Saudi Arabia Work Permit & Medical Rules 2026
Do you intend to work in the Kingdom in 2012? The Saudi Arabia Work Permit and Medical Rules have been converted to high-tech prevention-first digital in 2026. The process of residency under the Saudi Vision 2030 is no longer the process of paperwork, but the process of real-time integration of your health condition, professional competencies, and contractual rights.
You are an executive or a professional technician, there is no need to stress that, being in harmony with the new Sovereign Digital Triangle (Qiwa, Mudad, and GOSI) is the only way you can assure your future in the largest economy of the Middle East.
Medical & Health Compliance: The Digital Frontier
It is digitally connected to your passport and contract even before you land your plane in 2026, which means your health status is digitally connected. The visa is now a requirement that must meet the Fit-for-Work-standard.
Wafid (Formerly GAMCA)
Wafid portal is still the obligatory portal to the medical tests of the Gulf Health Council.
- Automation: Due to fraud prevention, you are not able to select your medical center and the system will assign you a medical center based on your location.
- Wafid Medical QR Code: Your report has also added a new digital barcode upon which the Saudi embassy officials scan to confirm your health condition in real time.
Communicable Disease & Fit-for-Work Screening
Saudi Arabia has a zero-tolerance policy towards certain conditions. Any of the following results in a positive response in 2026 will mean an automatic and irrevocable change of status to unfit in the GCC database:
- Infectious Diseases: HIV, Hepatitis B, C and active Tuberculosis (TB).
- Fit-for-Work Verification: New in 2026, Base Tier workers (manual workers) faculty be needful to take physical exams specific to their work situation, e.g. heat temperament in outside construction.
- Pro- Tip: Remember to get your medical checkup completed within three months of your visa application, anything above 90 days is automatically rejected by the MOFA system.
Regulations on Work Permit and Residency (Iqama)
The concept of Sponsorship has been changed into Contractual Employment that is run through the Qiwa platform.
Electronic Contract Authentication
You should sign your offer digitally on the portal Qiwa before being permitted to be issued with a work permit. This verification will guarantee that your rights are safeguarded as per the Saudi Labor Law on the very first day.
- SSCO Code Match: The Qiwa job title in your medical report must be a direct match to a code that is found in the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations list.
Mudad & Wage Protection (WPS)
The Kingdom has a system of getting paid, the Wage Protection System (WPS) through Mudad.
- Sovereign Monitoring: In case your employer does not pay you the salary through an authorized Saudi bank during three months in a row, you acquire the authority to transfer your sponsorship to another corporation without their permission.
Universal Must-Know Terms by the year 2026
- Border Number: It is a 10-digit number, which is assigned at the airport. You will have to use it to connect your obligatory medical insurance either via Absher or Tawakkalna apps within 72 hours of arrival.
- 90-Day Iqama Deadline: Your employer has a tight deadline of 90 days within which he can convert an entry visa into a residence permit. Otherwise, it will impose serious fines on the company and put you in legal difficulties.
- Digital Exit-Reentry: Farewell to paper slips. The exit-reentry privileges are now completely online and checked at the airport through your passport and Absher profile.
FAQs
Am I allowed to work in Saudi Arabia when my history is TB?
In case of the presence of active or untreated Tuberculosis, you will be classed as Unfit. Nevertheless, worn and tattered TB can be considered by an expert, although it is usually a disqualifying condition in a manual employment position.
What will be the penalty in case of a default on 90 day Iqama?
The employer will be fined SAR 500 in the first occasion and SAR 1000 second occasion. The HRSD should be contacted by an employee in case his permit is not processed, since he cannot open a bank account without a valid Iqama.
Does it mean that my medical insurance is associated with my visa?
Yes. Mandatory Insurance Linking in 2026 implies that even the visa will not be printed until your sponsor has paid your health insurance and connected it with your Border Number.
Will my work permit be renewed in case my company belongs to the Red Nitaqat band?
No. The companies that belong to the Red or Yellow bands are not able to renew the work permit. Your options in this case, legally speaking, are to look for a new employer in the Green or Platinum bands.
Do they still use a physical Iqama card?
No. It is not mandatory to have a physical card. The main identification forms accepted by the authorities are the Digital Work Permit and Health Pass on the Tawakkalna Services application.
Final Thought
The Saudi work permit landscape of 2026 is based on Transparency and Skill. By making sure that your medical is sorted via Wafid and that your contract is verified in Qiwa, you are preventing your career damage by making use of the digital transformation of the Kingdom.
Disclaimer
This nonfiction is not a explore paper, it is only knowledge and educational. It is suggested that the reader should check the information on the official sources such as the Ministry of Human Resources or Qiwa before they should make any choice.