Saudi Iqama and Residence Permit for UK Nationals and Employers
Saudi Iqama support for UK nationals moving to the Kingdom for a job, with their families, and for UK employers sponsoring staff. We prepare UK documents in London and run renewals from Riyadh.
Service Overview
An Iqama is the Saudi residence permit, carried as a Resident Identity card, and it is what allows an expatriate to live and work in the Kingdom legally. For most UK nationals it comes through a job: the employer is the sponsor and arranges the Iqama after you arrive. At the 2022 census, non-Saudi nationals made up 41.6% of Saudi Arabia’s 32.2 million residents, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT, May 2023).
If you know the UK’s Skilled Worker route, the principle will feel familiar: your right to stay is tied to a sponsor and held on a government record. The Saudi version runs on its own platforms, and what you need depends on which of two groups you are in.
A UK national joining an existing Saudi employer needs no company formed. A UK business opening its own Saudi entity does, and its General Manager’s Iqama follows the Saudi business setup. Gatestone Group has handled 865 business setups, so we plan that company and its General Manager’s Iqama as a single sequence.
Once issued, your Iqama number is the reference most Saudi services ask for. It links your employment record on Qiwa, your exit and re-entry visas, a Saudi bank account and any family you sponsor. It also links your mandatory health insurance, which is regulated by the Council of Health Insurance (CHI). Your National Address, registered through Wasel, Saudi Post’s addressing service, sits on the same record.
Most delays start before anything is filed.
So check the sponsor’s Nitaqat (Saudisation) band on Qiwa first, and agree the Iqama category and work visa. Then list the UK documents, medicals and biometrics, and agree who pays each fee.
To illustrate with a typical family move: a secondary school teacher from Liverpool accepts a post at an international school in Riyadh. A spouse and two children will follow for the new school year. The school sponsors the teacher’s Iqama.
As head of household, the teacher sponsors the family’s dependant Iqamas and pays their monthly fees unless the contract says otherwise. We line up the apostilled marriage and full birth certificates before the UK summer term ends.
Before planning any move, read the dated FCDO travel notice at the start of the process section: it currently covers Riyadh province and its airport.
- Saudi Iqama planning for UK nationals
- Residence permit applications through your Saudi employer
- Work Iqama, from the Qiwa work permit to Muqeem issuance
- General Manager's employment Iqama through your own MISA-licensed company (there is no separate investor Iqama)
- Dependant Iqama for a spouse and children
- Family entry visas and dependant fee planning
- Domestic worker Iqama, with eligibility checked on Musaned first
- Saudi work visa preparation from the UK
- Medical reports: the UK embassy medical and the in-Kingdom check
- Biometrics: Tasheer London before travel, Jawazat after arrival
- Jawazat and Muqeem follow-up by our Riyadh team
- Absher and Qiwa accounts set up and linked
UK employees and UK employers: who does what
Every Iqama file has two sides: the person moving and the Saudi employer that sponsors them. Gatestone Group has teams in the UK, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, so we can act for the person moving, for the sponsoring company, or for both on one file.
If you are moving for a job Your employer applies and pays for your Iqama, work permit and levy. Your part is the UK paperwork, the London visa appointment and the steps after arrival. Residence in the Kingdom is built around work: non-Saudi unemployment was 1.3% in the second quarter of 2026, according to GASTAT’s Labour Market Statistics. The Saudi ETA for UK citizens, available since 1 July 2026, covers tourism, short study and business visits only, so nobody can start work on it.
If you are the employer A UK company cannot sponsor its staff for a Saudi work visa: the sponsor must be an employer registered in Saudi Arabia, and the work Iqama follows that visa. A UK company sending its own staff therefore needs its own MISA-licensed entity, or a Saudi entity willing to sponsor them. Which route fits depends on the contract and the length of the posting.
Large international groups are taking the first route at scale. The Ministry of Investment (MISA) reported in August 2026 that more than 750 international companies had joined its Regional Headquarters Programme, against a 2030 target of 500.
Suppose a software company in Nottingham’s Lace Market forms a MISA-licensed subsidiary in Riyadh, and its founder moves out as General Manager. Under Qiwa rules reported in June 2026, a Saudi company under two years old can obtain up to 5 instant work visas (KPMG and the business news service Enterprise). It must also hold a Medium Green Nitaqat rating or above. Our advice is to plan the first Saudi hire alongside the founder’s own Iqama, so the UK developers who follow are not held up.
If you need a Saudi entity, we can form it, drawing on 865 business setups across the group. Our Riyadh team takes the MISA licence, commercial registration and Qiwa file through in that order.
Your employer applies and pays for your Iqama, work permit and levy. Your part is the UK paperwork, the London visa appointment and the steps after arrival. Non-Saudi unemployment was 1.3% in Q2 2026 (GASTAT). The Saudi ETA for UK citizens, available since 1 July 2026, covers tourism, short study and business visits only, so nobody can start work on it.
UK company cannot sponsor its staff for a Saudi work visa: the sponsor must be an employer registered in Saudi Arabia, and the work Iqama follows that visa. A UK company sending its own staff therefore needs its own MISA-licensed entity, or a Saudi entity willing to sponsor them. Which route fits depends on the contract and the length of the posting.
Large international groups are taking the first route at scale. The Ministry of Investment (MISA) reported in August 2026 that more than 750 international companies had joined its Regional Headquarters Programme, against a 2030 target of 500.
Suppose a software company in Nottingham’s Lace Market forms a MISA-licensed subsidiary in Riyadh, and its founder moves out as General Manager. Under Qiwa rules reported in June 2026, a Saudi company under two years old can obtain up to 5 instant work visas (KPMG and the business news service Enterprise). It must also hold a Medium Green Nitaqat rating or above. Our advice is to plan the first Saudi hire alongside the founder’s own Iqama, so the UK developers who follow are not held up.
If you need a Saudi entity, we can form it, drawing on 865 business setups across the group. Our Riyadh team takes the MISA licence, commercial registration and Qiwa file through in that order.
Our Saudi Iqama and residence permit process
⚠️ FCDO travel advice for Saudi Arabia, as of 14 October 2026. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to Aseer, Riyadh, Najran and Jizan provinces. The same advice covers the cities of Taif, Jeddah and Dammam, and every Saudi airport except Medina International Airport. The FCDO also advises against all travel within 10km of the Yemen border.
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport carries its own warning. After a serious incident there on 10 October 2026, the FCDO tells British nationals to avoid it until it is secure, and to follow the Saudi authorities’ advice. Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice.
None of the UK-side work needs you in Saudi Arabia. Your ACRO certificate, the apostilles, your employer’s paperwork and the visa application can all begin from the UK. Check the FCDO’s latest advice before you book any travel. Talk to us about timing the steps that need you in the Kingdom: arrival, the in-Kingdom medical and the Jawazat biometrics.
Sponsor check: the Saudi entity is active, its Nitaqat band and visa quota allow the hire, and the occupation is open to expatriates
Work visa authorised
UK documents prepared: notary certification where needed, FCDO apostille, ACRO police certificate, embassy medical report
Professional accreditation where the occupation requires it
Visa application and in-person biometrics
Arrival on the work visa
In-Kingdom medical, CHI-compliant health insurance and biometrics
Iqama issued and fees paid
Absher account activated, contract recorded on Qiwa, GOSI registration, payroll on Mudad
Dependants’ visas and Iqamas
We start with why you need to be in Saudi Arabia and who will sponsor you. That might be a new job, a role in your own Saudi company, joining family, or a household sponsoring a domestic worker. If you want to live in the Kingdom without an employer sponsor, [link: Saudi Premium Residency] may suit you better, and we say so at this first stage.
Consider an illustrative employer: a civil engineering consultancy near Callaghan Square in Cardiff is placing four engineers on a Saudi client's project in Riyadh. One has three years' experience since qualifying. Saudi Council of Engineers registration is required for engineering professions, and the SCE does not currently accept non-Saudi applicants with under five years' experience. We raise that before the team list goes to the Saudi sponsor, so the plan changes on paper first.
“Every traveller gets one dated plan, with an owner for each UK document and the visa slot, so nothing holds up the Iqama,” – says Hafsa Hussain, Managing Director UK.
Hafsa, who holds the PRINCE2 project management certification, runs that plan from London and sends the employer’s HR team a weekly update.
We confirm the route that fits your situation. For most people it is an employment Iqama through the employer. Founders hold an employment Iqama as General Manager of their own MISA-licensed company. There is no separate investor Iqama; an investor who does not take that route may qualify for Premium Residency instead.
Families need dependant Iqamas. A household sponsoring a domestic worker needs its eligibility checked on Musaned before anything is promised.
Our London office at 45 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, checks every UK document before it is sent. Since 7 December 2022, when the Apostille Convention came into force for Saudi Arabia, apostilled UK public documents need no Saudi embassy attestation.
A degree certificate is a private document, so a solicitor or notary usually certifies it before the FCDO adds the apostille. Employers commonly ask for an original ACRO police certificate and an embassy medical report from a UK-licensed doctor, both recently dated. Your employer's own checklist sets how recent, and it is final. ACRO cannot currently post police certificates to Saudi Arabia, so give a UK delivery address when you apply.
Before you travel, UK applicants for Saudi work visas must attend the Tasheer Saudi Visa Centre in London in person for biometrics, a rule in force since 5 July 2024. We prepare you for that appointment; the centre itself takes the biometrics. When you plan the trip that follows, use the dated FCDO notice at the top of this section as your starting point.
After arrival, the work moves to our Riyadh office on Level 18, Al Faisaliah Tower, Olaya. The team there books your medical at an approved centre, confirms CHI-compliant health insurance is in place, and follows the Jawazat biometrics and Muqeem issuance through to your card. Routine sponsor tasks on Qiwa, Muqeem, GOSI and Mudad are run by our [link: GRO services] team, so the employer's records stay current while your Iqama is processed.
Once issued, your Iqama shows in Absher, and the employer manages it on Muqeem. The card is delivered to your National Address. Every renewal starts on Qiwa, because the work permit must be renewed before the Iqama can be. That rule is set out in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) work permit guide of 30 August 2026.
For a General Manager, an active Iqama is one of the documents a Saudi bank asks for before opening a corporate bank account, so we sequence the two.
Rehan Abid, Senior Market Entry Consultant and Managing Director UAE, leads our Saudi work. “Form the company and open its Qiwa file, plan your first Saudi hire alongside your own Iqama, and approach the bank once that Iqama is issued,” – he says.
All Services
Start your Saudi Iqama application today
Tell us who is moving, which Saudi entity will sponsor them and when the role begins
- PRICING
Iqama costs in pounds
These are the government fees and typical third-party costs behind a Saudi Iqama, checked on 14 October 2026. They are converted to pounds at the XE mid-market rate given below the tables. Check the “Usually paid by” column as closely as the amount, because most fees fall to the employer. Under Labour Law Article 40, the employer pays the worker’s Iqama and work permit fees and renewals, late-renewal fines, and exit re-entry, profession-change and transfer fees (MHRSD).
The biggest employer cost is the expat levy. It is £160 a month for each expatriate above the number of Saudi staff, and £140 a month for each expatriate up to that number. One employer can pay both rates at once. The work permit and levy are both free for the first 3 months after a worker enters the Kingdom.
Families should plan early for the monthly dependant fee, because it is charged in advance at every issue and renewal. It is paid by the head of household unless the employment contract says otherwise.
A) Government fees and typical costs
| ITEM | POUNDS (GBP) | SAR (REFERENCE) | STATUS | USUALLY PAID BY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 / IQAMA & EMPLOYMENT | ||||
| Iqama, private-sector worker, 12 months | £130 | 650 | Official | Employer |
| Iqama for 3, 6 or 9 months | £33, £65 or £100 | 163, 325 or 488 | Official | Employer |
| Absher Business charge per Iqama issue or renewal | £10 | 51.75 | Platform charge | Employer |
| Work permit fee, per year | £20 | 100 | Official | Employer |
| Expat levy, each expatriate above the number of Saudi staff May apply alongside the lower levy rate for other expatriates. | £160/month£1,940/year, approximately | 800/month9,600/year | Official | Employer Must not be deducted from the worker’s pay. |
| Expat levy, each expatriate up to the number of Saudi staff | £140/month£1,700/year, approximately | 700/month8,400/year | Official | Employer |
| Work permit and levy, first 3 months after entry | Free | 0 | Official | N/A |
| Work visa through Qiwa | £405 | 2,000 | Official (reported) | Employer |
| 02 / FAMILY & DEPENDANTS | ||||
| Dependant fee, each dependantCharged in advance at each issue and renewal. | £80/month£970/year, approximately | 400/month4,800/year | Official | Head of household |
| Dependant entry visa, each | About £405 | 2,000 | Official (reported) | Head of household |
| Dependant Iqama, each, per year | £100–£130 | 500–650 | Reported; sources differ | Head of household |
| 03 / TRAVEL & EXIT VISAS | ||||
| Exit re-entry, single, up to 2 months | £40+ £20 per extra month | 200+ 100/month | Official | EmployerFor the worker |
| Exit re-entry, multiple, up to 3 months | £100+ £40 per extra month | 500+ 200/month | Official | EmployerFor the worker |
| Exit re-entry extension requested from abroad | £40 single£80 multiple; 1 month | 200 single400 multiple | Official | EmployerFor the worker |
| Final exit | No visa feeAbsher Business charge: £15 | 070 | Official | Employer |
| 04 / PENALTIES, INSURANCE & SOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS | ||||
| Late Iqama renewal, from 3 days after expiry | £100 first time£202 second time | 5001,000 | Official (reported) | EmployerLevy arrears also apply. Repeated delay can lead to deportation. |
| GOSI, non-Saudi employee | 2% of basic pay + housingUp to about £180/month | Wage cap: 45,000/monthMaximum contribution: 900 | Official (reported) | Employer only |
| Health insurance, CHI-compliant | Insurer quote | N/A | Market | Employer |
| 05 / UK DOCUMENTS & PRE-ARRIVAL COSTS | ||||
| FCDO apostille, paper, per document | £45Plus UK courier: £6 per 1.5 kg | About 225Courier: about 30 | Official (UK) | Applicant |
| FCDO e-Apostille, per eligible e-signed document | £35 | About 175 | Official (UK) | Applicant |
| ACRO police certificate | £70Extra copies: £7.75 each with application | About 345 | Official (UK) | Applicant |
| Medical examination in Saudi Arabia | £50–£100 | 250–500 | Market | Employer |
| Certified translation in the UK, per page | £25–£55 | About 125–270 | Market | Applicant |
| UK document bundle, family of four ACRO certificate, five apostilles, five translated pages and one notary bundle. | About £400–£650 | About 2,000–3,200 | Official + market | Applicant |
B) Two worked examples: year 1 and the renewal year
Both examples use government fees only. “Year 1” means the first 12 months after arrival, so it carries 9 months of levy and of work permit fee. The levy is at the higher rate, because each expatriate here is above the employer’s Saudi headcount.
Each line is converted from its riyal figure and rounded to the nearest £5, or to the nearest £10 from £1,000 upwards. Every subtotal and total is the sum of the lines shown. Lines built from monthly rates are converted from the riyal total, so they can differ by a few pounds from multiplying the rounded monthly figures in Table 5.
| Line | Year 1 | Renewal year | SAR reference (year 1; renewal) | Paid by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work visa (reported) | £405 | £0 | 2,000; 0 | Employer |
| Worker's Iqama | £130 | £130 | 650; 650 | Employer |
| Work permit fee (9 months in year 1) | £15 | £20 | 75; 100 | Employer |
| Expat levy (9 months in year 1; 12 on renewal) | £1,460 | £1,940 | 7,200; 9,600 | Employer |
| Employer subtotal | £2,010 | £2,090 | 9,925; 10,350 | — |
| Dependant entry visas (3, reported) | £1,210 | £0 | 6,000; 0 | Employee |
| Dependant Iqamas (3, upper reported figure) | £395 | £395 | 1,950; 1,950 | Employee |
| Dependant fees (3 dependants, 12 months) | £2,910 | £2,910 | 14,400; 14,400 | Employee |
| Family subtotal | £4,515 | £3,305 | 22,350; 16,350 | — |
| Total government fees | £6,525 | £5,395 | 32,275; 26,700 | — |
- If the 3-month free period does not apply, for example for a resident transferring from another employer, year 1 is £7,010. The levy line becomes £1,940 and the work permit line £20.
- At the lower levy rate (an expatriate within the Saudi headcount), the levy line is £1,270 in year 1 and £1,700 on renewal. Year 1 then totals £6,335 and the renewal year £5,155.
- If dependant Iqamas cost less, or nothing for children, take off up to £395 a year.
- Not included: GOSI (for example about £1,210 a year on basic pay plus housing of about £5,050 a month), Absher Business charges and in-Kingdom medicals. Also excluded: health insurance, professional accreditation, exit re-entry visas and UK documents (about £400 to £650 for a family of four).
| Line | Year 1 | Renewal year | SAR reference (year 1; renewal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Manager's work visa (reported) | £405 | £0 | 2,000; 0 |
| General Manager's Iqama | £130 | £130 | 650; 650 |
| Work permit fee (9 months in year 1) | £15 | £20 | 75; 100 |
| Expat levy (9 months in year 1; 12 on renewal) | £1,460 | £1,940 | 7,200; 9,600 |
| Multiple exit re-entry for 12 months (our calculation from the Jawazat rates, converted from the riyal total) | £465 | £465 | 2,300; 2,300 |
| Total government fees | £2,475 | £2,555 | 12,225; 12,650 |
- The Saudi company is the employer here, so it pays every line.
- Without the 3-month free period, year 1 is £2,960.
- Not included: MISA licence and renewal fees, commercial registration, Chamber of Commerce, ZATCA registration, National Address, and Muqeem and Absher Business subscriptions. Also excluded: GOSI, medicals, health insurance, and the cost of the Saudi hire needed to keep a Medium Green rating.
- Do not count on the small-establishment levy exemption. It is reported as applying to Saudi-owned businesses, and it is due to end in early 2027.
- Why Choose Us
Why choose Gatestone Group for Iqama and residence permit services?
with the signed note in the existing quote or italic style: The people who lead Gatestone Group bring 35+ years of combined experience, and a senior adviser agrees your Iqama route before any form is filed.
“If you employ the person moving, your Qiwa record will shape their Iqama more than anything they send from the UK. A Nitaqat band below Medium Green, or an offer whose job title differs from the work permit occupation, can hold the Iqama back however complete the UK documents are. After 14 years of Gulf market entry work, those are still the two points I raise with every sponsoring employer.” – Rehan Abid, Senior Market Entry Consultant and Managing Director UAE, Gatestone Group
The right Iqama category, confirmed early
We match your situation to the right Iqama: employment (including a General Manager's, through your own company), dependant or domestic worker, and check whether your occupation needs accreditation first.
UK documents prepared in London
Our London team lists every document your file needs, has private documents certified, and sends them for FCDO apostille, so nothing goes to a Saudi embassy for attestation.
Saudi authorities and portals
Gatestone Group's 50+ specialists include the GRO staff in Riyadh who work in Qiwa, Muqeem, Absher, GOSI and Mudad as routine. Where a file needs it, they also deal with Jawazat and MISA directly.
Support after the Iqama is issued
Renewals, dependants' permits, exit re-entry visas, transfers, lost cards and final exit are handled from our Riyadh office on Level 18, Al Faisaliah Tower, Olaya. You can still raise anything with us during UK working hours.
Keep your Saudi residence permit valid, year after year
An Iqama lasts only as long as its current renewal period. Each renewal needs a current work permit on Qiwa, CHI-compliant health insurance for the full period and the levy paid. Since 1 July 2026, Qiwa removes workers from an employer’s records once their work permit has been expired for more than 3 months. The employer stays liable up to that point, and employers have until 31 December 2026 to correct expired or missing permits.
Here is a situation we plan for most winters, described as a composite rather than a real client. A project manager from Southampton, working in Riyadh, has an Iqama renewal due in mid-December and hopes to spend Christmas at home if FCDO advice then allows it. We renew the work permit on Qiwa, then the Iqama, then arrange the exit re-entry visa, so the time away and the return are both covered.
UK investment in Saudi Arabia stood at £6.5 billion at the end of 2024, according to ONS figures published in the BIST factsheet (September 2026). For the UK groups behind that figure, each renewal date is a deadline with a fine attached, so we track every one for the sponsor. Where a UK group also runs a UAE entity, our Dubai head office at Al Saqr Business Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, shares the file with Riyadh when staff move across.
- FAQs
Saudi Iqama questions from UK applicants and employers
How do I renew my Iqama?
Your employer renews it. The work permit is renewed on Qiwa first, then the Iqama on Muqeem, for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months at a time. Health insurance must be valid for the whole period.
The residence status is renewed on that cycle even where the card itself shows a later date. A late renewal brings a fine of about £100 the first time and about £202 the second, paid by the employer.
Can my spouse and children join me in Saudi Arabia?
Usually, yes, if your profession and salary allow you to sponsor them. Dependant Iqamas are issued after arrival, and the dependant fee is about £80 a month for each person.
On 6 October 2026, the Ministry of Interior announced a change for highly skilled workers. Expatriate heads of household in that group will be able to apply for family entry visas while their own work visa is processed. The change covers a spouse, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters. No start date has been given, and the eligible worker categories are not yet defined.
How do exit re-entry visas work?
You need one each time you leave and plan to come back. A single exit re-entry visa costs about £40 for up to 2 months, then £20 for each extra month. A multiple one costs about £100 for up to 3 months, then £40 for each extra month.
For an employee, the employer pays (Labour Law Article 40). The fee is not refunded if the visa is cancelled, so settle your dates, including any school-holiday or Christmas trip, and check the FCDO’s current advice before applying.
What happens when I leave Saudi Arabia for good?
Your employer issues a final exit visa once your dues are settled. No government visa fee is reported, though the employer pays an Absher Business charge of about £15. GOV.UK advises getting a Saudi police clearance certificate before you leave, because it cannot be issued once you have gone.
What should I do if I lose my Iqama?
Tell your employer straight away. Employers now report a worker’s lost Iqama online through Muqeem, the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) announced in August 2026. For a sponsoring employer, our Riyadh team can file that report.
How long does it take to get an Iqama?
For a straightforward hire into an established, compliant employer, allow around 6 to 14 weeks from signed offer to Iqama. It varies by Iqama category and occupation. Healthcare and engineering roles wait on SCFHS or Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation, and some others need a ministry approval or a no-objection certificate first.
A General Manager’s Iqama also waits on the company itself: the MISA licence, commercial registration and Qiwa file come first. The staged timeline in the process section shows each stage.
- Testimonials
What Clients Say About Our Iqama and Residence Permit Support
Professionals, investors, families, and business owners choose Gatestone Group because they want clear guidance, organized documentation, and reliable support for Saudi residency processes.