Visa by Nationality
The complete operational guide for Egyptian nationals moving to Saudi Arabia for work — eligibility, document attestation through Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Saudi Embassy in Cairo, costs, and the realistic end-to-end timeline.
How does a Egyptian citizen get a Saudi Arabia work visa? A Egyptian 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 Cairo (with consulate in Alexandria and Saudi-Egyptian Recruitment Office). Total timeline is typically 5–9 weeks.
Egypt 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 Egyptian citizens through the standard Saudi work-visa lifecycle: block visa from MHRSD, MOFA-issued visa invitation, embassy stamping in Cairo (with consulate in Alexandria and Saudi-Egyptian Recruitment Office), GAMCA medical screening (where applicable), arrival in the Kingdom, and Iqama issuance within 90 days.
Egypt is the largest Arab-nationality labour source for Saudi Arabia. Educational attestation runs through the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Embassy in Cairo; engineering credentials must additionally be syndicate-stamped by the Egyptian Engineers' Syndicate to be recognised for the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) registration.
Where Egyptian hires typically land in Saudi Arabia: Engineering, teaching, healthcare, professional services, mid-level management, F&B.
Realistic timing for this corridor: Cairo embassy is fast (1–2 weeks for stamping). End-to-end 5–8 weeks — among the quickest globally.
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 | Cairo (with consulate in Alexandria and Saudi-Egyptian Recruitment Office) |
| Attestation authority | Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Saudi Embassy in Cairo |
| Estimated cost (per hire) | USD 1,000 – USD 2,200 per applicant |
| End-to-end timeline | 5–9 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 — any engineer practising in Saudi Arabia must be SCE-registered. Egyptian engineers should ensure their syndicate credentials are current and apostilled before the SCE submission.
Typical end-to-end timeline is 5–9 weeks. The longest variable is document attestation in Egypt, which can be compressed with Tamra-managed processing.
Total cost typically falls in the range of USD 1,000 – USD 2,200 per applicant. 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.
Yes — GAMCA medical screening is mandatory before visa stamping for this nationality.
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.