How to Get a Work Visa in Saudi Arabia: 2026 Guide

Here's the short version: you can't get a standard Saudi work visa on your own — a Saudi employer must sponsor you. The company requests your visa quota and authorisation through Qiwa (the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development platform), you complete a medical exam and biometrics in your home country, and once you land in Riyadh or Jeddah your employer converts everything into your Iqama (residence permit). This guide on how to get a work visa in Saudi Arabia walks you through every step, the real fees in SAR, and how long it actually takes.

The short answer: how a Saudi work visa works in 2026

The Saudi employment visa is employer-driven. Before you can work legally in the Kingdom, a licensed company or establishment sponsors you, gets government approval for a foreign-worker slot, and pays the core fees. Your job is to hand over accurate documents, pass a medical exam, and finish your biometrics on time.

The employment visa is generally valid for entry for up to 90 days from the date it's issued — the exact expiry is printed on the visa itself. You need to enter Saudi Arabia before that date, and then your Iqama process begins in-country.

Who does what: employer vs worker

Understanding the split saves a lot of confusion. In broad terms:

• The employer — requests the foreign-worker quota and visa authorisation on Qiwa, creates the contract, pays the visa fee, arranges mandatory medical insurance, and processes your Iqama after arrival.
• The worker (you) — provides a valid passport, photograph, employment details and education or professional certificates, completes the Wafid medical exam, does biometric enrolment, and submits the visa application through the Saudi visa channel for your country.

Under Saudi labour rules, the employer is generally responsible for the employment-visa, work-permit, Iqama and related recruitment costs — you shouldn't be paying these out of pocket.

Step-by-step: getting your work visa

Step 1 — Employer secures the visa quota on Qiwa

Everything starts with the company. The employer requests a foreign-worker visa quota through Qiwa, which is tied to Nitaqat (Saudisation) compliance. If the establishment doesn't have the right ratio of Saudi employees for your job category, it may not be able to issue the visa at all — this is the gate no employer can skip.

A quick example to picture it: a software engineer in Bengaluru is offered a job by a Riyadh tech firm. Before anything else, that firm has to have a spare quota slot and a healthy Nitaqat band for the role. Only then can the paperwork start moving — no matter how strong the candidate is.

Step 2 — Employment contract and documents

Once the quota is approved, the employer creates or approves your employment contract through Qiwa. You'll supply:

• A valid passport (with enough remaining validity)
• A passport-style photograph
• Your employment and job-title details
• Education or professional certificates when the role requires them
• Any required attestation of your degree or documents

For many skilled and professional roles, your degree certificate may need to be attested before the visa can proceed. Factor this in early, because attestation adds time.

Step 3 — Wafid medical exam in your home country

You complete a medical examination at an approved Wafid medical centre in your country of application. This typically costs around SAR 240 to 500 (converted to local currency) and screens for fitness to work and communicable diseases. Keep the result — you need to be declared fit before the visa is stamped.

Step 4 — Biometrics and visa application

Next, you complete biometric enrolment (fingerprints and photo) and submit your visa application through the Saudi visa-processing channel for your country. Requirements vary slightly by nationality, so check the specific centre handling Saudi visas where you are.

Step 5 — Visa issuance and entry to Saudi Arabia

The standard visa issuance fee is generally SAR 2,000, paid by the employer. Once issued, the employment visa is valid for entry for up to 90 days. Book your flight and enter the Kingdom — through King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, or another port — before the visa expires. Miss the window and you'll be starting parts of the process again.

Step 6 — After arrival: Iqama and residence processing

Landing isn't the finish line. Once you're in the country, your employer completes:

• Mandatory medical insurance for you (premiums vary by age, coverage, insurer and dependents)
• A local medical examination
• Biometric registration
• Residence-permit processing, issuing your Iqama through systems such as Muqeem and Absher Business

Your Iqama is your legal residency card. Once it's issued, you can open a bank account, rent a flat, get a local SIM from STC, Mobily or Zain, and register on Absher for your own e-services.

Common delays: what can slow you down

Most hold-ups aren't dramatic — they're paperwork. The ones we see most often:

• Degree attestation delays — getting your certificate attested in your home country can add weeks, especially for professional roles. Start it as soon as you have an offer.
• Nitaqat / quota problems — if the employer's Saudisation band drops or they've run out of quota for your job category, the visa simply can't be issued until it's sorted.
• Passport validity — a passport too close to expiry can stall the whole application. Renew it early if you're cutting it fine.
• Medical re-tests — a flagged Wafid result may mean a repeat exam, which pushes the timeline back.

None of these are unusual, and none are worth panicking over — but knowing about them means you can head them off instead of finding out the hard way.

The real costs in 2026 (SAR)

Most core costs fall on the employer, but it helps to know the numbers. Typical figures for 2026:

• Visa issuance fee — generally SAR 2,000 (employer)
• Wafid medical exam — around SAR 240–500 (in your home country)
• Iqama issuance/renewal — generally SAR 650 per year
• Work-permit administrative fee — generally SAR 100 per year via Qiwa
• Expatriate financial levy — generally SAR 700 or SAR 800 per month where it does (that's SAR 8,400 or SAR 9,600 per year)

Combining the administrative fee with the levy, the commonly reported annual work-permit total comes to about SAR 8,500 or SAR 9,700, depending on the establishment's workforce ratio. Premium Residency holders don't need a sponsor but must obtain a dedicated work permit through Qiwa — a reported SAR 100.

Actual amounts vary by profession, nationality, establishment classification and current government decisions. The figure shown in Qiwa, the Saudi visa platform or the relevant ministry system is always the one that applies.

How long does it take?

Plan for roughly 3 weeks to 2 months from start to finish. The timeline depends on how quickly your employer moves, your nationality, document attestation, medical processing and government approvals. Well-organised companies with quota already in hand move fastest; roles needing degree attestation take longer. Build in a buffer, and don't hand in your current job's notice until the visa is actually issued.

Other work visa types you should know

• Temporary work visa — generally SAR 1,000, valid for 90 days, and extendable once up to a maximum of 180 days. Handy for short-term projects and assignments.
• Premium Residency work permit — for Premium Residency holders who work without a traditional sponsor; obtained through Qiwa for a reported SAR 100.

Once your Iqama is sorted, the next step is landing the right role. Browse current openings in the jobs section on Saudi Living.

FAQs

Can I apply for a Saudi work visa without an employer?

No. A standard employment visa requires a Saudi employer to sponsor you and request your quota and authorisation through Qiwa. The main exception is Premium Residency holders, who obtain a dedicated work permit through Qiwa without a traditional sponsor.

Who pays for the work visa and Iqama?

Under Saudi labour rules, the employer is generally responsible for the employment-visa, work-permit, Iqama and related recruitment costs, plus your mandatory medical insurance. You typically cover only your home-country Wafid medical exam.

How long is the employment visa valid for entry?

Generally up to 90 days from issuance, with the exact expiry printed on the visa. You must enter Saudi Arabia before that date; the Iqama process then begins in-country.

What is the difference between a work permit and an Iqama?

They're not the same. The work permit is your legal authorisation to work (with an annual fee and levy managed through Qiwa), while the Iqama is your residence permit that lets you live in the Kingdom. You need both, and both are renewed regularly.

How much does a work permit cost per year in 2026?

The commonly reported annual total is around SAR 8,500 or SAR 9,700, combining the SAR 100 administrative fee with the applicable expatriate levy (SAR 700 or SAR 800 depending on the establishment's Saudi-to-foreign worker ratio).

Is a medical exam mandatory?

Yes. You complete a Wafid medical exam in your home country (around SAR 240–500) before the visa, and a further medical examination after you arrive in Saudi Arabia as part of Iqama processing.

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