Saudi Arabia changes work visa rules for Indian workers from Jan 2025

Highlights: Saudi Arabia Updates Work Visa Rules for Indians

• Saudi Arabia has announced changes to the work visa policy for Indian applicants.
• The changes came into effect starting January 1, 2025.
• According to the new rules, Indians applying for an employment visa must complete the pre-verification of academic and professional qualifications.
• Reports suggest that the new change was announced to align with the Vision 2030 initiative to boost the country’s labor sector.

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Saudi Arabia Announces New Work Visa Requirement for Indian workers

Saudi Arabia has announced a new work visa requirement for Indian workers looking to work there. Indians applying for an employment visa in Saudi Arabia must now clear the re-verification process of credentials, including both academic and professional. The new rule is to promote the country's labor sector while maintaining its standards. According to reports, the new requirement for a work visa is to further support the Vision 2030 Initiative.

 

More than 2.4 million Indians are currently employed in Saudi Arabia, making up the second-largest group of expats. Over 2 million Indians are spread across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. The new verification process aims to maintain the inflow of workers, sustain the high labor market standards, and deal with the limited training centers.

 

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Documents Required for a Saudi Work Visa

You must gather the following documents to apply for a Saudi employment visa:

• Valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months
• Visa application form
• Two copies of the recent passport-sized photographs
• A signed job contract
• Academic transcripts
• Work experience certificates
• Medical certificate
• Criminal clearance certificate

 

How to Apply for a Saudi Work Visa?

You can follow the below steps to apply for a Saudi Work visa:

Step 1: Secure a job offer in Saudi Arabia

Step 2: Receive an invitation letter issued by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

Step 3: Arrange the documents required for the visa

Step 4: Apply at the nearest Saudi consulate

Step 5: Wait for the visa status

Step 6: Fly to Saudi Arabia and obtain a residency permit (Iqama) within 90 days.

 

Saudi Work Visa Costs and Processing Time 

The cost of applying for a Saudi work visa depends on the type and duration of entry.

The table below has the complete fee breakdown for a Saudi work visa:

Entry Type	Processing Fee
Single-entry	SAR 2,000
Multiple-entry	SAR 3,000
One-year entry	SAR 5,000
Two years entry	SAR 7,000

 

The processing time for a Saudi work visa takes around 1-3 weeks.  

 

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