Saudi Arabia, and you must follow any laws or regulations associated with your visa. To ensure that you remain compliant, carefully check the length of stay, the number of entries allowed, complete due diligence when finding a visa sponsor, and that the visa details fit your needs.
The employer must apply for work permits for foreigners at the appropriate government agencies (Ministries of Social Affairs, Home Affairs and Labor). Anyone wishing to stay in the Kingdom for more than three months must have a residence permit (Iqama). The permit is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is valid for two years. Dependents of foreign employees generally also receive residence visas, but these do not allow them to seek employment. Holders of residence visas require exit visas to leave the Kingdom.
Work Visa to Saudi Arabia is issued to individuals who need to travel to the country to be employed by a Saudi Arabian company. The applicant must receive authorization from Saudi Arabia through a local sponsor, who must apply to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once this invitation is received, a set of documents must be prepared in accordance with the sponsor's authorization. With the correct documentation, the applicant will need to go in person to the Saudi visa centre (appointment to be booked online) to apply for the visa.
You'll need a residence visa (Iqama) to work in Saudi Arabia, which permits you to work for a set period (up to two years). A Saudi employer who can act as a sponsor is required to move to Saudi Arabia for work. To employ foreign citizens, the employer must also obtain visa permission from the Saudi Ministry of Labor. Obtaining a work visa to Saudi Arabia is the first step towards obtaining an Iqama. This visa must be applied for on your behalf by your employer, and if approved, you can enter the country and begin working.
Your employer must apply for a residence permit, which includes a work permit, within 90 days of your arrival. In Saudi Arabia, the residence permit is the official form of identification, thus you won't be able to do things like open a bank account without one.
You should always keep your Iqama with you. You could be punished if you don't provide your card when asked. The Iqama is only valid for one or two years (depending on the length of your employment contract), after which your employer must renew it.
The deluxe residence Iqama, often known as the Saudi Arabia green card, allows foreigners to stay in the country permanently without the requirement for a sponsor. Permanent residency is available for SAR 800,000, or an annual renewable residency is available for SAR 100,000. The premium system went live in June 2019.
The cost of your residence permit should be covered by your company. The overall charge is determined by the percentage of Saudi nationals employed by your company.
The total cost will be SAR 7,200 if more than 50% of the staff are Saudi nationals. The Iqama costs SAR 750, the work permit costs SAR 6,000, and the insurance costs SAR 450. The charge climbs to SAR 8,400 if the company employs more than 50% expatriates, with the work permit fee rising to SAR 7,200. Saudi Arabia work visa fees are reviewed by the government on a regular basis.
It is your employer's responsibility to renew your Iqama. Considering the Saudi Arabia work visa processing time, it's best for the company to start this process ahead of time, because if you don't renew it before your present permission expires, you'll be fined. The majority of Saudi Arabia work visa processing time for renewal can be completed online by your business, while you will have to retake the medical exam before your permit is issued.
It's important to note that your Iqama is tied to the company that serves as your sponsor. As a result, if you wish to switch employment in Saudi Arabia, you'll need to get a no-objection certificate from the one you're leaving.
Employment contract in original duly signed by the counterparts and endorsed by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The qualifications or certified copies of the same must be previously endorsed by the Consular Section of the Embassy, once the required online payment has been made (go to www.mofa.gov.sa and click E-services).
Those who do not have any qualification must produce appropriate letters of reference/experience acquired, duly endorsed by the competent authorities.
Medical tests: Completion and endorsement of the appropriate health certification form by the ASL.
- Medical tests anti-HIV and anti-HCV in original list + copy. For doctors and health workers, and for catering operators it is also required to report Hepatitis B.
- Criminal certificate issued by the Italian Court. NB: Every applicant between 6 and 80 years of age must provide their biometric data to the VFS Tasheel visa center.
- Passport (original), with a validity of not less than 6 months, and with two contiguous free pages.
- Two passport photos on a white background (4x3 cm).
A new short-term work visa to Saudi Arabia has been introduced.
The new Temporary Work Visit Visa permits foreign nationals to work in the Kingdom for up to 90 days in a year. Quotas for the new visas can be obtained through the Qiwa online portal by employers.
Employers must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a quota:
- Have a current business registration
- Comply with the Wage Protection System in Saudi Arabia.
- Have a "Medium Green" or better Nitaqat status.
- Ascertain that all foreign workers are in possession of legitimate work permits.
- Quotas can be purchased in quantities of one, five, ten, or fifty by eligible employers. A single quota costs 1,000 SAR (about $267 USD), while a package of 50 costs 45,000 SAR. Work visa validity in Saudi Arabia lasts for one year from the date of purchase of a quota.
After 30 days, no payment will be reimbursed, even if the visa is obtained but the visa holder never travels to Saudi Arabia. Visas cannot be transferred from one firm to another, however, they can be cancelled and reassigned within the same company.
Temporary Work Visit Visas are obtained through a two-step process in which companies secure a visa quota and foreign nationals obtain a visa sticker from a Saudi consular post or visa agent abroad before flying to Saudi Arabia. While visa quotas are now available, COVID-19 travel limitations may make visa stickers difficult to get at this time.
We saw how to get work visa for Saudi Arabia. But how to extend visa in Saudi Arabia? Extend the work visa validity Saudi Arabia for visitors outside the Kingdom from countries from which entry has been suspended due to the Coronavirus outbreak, until 7/31/2021. The beneficiary may do so by visiting this website.
The platform automatically processes the application without the need to pay new Saudi Arabia work visa fees or review the embassy, so the electronic visa system verifies the following conditions:
1. Which of Saudi Arabia work visa types was issued.
2. The visa has not been previously used to enter the Kingdom.
3. The visa has expired during the arrival suspension period: 2/2/2021 through 2/6/2021
4. The visa must be issued by one of the Kingdom's missions in the countries from which entry has been suspended.
Then the system sends an e-mail containing the replacement visa after it has been extended and is issued with a new number. This process shows how to extend visa in Saudi Arabia.
Working illegally in Saudi Arabia might result in serious consequences. Individuals who do not have a work visa to Saudi Arabia may risk a fine of up to SAR 10,000, as well as arrest and deportation. Your employer could face a fine of up to SAR 100,000 and have their trade license cancelled if they fail to apply for a work visa to Saudi Arabia.
