Visa & Immigration

Saudi Arabia Visa for Premium Residency (Saudi Green Card)

Saudi Arabia's Premium Residency programme (often called the 'Saudi Green Card') gives qualifying foreigners long-term residency without a sponsor — including the right to own property, run businesses, and sponsor dependents. The 2024 reforms added several new categories (Real Estate Owner, Entrepreneur, Talent, Special Talent, Gifted) alongside the original Limited and Unlimited tracks.

What is required for a Saudi Arabia visa for investors seeking Premium Residency? Premium Residency is sponsor-free: the holder does not require a Saudi employer or Iqama-sponsor. Tax residency, real estate ownership, business setup and family sponsorship rights all open up without the Nitaqat/MOL framework. Tamra manages the full credentialing, attestation, visa and Iqama process — including the regulator-specific steps that block most non-specialist providers.

Bringing investors seeking Premium Residency into Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Premium Residency programme (often called the 'Saudi Green Card') gives qualifying foreigners long-term residency without a sponsor — including the right to own property, run businesses, and sponsor dependents. The 2024 reforms added several new categories (Real Estate Owner, Entrepreneur, Talent, Special Talent, Gifted) alongside the original Limited and Unlimited tracks.

Premium Residency is sponsor-free: the holder does not require a Saudi employer or Iqama-sponsor. Tax residency, real estate ownership, business setup and family sponsorship rights all open up without the Nitaqat/MOL framework.

Tamra advises founders, senior executives and family offices on the right Premium Residency category and runs the application end-to-end alongside any company-setup or family-sponsorship workflow. Tamra handles credential verification, regulator registration, attestation, visa issuance, GAMCA medical, Iqama and family sponsorship — one accountable partner end-to-end.

Key facts

AudiencePremium Residency (Saudi Green Card)
Total cost rangeGovernment fee SAR 100,000 (renewable) for the Limited track; SAR 800,000 (one-time) for the Unlimited track. New-category fees vary — Real Estate Owner from SAR 4M property qualifies; Talent and Gifted carry significantly lower fees.
Total timeline8–16 weeks once the category-fit and documentation are confirmed
Top source countriesUnited States, United Kingdom, India, Egypt, China, Germany, Lebanon, Jordan
Sponsoring authorityMHRSD + role-specific regulator

The end-to-end process

8–16 weeks once the category-fit and documentation are confirmed

  1. Pre-screening & credential check. Tamra reviews the candidate's credentials against current MOL/regulator rules and flags any gaps before fees are spent.
  2. Block visa & MOL approval. Employer (or Tamra as EOR) requests the block visa via Qiwa and obtains MHRSD work permit approval.
  3. Regulator registration. Where required (SCE, SCFHS, Dataflow, Prometric), Tamra runs the regulator track in parallel with the visa.
  4. Attestation chain. Degree, experience certificates and PCC are attested in the candidate's country of origin via the Saudi Cultural Mission and MOFA.
  5. Visa stamping. Application submitted via Enjazit; the Saudi Embassy in the candidate's country stamps the work visa into the passport.
  6. GAMCA medical & travel. Candidate completes GAMCA medical (where required) and travels to Saudi Arabia. Employer must complete fingerprinting within 90 days.
  7. Iqama issuance. MOI issues the Iqama (residency permit). Family sponsorship can begin immediately after issuance.

Mandatory certifications & registrations

  • Qualifying capital investment, real-estate holding, scientific/cultural distinction, or entrepreneurial track record (varies by category)
  • Clean police record from country of origin and Saudi Arabia
  • Medical fitness certificate (GAMCA or in-Kingdom)
  • Proof of financial standing matching the category threshold
  • Saudi Cultural Mission attestation of supporting credentials

Documents we will need from you

  • Signed offer letter with role title and salary aligned to MOL classification
  • Candidate's passport (minimum 6 months validity, 2 blank pages)
  • Attested educational certificates (Saudi Cultural Mission attestation in country of origin)
  • Police clearance certificate from country of origin (not older than 6 months)
  • Recent passport-sized photographs (white background, 4×6 cm)
  • Marriage and children's birth certificates (if family is included)

Common rejection reasons

  • Category fit incorrectly chosen at filing (a wrong-category submission cannot be re-routed; it must restart)
  • Source-of-funds evidence insufficient
  • Existing Iqama still active under a sponsor (must be ended before Premium Residency activates)
  • Real-estate qualifying property registered under a structure that does not meet ownership rules

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Saudi visa take for investors seeking Premium Residency?

Typical end-to-end timeline is 8–16 weeks once the category-fit and documentation are confirmed. Regulator registration (where required) is usually the longest single step.

How much does a Saudi visa cost for investors seeking Premium Residency?

Total cost typically falls in the range of Government fee SAR 100,000 (renewable) for the Limited track; SAR 800,000 (one-time) for the Unlimited track. New-category fees vary — Real Estate Owner from SAR 4M property qualifies; Talent and Gifted carry significantly lower fees.. Employer absorbs fees by Saudi recruitment law; Tamra invoices the employer one consolidated number.

Can Tamra act as the legal sponsor instead of our company?

Yes. Tamra holds an Employer of Record licence in Saudi Arabia and can sponsor work visas, issue Iqamas and run payroll for your hire while you retain full operational control of the role.

Can the candidate bring family on the same visa?

Family is sponsored separately, after the main applicant's Iqama is issued. Tamra manages family residency permits and dependent Iqamas as part of the standard package.

What happens if the regulator rejects the candidate?

Pre-screening exists precisely to avoid this. If a regulator (SCE, SCFHS) rejects after submission, the file restarts. Tamra's pre-screening costs ~3% of the total fee and prevents 95%+ of these rejections.

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