Working in Saudi Arabia: the steps, start to finish

A plain explanation of the route into a Saudi job, from a genuine offer through to residency, and what is required at each stage.

People often imagine that going to work in the Gulf starts with buying a ticket. The ticket is close to the last step. Everything before it is a sequence that cannot be skipped, and anyone offering to shorten it for a fee is lying to you.

First: an offer from a real employer

Start nothing until you hold an offer from a company with a commercial registration. An offer is not a WhatsApp message. It is a document naming the employer, the role, the pay and the contract length. If the person contacting you will not put the company name in writing, you are not dealing with an employer.

Second: the visa is raised by the employer, not by you

A work visa is applied for from inside the country by the employer, once a visa has been allocated to them. You cannot buy one or apply for one yourself. Anyone selling you a "work visa" is selling something irregular, and usually nothing at all.

Third: the medical

Gulf states require a pre-travel medical carried out at approved centres only; a report from any other clinic is not accepted. It covers communicable diseases and general fitness, and the result is either fit or unfit. Never pay an agent to "guarantee" a result. Results are not for sale.

Fourth: attesting your documents

If your job needs a certificate, the certificate alone is not enough. It has to be attested by the authorities at home and then by the embassy. Many trades need no academic certificate at all, but you may be asked to sit a skills test to prove you can actually do the work.

Fifth: contract, then the visa in your passport

Once the visa is issued the contract is signed and the passport stamped. Read the contract first and never sign a page you cannot read. Check the pay as a number, whether housing and transport are on the employer or on you, and how long the contract runs.

Sixth: arrival and residency

After you arrive, the employer is required to issue your residence permit within the legal period. That permit is your proof of lawful status. Nobody may hold your passport or permit against your will. A delay in issuing it is not a small matter and should be raised.

Always check the official source

Rules and fees change. Before paying anything or signing anything, check your own labour ministry, the relevant Saudi authority, or ask at the embassy. Do not rely on an agent in a WhatsApp group.

Rules and fees change and differ by country and employer. Always check with the official authorities before paying or signing anything.