MISA Investor Licence Fees Suspended in 2026

Foreign investors setting up in Saudi Arabia are seeing lower entry costs in 2026, after the government fees for issuing and renewing many standard investor licences from the Ministry of Investment (وزارة الاستثمار) were temporarily suspended. For a wide range of standard categories, the licence line item now often shows as SAR 0 in practice.

The change follows reforms under the new Investment Law, which replaced the older "foreign investment licence" with a simpler registration process. Under the previous regime, investors typically budgeted around SAR 2,000 plus an Investor Relations Center subscription of SAR 10,000 in the first year and SAR 60,000 Those amounts are identified as suspended as of 2026.

the ministry stopped collecting the standard licence and subscription fees, with some reports pointing to April 2026. Investors are instead asked to sign an undertaking to pay registration fees later once a new fee schedule is issued, and no confirmed date for that schedule has been announced.

The picture is not fully uniform. Some 2026 guides still list practical budgeting figures such as a SAR 2,000 application fee, an annual electronic services subscription of about SAR 2,000, or broad indicative ranges for licences and amendments. These conflict with material describing a suspension of the core fee, and the ministry no longer publishes a fixed public price for the registration fee — instead setting the amount at approval, with a 15 business-day window to pay.

For residents and expats weighing a business launch in Riyadh (الرياض), Jeddah (جدة) or elsewhere in the Kingdom, the practical takeaway is clear: the main MISA licence cost is currently minimal for most standard registrations, though separate costs for commercial registration and chamber membership still apply. Investors should confirm the latest figures before budgeting.

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