Saudi Arabia Iqama Work Visa Process 2026 Explained
Do you intend to move to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2026? The experience of acquiring your Iqama (Residence Permit) has developed to be more of a traditional sponsorship-based experience into a more modern, digital-based, and skill-focused ecosystem.
In the recent changes in Saudi Vision 2030, the Iqama process of 2026 must be transparent and professional. You are an expert surgeon or a skilled technician, but now you have to move in the digital streets of Qiwa, Absher and Muqeem before you are first in a successful career in the Middle East.
Pre-Arrival: The Visa Issuance Phase
Prior to stepping on the soil of the Kingdom, your legal status will be established by a sequence of electronic verifications. By the year 2026, certified skills and verified contracts have become the new power.
- Block Visa Quota: This is a trip which is initiated once a Saudi employer obtains a visa called Block Visa by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD). It is a government endorsed quota that will be awarded according to the Nitaqat (Saudization) rating of the company. The companies that can easily sponsor the new international talent are those in the Green or Platinum category.
- Electronic Contract Authentication: Gone are the times of paper contracts. Your offer is now an Electronic Contract in the Qiwa Platform that is digital. You have to log-in and sign this contract electronically so that the visa process can proceed.
- Enjaz / MOFA Portal: After signing a contract with your employer, he/she enters the Enjaz system to produce a Visa Authorization Number. This will enable you to make an application to stamp your visa in the Saudi Consulate in your home country.
- Medical Fitness Report (Wafid): You have to get a medical check up in a Wafid approved center. These findings are uploaded to the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs (MOFA) database.
- Tafwid (Visa Delegation): The employer authorizes the services of a licensed recruitment agency to do the submission of your passport, known as its Power of Attorney (Tafwid).
Post-Arrival: The 90-Day Iqama Window
Once on land, the clock begins. You must have 90 days to turn in your entry visa to a residence permit.
- Border Number (Raqm Al-Hudood): On arrival at the immigration, they issue you with a 10-digit Border Number. This ID is your provisional one when registering yourself on the Absher app.
- Digital Iqama (Muqeem ID): Physical cards are virtually going away in 2026. Your residence is a Digital Iqama that is locked in Tawakkalna Services or Absher app.
- Occupational Mapping (SSCO): This occupation should be occupied in accordance with the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations. Any misfit in this case can result in your professional certification being delayed.
- SVP (Skill Verification Program): In more than 23 technical occupations (such as electricians or plumbers) one must pass a Skill Verification test. Failure to pass this practical and theoretical exam in 90 days makes it impossible to issue or renew your Iqama.
- Group Medical Insurance: Before the Iqama is activated, the employer is required to tie a valid health insurance policy with the profile of the employee on the Muqeem portal.
Sponsorship/ Job Mobility Terms
In 2026, the New Rules grant expatriates more freedom than it has ever been, and the traditional Kafeel system is greatly undermined by them.
- Sponsorship Transfer (Naqal Kafala): You may now transfer to a new employer through the Qiwa portal after finishing 1 year of your contract or fail to be paid your salary by your current employer during three months.
- Exit/Re-Entry Visa: You no longer require your employer to write your No Objection to travel. Travel permits can be issued in the Absher Individuals portal.
- Final Exit (Khurooj Nihad): The Final Exit should be done online when you have completed your tenure in KSA and all your payment is to be made through the WPS.
FAQs
Can I work in Saudi Arabia in the period that my Iqama is being processed?
Yes it is true your entry visa permits you to work as soon as you are there but you need to do your medical and even skill check-up (where applicable) within first 90 days of being there to remain legal.
What would be the outcome in case I do not pass the SVP Skill Verification test?
There are three attempts permitted by the law. When you fail all three of them, then you risk being denied your Iqama and even deported.
Does a Saudi Work Visa have an age restriction in 2026?
Typically the maximum age is 60 in the case of the private sector although, in the case of the so-called High-Skilled (Consultants, Executives) professionals with specialized permission, there are exceptions allowed.
What is the average work contract length in 2026?
The most popular is the 2-Year Employment Visa that offers a greater stability to both the employee and the employer by the new labor legislation.
What will the price of renewing an Iqama in 2026 be?
The Work Permit fee (SAR 8,000 9,600 per year) and the Iqama fee (SAR 650) are usually paid by the employer. Dependent Levy is normally paid by workers who have family.
Final Thought
Digitization is a principle around which the Saudi Arabian Iqama process in 2026 revolves. You have secured your rights and guaranteed a sailing residency by verifying your skills and authenticating your contract on the Qiwa platform. The Kingdom is welcoming to talent, but it requires playing along with the digital rules.
Disclaimer
The article is informative and educational. In order to take decisions, the readers are encouraged to check the information in reputable sources, including the official site of MHRSD or Qiwa.