What is the Saudi Arabia Work Visa (Iqama)?
The Saudi work visa and Iqama are the standard route for foreign nationals to work legally in the Kingdom. The process is entirely employer-driven under the sponsorship (kafala) framework, as reformed by the Labour Reform Initiative. The employer applies through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) via the Qiwa platform — securing a block visa quota (subject to Saudization / Nitaqat compliance), then a visa authorisation, then the Iqama after you arrive.
Since July 2025, all work permits are sorted into three skill tiers — High-Skilled, Skilled and Basic — based on education, experience, salary, accreditation and age. Salaries are tax-free, and from Q1 2026, Iqamas are issued for 5 years rather than annually.
There is no standard pathway to permanent residence through employment; the separate Premium Residency programme is the route to settle. Considering the wider Gulf? Compare the UAE Employment Visa and the UAE Golden Visa.
Note: This information is for guidance only and does not constitute immigration advice. Requirements change — verify current figures at the official government source before applying.
Do you qualify?
You must meet two requirements. The employer drives the entire process — you cannot initiate it yourself — and your skill tier sets the salary and experience bar.
The employer must hold a valid commercial registration, a Qiwa account, an acceptable Nitaqat (Saudization) rating, and an available visa quota for your nationality and role. If an employer offers you a role and confirms sponsorship, they have already secured the quota, and their Nitaqat standing permits the hire. See the FAQs on Nitaqat.
Your qualifications, experience and salary must match one of three tiers — High-Skilled (degree + 5 years + SAR 15,000+/month), Skilled (secondary education + 2 years + SAR 7,000–14,999) or Basic (SAR 3,000–6,999). Your educational certificates must be attested by the Saudi Cultural Attaché in your home country.
The 2026 salary requirements
Saudi Arabia's skill-based classification (introduced in July 2025, fully operational for 2026) sets salary and experience requirements by tier. Salaries are tax-free — gross equals net. High-Skilled permits are assessed on a points system across education, experience, skills, wage and age.
Do not confuse this with the Nitaqat threshold: the SAR 4,000/month figure used in Saudization counts only applies to Saudi nationals in the private sector — it is not an expatriate minimum wage. Pay protection: all private-sector salaries must run through the Wage Protection System (WPS) via the Mudad platform; confirm your employer is WPS-compliant before accepting. There is no income tax and no social-security deduction for expatriate workers.
What you need to apply
The employer drives the entire process. You provide personal documents to the employer, who processes everything through Qiwa (MHRSD) and MOFA; you attend a Saudi embassy for stamping and complete medical checks.
If you do not have any of the documents below, read the FAQs section for further guidance.
Application timeline
From the employer securing a quota to the Iqama being issued typically takes 6–16 weeks. The process is entirely employer-driven — your main active steps are attestation, the medical exam, embassy stamping and post-arrival biometrics.
Most common delay: certificate attestation. Educational certificates must be attested by the Saudi Cultural Attaché in your home country, which can take several weeks and varies a lot by country. Start it as early as possible, ideally before the employer finishes the quota stage.
The employer applies for a block visa quota through Qiwa, based on their Nitaqat standing and available allocation for your nationality and role, then obtains a visa authorisation number from MHRSD.
Handled by: your employer
Attest your educational certificates through the Saudi Cultural Attaché, complete the medical examination at an approved Wafid centre, and sign the Arabic employment contract.
Handled by: you
The employer submits your application through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) portal. You attend the Saudi embassy or consulate in your home country for visa stamping.
Handled by: you and your employer
Enter Saudi Arabia on the employment visa and complete post-arrival medical checks and biometrics.
Handled by: you
The employer registers you and issues the Iqama (residence permit) within 90 days of arrival. The Iqama is your legal ID for banking, renting, healthcare and travel, and from Q1 2026 is valid for 5 years.
Handled by: your employer
Frequently asked questions
Yes, under reformed rules. Since the Labour Reform Initiative, the Tanaqul (mobility) portal lets workers change employers without the current sponsor's consent in many cases — typically after 1 year with the current employer, or on contract expiry. This is a major change from the old kafala system. Confirm your specific eligibility to transfer through Qiwa or the Tanaqul portal.
Yes, if you earn above the minimum salary threshold for dependent sponsorship (this varies by nationality and profession — verify on MHRSD). Dependants receive their own Iqama tied to your sponsorship, and a monthly dependent levy of about SAR 400 per dependant applies. New in 2026: qualified spouses and adult children on a family-sponsored Iqama can now obtain their own work permits through MHRSD — previously prohibited regardless of qualifications.
Yes. Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax on employment income — what you earn is what you keep. There are no social-security deductions for expatriate workers (only Saudi and GCC nationals contribute). Combined with common employer housing and transport allowances, Gulf contracts have high savings potential.
Almost nothing. Under Article 40 of the Saudi Labour Law, the employer bears all recruitment and permit costs and cannot pass them to the worker — the visa fee, Iqama issuance, the monthly work-permit levy and mandatory medical insurance. Your only personal costs are certificate attestation and the medical exam in your home country.
Nitaqat requires private-sector companies to maintain minimum quotas of Saudi nationals, classifying them into colour bands by compliance. Your employer's Nitaqat rating directly affects their ability to secure visa quota and hire foreign workers. Some professions — certain HR, security and retail roles — are reserved for Saudi nationals and cannot be filled by expatriates.
Not through standard employment. Saudi Arabia has no automatic PR pathway for employed workers. The separate Premium Residency (the "Saudi Green Card") offers self-sponsored residence independent of an employer — a limited option at SAR 100,000/year (renewable) or an unlimited permanent option for a one-time SAR 800,000 — and frees you from the kafala system. For a comparable Gulf route, see the UAE Golden Visa. Citizenship is extremely rare and granted only at government discretion.
The employment visa is your entry authorisation — it gets you into Saudi Arabia. The Iqama is your ongoing residence and work permit, issued after arrival. The visa is single-use for entry; the Iqama is your legal identity in the Kingdom, required for banking, renting, healthcare, driving and daily life. Always carry it — not having it when requested can result in fines.
You cannot apply for the Saudi work visa without a job offer from a Saudi employer — the entire process is employer-driven. Every job listed on Workbeyond is from employers who sponsor international talent to work in Saudi Arabia. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level to find roles that match your criteria.
Find visa-sponsored jobs in Saudi Arabia
Every job listed on Workbeyond is from an employer who sponsors international workers. Because the Saudi process is entirely employer-driven — the employer secures the visa quota before nominating you — confirming a sponsoring employer is the single biggest determinant of whether an application can proceed. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level.
Planning a move? See the Saudi Arabia destination guide.