Visa by Nationality
The complete operational guide for British nationals moving to Saudi Arabia for work — eligibility, document attestation through FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) Legalisation Office and Saudi Embassy London, costs, and the realistic end-to-end timeline.
How does a British citizen get a Saudi Arabia work visa? A British citizen obtains a Saudi work visa through a Saudi-licensed employer (or an Employer of Record) issuing a block visa via MHRSD, then completing GAMCA medical, attestation of educational and police certificates, and visa stamping at the Saudi Embassy in London (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Mayfair). Total timeline is typically 5–8 weeks.
United Kingdom is one of the most active corridors for workforce mobility into Saudi Arabia. Saudi employers (or an Employer of Record acting as the legal sponsor) hire British citizens through the standard Saudi work-visa lifecycle: block visa from MHRSD, MOFA-issued visa invitation, embassy stamping in London (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Mayfair), GAMCA medical screening (where applicable), arrival in the Kingdom, and Iqama issuance within 90 days.
UK nationals do not require pre-attestation via the UK Foreign Office in most cases — UK educational documents are apostilled via the Legalisation Office (Milton Keynes) and then stamped by the Saudi Embassy in London. No GAMCA pre-medical is required; medical fitness is verified after arrival as part of Iqama issuance.
Where British hires typically land in Saudi Arabia: Senior management, oil & gas, engineering & EPC leadership, financial services, education (international schools, universities), legal advisory.
Realistic timing for this corridor: End-to-end 4–7 weeks — among the fastest, largely because no GAMCA pre-medical is required and Legalisation Office turnaround is predictable.
Tamra Mobility manages the full lifecycle as either the legal sponsor (under our EOR licence) or as the operational partner working with your in-Kingdom entity — including attestation routing, GAMCA scheduling, embassy submission, arrival logistics and Iqama issuance.
| Visa type | Saudi Long-Term Work Visa (converted to Iqama on arrival) |
|---|---|
| Embassy / Consulate | London (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Mayfair) |
| Attestation authority | FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) Legalisation Office and Saudi Embassy London |
| Estimated cost (per hire) | USD 1,800 – USD 3,500 per applicant (Premium iqama and family inclusion increases this) |
| End-to-end timeline | 5–8 weeks |
| Iqama issuance | Within 90 days of Saudi entry |
| Family inclusion | Spouse and children eligible after main applicant Iqama issued |
The end-to-end Saudi work visa and Iqama lifecycle.
Yes — degrees must be apostilled via the UK Legalisation Office before Saudi Embassy stamping. Apostille typically takes 5–10 working days standard, 2 days premium.
Typical end-to-end timeline is 5–8 weeks. The longest variable is document attestation in United Kingdom, which can be compressed with Tamra-managed processing.
Total cost typically falls in the range of USD 1,800 – USD 3,500 per applicant (Premium iqama and family inclusion increases this). This covers MHRSD block visa fees, MOFA, embassy stamping, attestation, medical and Iqama issuance. Family inclusion adds further costs.
Yes — once the main applicant's Iqama is issued and provided their job classification meets the MOI threshold (typically white-collar professional roles), they can sponsor a spouse and children under 18.
GAMCA is not mandatory for most Western nationalities, but a Saudi-recognised medical fitness test is still required after arrival as part of Iqama issuance.
Yes. Tamra holds an Employer of Record licence in Saudi Arabia and can sponsor work visas, issue Iqamas and manage payroll for your hire while you retain full operational control of the role.
If the candidate is found unfit on contagious disease grounds (TB, HIV, hepatitis), the visa is rejected and cannot be appealed. Tamra screens candidates pre-application to avoid this.