Work Visa in Saudi Arabia for Companies: From Qiwa Request to Iqama

Who can request work visas

An establishment can request work visas when its commercial registration is active, its files on Qiwa, Muqeem and GOSI are complete, and its Nitaqat band allows recruitment. Establishments in the red band cannot request new visas, while those in higher bands receive visas according to their entitlement, activity and headcount.

The system also checks compliance with the Wage Protection System and contract authentication, and that no violations or outstanding amounts have suspended the establishment's services. A new establishment with no registered employees yet may have a different entitlement from an established one, so we check the actual entitlement on Qiwa before starting. If the establishment needs to improve its band or fix an issue in its file, we explain what is needed before any request is submitted, so you do not pay fees on a request that will be rejected.

Types of work visa available to establishments

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the visa issuance service on Qiwa covers three main types: permanent work visas, temporary work visas, and temporary work visas for Hajj and Umrah services. The permanent work visa is the usual route for hiring an employee who will work in the establishment and hold an iqama.

Each visa specifies the occupation, nationality and recruitment country, so the occupation must match the activities on the commercial registration, and the nationality and embassy should be chosen carefully before issue because changing them later takes time.

Steps from the Qiwa request to the iqama

A work visa moves through three stages: request and issue in Saudi Arabia, stamping in the worker's country, then arrival and iqama issuance:

1. Check eligibility

   Confirm the Nitaqat band, entitlement and a clean establishment file on Qiwa, Muqeem and GOSI.

2. Request the visa on Qiwa

   Submit the visa issuance request with the occupation, nationality, number of visas and recruitment country.

3. Issue and pay

   After approval the visa fee is paid and the visa is issued within an indicative 3 to 10 days.

4. Authorisation and stamping

   Authorise the recruitment office or agent in the worker's country, then the approved medical check, biometrics and stamping at the embassy or visa centre.

5. Worker arrives

   The worker enters the Kingdom on the stamped visa, and the deadline for the work permit and iqama starts.

6. Work permit and iqama

   Authenticate the contract on Qiwa, pay the work permit and expat levy, issue medical insurance, then issue the iqama on Muqeem the same day or within 2 days.

The work permit must be issued within 90 days of the worker entering the Kingdom. Missing this deadline allows the worker to move to another employer without the current employer's consent.

Documents required

The establishment needs clean files in the government systems, and the worker needs documents for the stamping and arrival stages:

• An active commercial registration and complete establishment files on Qiwa, Muqeem and GOSI.
• The establishment's national address and an active Muqeem subscription.
• A delegation or power of attorney for whoever completes the transaction for the establishment.
• The worker's passport with sufficient validity, and photographs.
• A medical result from an approved centre in the worker's country.
• Qualifications or experience certificates for occupations that require professional verification.
• The employment contract with the agreed salary and occupation.

Work visa and iqama cost per worker

The indicative cost of the visa and iqama in the first year is 10,000 to 15,000 SAR per worker, and the largest item is the monthly expat levy of 700 or 800 SAR per worker, depending on how the number of expat workers compares with the number of Saudis in the establishment. The figures below are indicative because government fees change; the actual amounts appear on the Qiwa and SADAD invoices, and Grow More confirms them before payment.

In December 2025 the Council of Ministers cancelled the expat levy for workers in industrial establishments holding an industrial licence, and other exemptions or discounts can apply to small establishments. We check your establishment's position on Qiwa before calculating the cost.

How long each stage takes

The visa is usually issued within an indicative 3 to 10 days after approval, while the full time until the worker arrives mostly depends on procedures in their country. The medical check, biometrics and embassy stamping take different times by country, and after arrival the iqama is issued the same day or within 2 days once the work permit and medical insurance are in place.

The three most common causes of delay are an occupation that does not match the commercial registration activities, so the request is rejected or must be amended; a violation or outstanding amount that suspends the establishment's services; and a slow medical check or stamping in the worker's country. We review these points before submitting and send you an expected timeline for each stage based on the worker's country, so you can plan the start date accurately.

How Grow More handles work visas

We check the establishment's entitlement on Qiwa before submitting any request, then follow the transaction from the request to the iqama. Grow More is an independent private office, not a government body, and we complete the steps on Qiwa and Muqeem under a delegation or power of attorney that you control.

We never ask for Absher passwords or verification codes. The price is fixed and agreed on WhatsApp before starting, government fees are paid at cost with receipts, and you pay our fee when the work is done. You get an update at every step in Arabic or English, and we serve establishments in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.