Holders who take up private-sector employment must obtain a dedicated permit through Qiwa, adding a new compliance step to one of the Kingdom’s principal talent-attraction programmes.
RIYADH — June 13, 2026: Saudi Arabia has introduced a dedicated work-permit requirement for employed Premium Residency holders, clarifying that the right to live and work in the Kingdom does not remove the need to comply with its formal labour-authorisation system.
Under new guidance attributed to Qiwa, Premium Residency holders working for Saudi establishments must obtain a work permit through the government’s digital labour platform. The reported service fee is SAR100.
The development is particularly relevant to companies employing senior executives, specialists, investors and entrepreneurs who have secured long-term status through the Kingdom’s expanding Premium Residency programme.
It does not revoke the right of eligible permit holders to work in Saudi Arabia. Instead, it separates two different legal functions: Premium Residency provides an individual with residency rights and associated privileges, while the work permit records and authorises the person’s employment within a specific establishment.
For businesses, the immediate implication is administrative rather than structural. Human-resources and compliance teams will need to ensure that Premium Residency employees are correctly registered in Qiwa and that the required work authorisation has been issued.
What has changed?
Guidance reported by Saudi newspaper Okaz and subsequently by Gulf News states that Premium Residency holders who are employed in the Kingdom must obtain a dedicated work permit through Qiwa.
The permit carries a reported fee of SAR100.
Qiwa is operated under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and serves as the Kingdom’s central digital platform for employment contracts, work permits, labour mobility and establishment-level workforce services.
The latest clarification effectively closes a potential administrative gap.
Because Premium Residency allows its holders to enter and leave the Kingdom without a conventional employment visa and, in qualifying cases, move between private-sector employers, some companies may have treated the residency document itself as sufficient evidence of work authorisation.
The new guidance indicates that this is not the case. A Premium Residency card may establish a person’s right to reside and seek employment, but an additional permit is required when that person is formally employed by a Saudi establishment.
Public reporting on the guidance has not specified a separate transition period or announced a deadline applying universally to existing holders. Employers should therefore inspect their Qiwa records, review any notifications issued through the platform and seek official clarification where an employee’s status is uncertain.
Premium Residency is not being reduced
The requirement should not be interpreted as a retreat from Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract international talent and capital.
The Premium Residency Permit Law grants holders and eligible family members the ability to work in private-sector establishments and change jobs within the sector, subject to professions reserved for Saudi nationals.
It also provides a range of privileges that distinguish the programme from conventional expatriate residency. Depending on the applicable product, these may include the ability to reside with family members, own qualifying property, conduct business, travel into and out of the Kingdom without a visa and move between employers without conventional sponsorship restrictions.
These advantages remain important to the programme’s purpose.
However, the law also states that the right to work does not override charges applicable to non-Saudis. Premium Residency holders must continue to comply with the Kingdom’s wider laws, regulations and administrative instructions.
The new permit requirement is therefore best understood as a compliance mechanism rather than a limitation on employability.
It gives the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development a clearer record of where Premium Residency holders are employed, what occupations they hold and which establishments are responsible for their employment relationships.
Residency and employment perform different functions
The distinction between a residence permit and a work permit is common across international labour systems, although the documents are sometimes closely connected.
A residency document establishes the legal basis on which a foreign national may remain in a country. A work permit confirms that the person is authorised to perform a specific type of employment under the relevant labour rules.
Saudi Premium Residency provides considerably greater personal independence than ordinary employer-sponsored residency. It does not, however, exempt its holders from all labour-market controls.
A holder working for a private company must still have a valid contract, occupy a legally permitted profession and comply with employment regulations. The employer must also meet its obligations relating to payroll, insurance, workplace protections, contract documentation and nationalisation rules.
The dedicated work permit creates a formal link between the Premium Residency employee and the establishment employing them without converting the individual’s underlying residency into an ordinary employer-sponsored status.
This distinction matters for both parties.
The employee retains the broader privileges attached to Premium Residency. The company, meanwhile, gains a recognised labour record showing that the individual is authorised to work for the establishment.
What employers should do
Companies employing Premium Residency holders should begin with an internal audit of their expatriate workforce.
Human-resources departments should identify employees holding Premium Residency and confirm whether each person appears correctly under the establishment’s unified number on Qiwa. They should then check whether a work permit has already been issued or whether the new dedicated service needs to be completed.
The Ministry’s general work-permit service is employer-facing. Establishments select the relevant expatriate worker, submit the request, obtain a payment reference and complete the fee through an approved payment channel.
Saudi labour rules generally place responsibility for work-permit fees and renewals on the employer rather than the employee. Businesses should therefore avoid automatically passing the SAR100 charge to Premium Residency staff without obtaining appropriate legal advice.
Companies should also ensure that the profession listed in the worker’s records matches the role actually being performed.
Saudi rules prohibit non-Saudi employees from working in occupations different from those stated in their permits unless the required profession-change procedure has been completed. Certain roles are also reserved exclusively for Saudi nationals.
For larger employers, the new requirement should be incorporated into onboarding checklists. A Premium Residency card should no longer be treated as the final employment-compliance document.
A practical file should include:
- A valid Premium Residency record
- A documented employment contract
- The relevant Qiwa work permit
- A correctly classified occupation
- Valid health-insurance coverage
- Any profession-specific licence required by another authority
The work permit does not replace separate professional approvals. Doctors, engineers, lawyers and other regulated professionals may still require registration or licensing from their respective Saudi authorities.
What employees should check
Premium Residency holders who are currently employed should confirm with their company that their Qiwa profile and work authorisation are complete.
They should not assume that possession of a Premium Residency card alone satisfies every employment requirement.
Employees moving to another organisation should also verify that the new employer has completed the necessary Qiwa procedures. Premium Residency provides greater mobility between private-sector entities, but employment changes must still be recorded through the appropriate systems.
The implementing regulations require permit holders to notify the Premium Residency Center of a change in employment within the prescribed period. That obligation is distinct from the employer’s labour-platform responsibilities.
Premium Residency employees should also review their contract, job title and notice provisions. Differences between the contract, Qiwa record and actual position can create complications during renewal, transfer or termination procedures.
Wider Qiwa guidance
The work-permit clarification formed part of a broader set of Qiwa guidance covering establishment subscriptions, training contracts, resignations, payments and visa administration.
According to the reported guidance, Qiwa subscription charges for establishments vary according to company size and are calculated using the total number of workers registered under the entity’s unified number.
Training contracts under the Tamheer programme may be documented electronically. However, those arrangements do not count towards Saudisation calculations or current employment-contract documentation targets.
Qiwa also clarified that an employee may withdraw a resignation request within seven days when the employer has neither accepted it nor deferred a decision during that period. Applicable notice periods continue to depend on the terms of the individual employment contract.
The platform further stated that visa information cannot be amended after issuance. Where incorrect information has been submitted, the visa must be cancelled and reissued with the correct details.
Together, these clarifications reflect Saudi Arabia’s increasing reliance on integrated digital records to administer the labour market.
Part of a broader workforce transformation
Saudi Arabia has expanded Premium Residency as part of its efforts to attract investors, entrepreneurs, executives, scientists, healthcare specialists and creative talent.
The programme now includes routes designed for exceptional professionals, gifted individuals, investors, entrepreneurs, property owners and applicants seeking fixed-term or permanent status.
Its growth is closely connected to Vision 2030.
As Saudi Arabia develops new industries and expands its private sector, it requires international expertise in fields including artificial intelligence, healthcare, financial services, advanced manufacturing, tourism, entertainment and renewable energy.
Attracting that talent is only one part of the policy challenge. The Kingdom must also ensure that employment records, professional classifications and regulatory responsibilities remain transparent.
The latest work-permit guidance illustrates how Saudi authorities are balancing flexibility with formal oversight.
Premium Residency gives qualified foreign nationals greater autonomy. Qiwa ensures that their employment remains visible within the national labour system.
A modest fee with wider compliance significance
At SAR100, the reported cost of the dedicated permit is unlikely to have a material financial impact on major employers or highly paid professionals.
Its importance lies instead in what the permit represents.
Saudi Arabia is making clear that residency privilege and labour compliance are complementary, not interchangeable. Premium Residency may remove many of the restrictions traditionally associated with expatriate life, but it does not create employment outside the Kingdom’s regulatory framework.
Companies that fail to recognise this distinction could face delays in workforce administration, profession changes, contract management or access to other government services.
For Premium Residency employees, the change should not substantially alter their ability to live and work in Saudi Arabia. It introduces an additional digital step that formally connects their employment to the establishment for which they work.
The programme remains one of the Kingdom’s most important instruments for attracting global talent and investment. The new guidance suggests that, as the number of holders grows, Saudi authorities are moving towards a more standardised and traceable system for managing their participation in the labour market.
