The Visa Requirements for the Employee to Work in Saudi Arabia
As a Human Resource (HR) Director of a US-based company preparing to relocate a US employee to Saudi Arabia to pursue a large project as part of an international joint venture with three other firms, it is critical to know the requirements for the employee to be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia. It is also beneficial to know the protections or requirements incumbent with the Visa, for instance, concerning holidays, vacation, minimum wages and taxes and how long the visa process takes, as well as how that affects the employee’s ability to do business in Saudi Arabia in the short term.
The Visa Requirements for the Employee to Work in Saudi Arabia
Foreign employees must have proper work permits and visas to work in Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in the immigration laws. Valid original signed contract of employment in Arabic is needed. A valid original passport is also required for the duration of the contract of employment with at least two complete blanks pages. A medical certificate indicating one does not have contagious diseases and which is issued by a Saudi Embassy approved clinic with a period of three months is also needed. The employee must also complete an application form in black ink and block letters. The employee also needs a no-objection certificate from his or her previous employer and copies of academic qualifications. Several passport photos that are colored are also required, and which the employee is not wearing religious attires or symbols. The Saudi Embassy also needs an original letter of support from his or her sponsoring employer and which is certified by Saudi’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and Chamber of Commerce. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry should also issue the employee with an invitation letter indicating the employment visa number and the employee’s name. Lastly, it is required that the employee must have a police clearance not older than six months.
The Protections Incumbent with the Visa
For foreign workers, the government of Saudi Arabia recognizes contracts that are written in the Arabic language. These contracts must need to indicate the employment terms and should be in duplicate, for the worker and the sponsor. For foreign workers, wages vary based on their position. Working in the country can be advantageous for UK and US professionals because their pay will be mostly tax-free, and they will enjoy several benefits, including paid holidays, educational support, housing, and healthcare allowances. Working in Saudi Arabia as a professional requires one to pay 2% of their aggregate wages into the standardized or expense savings plan. The employee will then be expense absolved when earning less than 97,600 USD due to the exclusion of Foreign Earned Income. As a result, most of the income the employee will earn will go to the reserve funds.
The Period of Processing the Visa and how it Impacts the Employee’s/Company’s Ability to do Business in the Short-Term
The period of processing Visa for a foreign employee to work in Saudi Arabia is between 15 to 30 days, depending on how quickly the employee submits all the requirements for a visa application. 15 to 30 days is a short period given that it lasts for 90 days before expiring, and the employee has sufficient time to do their business in the country.