Short answer first: if you're visiting Saudi Arabia for a holiday, a family trip or Umrah-friendly travel, you need a tourist visa. If you're coming for meetings, a conference or a site visit, you need a business visit visa. And if you're moving here to live and work, your employer arranges a work residency permit (Iqama) — with a Premium Residency route for those who want to stay long-term without an employer sponsor.
Understanding Saudi Arabia's new visa categories — tourist, business and residency — is easier than it used to be. The Kingdom has streamlined its visa system in recent years, and most routes are now handled online. Here's a clear, up-to-date breakdown of the three main categories, with real fees in SAR, validity periods and how each one works in practice.
Pick the right visa for your purpose
Matching the right category to your trip saves you time, money and a rejected application. Match your purpose to the visa:
- Tourism, leisure, visiting friends or relatives — tourist visa.
- Business meetings, conferences, negotiations, exhibitions — business visit visa (you cannot take paid employment on it).
- Taking up a job and living here — work residency (Iqama), arranged by your Saudi employer.
- Long-term residence with more flexibility — Premium Residency.
Tourist visa: short visits, holidays and family trips
The tourist visa is the easiest and most popular way into the Kingdom. It covers tourism, leisure, visiting relatives and attending events — think Riyadh Season, a Red Sea getaway or exploring Al-Ula and Diriyah.
Validity, stay and the 180-day rule
- Single-entry tourist visa — valid for 90 days, with a stay of up to 90 days.
- Multiple-entry tourist visa — valid for one year, with each stay up to 90 days.
- Annual limit — tourist visa holders are generally allowed no more than 180 days in Saudi Arabia across any 12-month period.
Tourist visa fees
The base government fee is SAR 300. The total you pay at checkout also includes mandatory medical insurance and a digital-service charge, so the final amount varies slightly depending on the insurance provider you select during the application.
How to apply for a tourist visa
- Open the official Saudi visa platform and start a new tourist application.
- Enter your passport and personal details and upload the required documents.
- Pay online — the fee covers the visa, insurance and the service charge.
- Receive your electronic visa by email, usually quickly.
Eligible nationalities can also use approved visa centres or, in some cases, visa on arrival at airports such as King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
Business visit visa: meetings, conferences and site visits
A business visit visa is for commercial activity that does not involve paid work — meetings, negotiations, exhibitions and inspections. You'll normally need a Saudi company to invite you.
Validity and stay
- Single-entry — validity and stay of up to 90 days.
- Multiple-entry — valid for one year, with each stay up to 90 days.
Business visa fees
The visa fee is approximately SAR 300 (USD 80), plus a digital visa-service fee of around USD 10.50 and an insurance-service fee of around USD 10.50. Insurance is charged separately, so budget for the full stack when you plan.
How to apply for a business visa
- Your inviting Saudi company submits the request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa system.
- You complete the application, providing passport and invitation details.
- You pay the fees online.
- You complete any consular or visa-centre requirements, then receive the visa.
Business visas are processed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs platform, Saudi embassies and consulates, and approved visa centres.
Work residency (Iqama): living and working in the Kingdom
If you're relocating to Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam for a job, your residency is built around the Iqama — your official residence permit. This one is employer-driven: your sponsor handles the heavy lifting.
How the Iqama process works
- Your Saudi employer sponsors you and obtains the work authorisation.
- You complete the employment and medical procedures after arrival.
- The residence permit is issued through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and Ministry of Interior systems.
- Employers run employment and work-permit tasks through Qiwa, and resident services through Muqeem and Absher Business.
Iqama and work-permit costs
These fees are usually the employer's responsibility, but it helps to know the numbers:
- Iqama base fee — commonly reported at around SAR 650 per year for company-sector workers. Domestic-worker and dependent charges can differ.
- Processing fee — an additional SAR 51.75 Absher Business processing fee may apply to each issuance or renewal transaction.
- Work-permit levy — employers separately pay a monthly levy commonly ranging from SAR 700 to SAR 800 per worker, depending on the company's workforce status.
Bringing family dependents
You can sponsor your spouse and children once your Iqama is active. Dependent fees and levies vary by category and age, so always confirm the exact amount in the relevant government payment system before you pay — it changes depending on who you're adding.
Premium Residency: the long-term option
Premium Residency lets qualifying expats live, work and run businesses in Saudi Arabia without a traditional employer sponsor — closer to the long-term flexibility many residents want.
- Category-based Premium Residency has a reported one-time application fee of SAR 4,000.
- You apply through the Premium Residency electronic platform.
- You submit identity, financial, medical and supporting documents, then pay the application fee.
Premium Residency suits investors, highly skilled professionals and people putting down long roots in the Kingdom.
Quick comparison: tourist vs business vs residency
- Tourist — holidays and family visits; SAR 300 base + insurance; stays up to 90 days; apply yourself online.
- Business — meetings and conferences, no paid work; approximately SAR 300 (USD 80) + service and insurance fees; stays up to 90 days; needs a Saudi inviting company.
- Work residency (Iqama) — living and working; employer-sponsored; Iqama around SAR 650/year plus levies; processed via Qiwa, Muqeem and Absher.
- Premium Residency — long-term and flexible; one-time fee from SAR 4,000; applied for independently.
Once your visa is sorted, the real work of settling in begins — sorting utilities, finding a flat and getting to grips with daily life. Keep an eye on the latest policy updates and practical guides over on Saudi Living.
FAQs
Can I work in Saudi Arabia on a tourist or business visa?
No. Both the tourist and business visit visas prohibit paid employment. To work legally you need a work residency permit (Iqama) sponsored by a Saudi employer.
How long can I stay on a tourist visa?
Each stay can be up to 90 days. However, tourist visa holders are generally limited to no more than 180 days inside Saudi Arabia across any rolling 12-month period.
Who pays the Iqama fees — me or my employer?
Iqama issuance, work-permit levies and processing fees are usually the employer's responsibility. Check your contract, as some arrangements differ for dependents.
Can I convert a tourist or business visa into a residency?
Generally no. Residency (Iqama) is a separate, employer-sponsored process handled through MHRSD and the Ministry of Interior. You can't simply upgrade a visit visa.
Is a visa on arrival available for everyone?
No. Visa on arrival applies only to eligible nationalities and under specific conditions. If you don't qualify, apply online through the official Saudi visa platform before you travel.
How much is Premium Residency?
The category-based Premium Residency has a reported one-time application fee of around SAR 4,000, applied for through the Premium Residency electronic platform.
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