Visa by Nationality
The complete operational guide for Indian nationals moving to Saudi Arabia for work — eligibility, document attestation through MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) followed by Saudi Embassy attestation, costs, and the realistic end-to-end timeline.
How does a Indian citizen get a Saudi Arabia work visa? A Indian 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 New Delhi (with consulates in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kochi). Total timeline is typically 6–10 weeks from block-visa issuance to Iqama in hand.
India 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 Indian citizens through the standard Saudi work-visa lifecycle: block visa from MHRSD, MOFA-issued visa invitation, embassy stamping in New Delhi (with consulates in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kochi), GAMCA medical screening (where applicable), arrival in the Kingdom, and Iqama issuance within 90 days.
India is the largest single source of foreign labour in Saudi Arabia (~2.6M Indian residents). The Saudi–India General Cooperation Agreement on Domestic Workers (2014) sets minimum protections; eMigrate registration via India's Ministry of External Affairs is mandatory for ECR-category passport holders and is independent of the Saudi-side block visa.
Where Indian hires typically land in Saudi Arabia: Construction & EPC labour, IT and software engineering (especially Aramco, STC, Saudi Telecom Group projects), healthcare (doctors, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists), hospitality, retail and chartered accountants.
Realistic timing for this corridor: Most delay risk sits in HRD attestation in the issuing Indian state (Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu typically faster than Bihar/UP). Plan for 3–5 weeks of attestation, on top of 3–5 weeks of MOFA + embassy stamping.
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 | New Delhi (with consulates in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kochi) |
| Attestation authority | MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) followed by Saudi Embassy attestation |
| Estimated cost (per hire) | USD 1,200 – USD 2,500 per applicant (Iqama, medical, visa stamping inclusive) |
| End-to-end timeline | 6–10 weeks from block-visa issuance to Iqama in hand |
| 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.
Only Indian passport holders with ECR (Emigration Check Required) status — typically passports issued without higher-secondary credentials — need eMigrate POE clearance before departure. ECNR holders are exempt. Tamra checks passport status as part of pre-screening.
Generally no, provided the HRD attestation chain is intact and traceable back to the issuing university. The most common rejection driver is incomplete state-level HRD before MEA submission, not inter-state mismatch.
Typical end-to-end timeline is 6–10 weeks from block-visa issuance to Iqama in hand. The longest variable is document attestation in India, which can be compressed with Tamra-managed processing.
Total cost typically falls in the range of USD 1,200 – USD 2,500 per applicant (Iqama, medical, visa stamping inclusive). 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.