HomeEmployed professionalSaudi Arabia
Routes to Saudi Arabia: employed professional
Employer-led through Qiwa; engineers also need Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation.
Professionals enter through a Saudi employer on Qiwa. Engineering professions legally require accreditation by the Saudi Council of Engineers, which needs a four-year engineering degree, attested and equivalency-checked certificates, and an experience and exam path. Bad news: the Council's own two pages disagree on experience years (see requirements), the verification step can take up to three months per its e-service page, and visa fee, processing time and other professions (health: SCFHS) are NOT VERIFIED. Premium Residency pages could not be read.
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0 paths are named in Saudi Arabia's official demand list, ranked below.
What Saudi Arabia wants, in its own order
This order is the official shortage analysis, not our opinion. The source is linked under the list.
The routes
Each route below is a separate permit with its own listed requirements. A requirement you do not meet can stop an application for that route, however strong the rest of the case is. A requirement we cannot confirm is shown as unknown, not as a failure.
Employer-sponsored work visa and work licence (via Qiwa) (Qiwa)
Preview — under verificationAn employer in Saudi Arabia requests visas and work licences online through Qiwa; one MHRSD page says visa issuance is offered to establishments with high nationalisation rates. Worker eligibility rules, visa fee and processing times for each passport have not been verified yet.
Who this is for
- People with a Saudi employer willing to sponsor them
You must have every one of these
- A Saudi establishment must act through Qiwa (employer-side service, no direct worker application was found).
- A work licence is a prerequisite for issuing or renewing an expatriate's residence permit.
- Visa issuance service is offered to establishments with high nationalisation rates that follow labour rules.
- Engineering practice requires accreditation by the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE).
- SCE Guide: four-year engineering bachelor degree from a recognised institution; foreign certificates need Ministry of Education equivalency or authenticity check and attestation.
- SCE Guide: Associate grade has no stated years; Professional needs 5 years plus the PE/PA exam; Consultant 5 years at Professional level or 10 years of practice.
- SCE e-service page states different experience: Associate 4, Professional 8, Consultant 16 years, and says applicants under five years are generally not accepted. The two pages conflict; confirm with SCE.
Source: MHRSD: Visa issuance service (Qiwa) (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · MHRSD: Issue and renew work licence (Qiwa service page) (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · MHRSD: Transfer of services from another employer (freedom of movement) (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
What it costs
Costs are shown in SAR as the cited source states them, with the unit the source gives. We do not convert currencies. A line with no stated unit or date is marked as such and is not an exact official charge.
The page describes an establishment-side request paid via Sadad; who finally bears the fee, and the unit it is charged per, are NOT VERIFIED.
Source: MHRSD: Issue and renew work licence (Qiwa service page) (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
SAR 100Sometimes the employer paysFrom the e-service page; the Guide itself states no fee amounts.
Source: Saudi Council of Engineers: Accreditation e-service page (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
SAR 500You paySource: Saudi Council of Engineers: Accreditation e-service page (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
SAR 1,250You payHow long it takes
Timeline not published by the authority
No end-to-end timeline is published on the official pages checked. SCE says credential verification can take up to three months.
Published figures for this route
Published figures on how often this route is used, with their sources.
Documents, insurance, housing and money
These needs are the same whichever track you choose, so they are published once for Saudi Arabia, with sources and check dates.
Quick answers
Which routes to Saudi Arabia exist on the employed professional track?
Employer-led through Qiwa; engineers also need Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation.
How long does it take?
Timeline not published by the authority. No end-to-end timeline is published on the official pages checked. SCE says credential verification can take up to three months.
How much does it cost?
The published costs on this page are in different currencies, so there is no single total. Items that are not in that total, such as proof of funds or later permit fees, are labelled on this page where our sources state them.