Permanent Work Visa in Saudi Arabia in 2026

Saudi Arabia's National Platform uses the official service name Permanent Work Visa for workers who have obtained long-term employment contracts in the Kingdom.

The word "permanent" in this service name should not be read as permanent residence: it is not the same thing as permanent residence. It is a work-visa category within the employment/recruitment system and is legally distinct from Unlimited Duration Premium Residency.

Employer-side issuance through Qiwa

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development states that employers can use Qiwa to issue permanent and temporary work visas. Current employer conditions include an active establishment, valid commercial registration where required, valid work permits across the relevant establishment group, wage-protection compliance, permitted activity, and additional service-specific recruitment conditions.

The Instant Work Visas service also publishes current Nitaqat and contract-documentation conditions. Employer eligibility can change with establishment status and labor-market rules.

Worker application steps

The National Platform's current permanent work-visa service describes an electronic process through the Visa Platform. Published steps include entering passport and profession information, uploading a valid passport and photograph, completing professional-qualification approval where applicable, medical examination, biometrics, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs approval.

The exact employment contract, profession, qualification, embassy/consular, residence-permit and post-arrival steps depend on the worker and employer context. Employer visa issuance is not the entire worker immigration lifecycle.

Compare Temporary Work Visa for short-term contracts and Premium Residency for residence products outside ordinary employer sponsorship.

See the Saudi Arabia immigration hub, methodology, and legal disclaimer.

Official and supporting sources

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