If you are intending to come to Saudi Arabia, you must be wondering how to process Saudi Work Visa. What are the requirements and the processing time of work visa in Saudi Arabia and how long does it take to get it in Pakistan, India, the Philippines, USA, United Kingdom or any other countries?

How to process Saudi Work Visa?

1. Look for a Job in Saudi Arabia

The first thing you need to do is to look for a job in Saudi Arabia, an employer is ready to process a Saudi Work Visa for you as many employers prefer those candidates who have a transferable Iqama. Some people buy an Azad or free visa in their home country to come to Saudi Arabia which is illegal and may lead to risky repercussions.

2. How long does it take to get a Saudi work visa?

After finding a job, the employer will have to apply for a work visa to the Ministry of Labor. Now you must be thinking about how long it takes to get a Saudi work visa in Saudi Arabia. If he has already fulfilled a long list of requirements, Saudi work visa processing time from the Ministry of Labor is around 2 months.

People call it a work visa, actually, it is just an authorization from the Ministry of Labor to the Saudi Embassy to process the Saudi Work Visa.

3. Agent in your home country

In the next step, your employer will endorse the Saudi visa received from the Ministry of Labor to an agent in your home country. Keep in mind that Saudi Work Visa processing is a hectic job which requires the services of an agent. The contact of the agent will be given to you by your employer.

How long does it take to process Saudi Arabia Work Visa or what is its processing time? It entirely depends upon how quick you are in providing the requirements to your agent.

4. Saudi Arabia Work Visa Requirements

Following are the requirements for Saudi Arabia work visa processing;

• Passport with a validity of at least 6 months with two blank pages. Make sure that there are no current visa stamps of Israel on your passport, if present, Saudi visa will not be processed
• Medical Test for Saudi Visa
• Attested Degree from Saudi Embassy and Saudi Culture Office. This Saudi Arabia work visa requirement is only for professionals.
• Employment Contract – This Saudi Arabia work visa requirement will be arranged by the agent.
• The Police Clearance Certificate – This Saudi Arabia work visa requirement will be arranged by the agent.
• Stamp from Protectorate of Emigrants – This Saudi Arabia work visa requirement will be arranged by the agent.
• One (1) recent passport size color photograph with a white background.
• The original letter from the company in Saudi Arabia sponsoring the applicant, certified both by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Saudi Arabia work visa requirement will be arranged by the agent.
• A complete application form filled out in CAPITAL LETTERS in black ink or printed in black UPPER CASE. This Saudi Arabia work visa requirement will be arranged by the agent.

5. Saudi work visa processing time

As we have mentioned earlier, there are many factors which affect the Saudi Work Visa processing time in Pakistan, India, the Philippines or any other country. The most important factor is how quickly you submit all the requirements for Saudi Arabia work visa to your agent.

I can say confidently that the average Saudi work visa processing time in countries like Pakistan, India and the Philippines is from 15 to 30 days. However, if your agent is unable to get back to you with the stamped visa of Saudi Arabia within the above-mentioned processing time, please be calm as things do not go very smoothly in Saudi Embassies.

6. The Validity of Saudi Work Visa

Before starting the process of Saudi Work Visa, you should know the validity of the visa stamped so that you can plan things accordingly. The validity of the Saudi Work Visa stamped on your passport is 90 days which means that you have to travel within 90 days.

Once you land to Saudi Arabia, the work visa stamped on your passport will remain valid for a further period of 90 days from the day you landed to the country. Your employer will have to process your Iqama within this period.

7. Who will pay the cost of the work visa?

The Employer is not allowed to ask the worker to bear expenses related to recruitment, fees on issue & renewal of residence permit (Iqama) & work license, fees resulting from renewal delay, fees of sponsorship transfer for work, job title change fees and exit re-entry visas fees. – Article 40 (1) of the Saudi Labor Law

8. Can women apply for Saudi Work Visa?

Female expatriates who are wishing to find employment in Saudi Arabia. If they are above the age of 27 years, can arrive to work alone in Saudi Arabia, but they will need to be met by their sponsor or the agent of their sponsor at the airport.

The full-length accommodation for the intended period of stay must be confirmed beforehand, which in practice is almost always done for the female employees.

9. The minimum and maximum age for Saudi Work Visa processing

The maximum age to process a work visa for Saudi Arabia is 55 yearsand the minimum age is 18 years. If an employer wants to process a Saudi work visa for anyone who is above 55 years, he will have to seek special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.