Saudi Arabia tightens work visa rules from January 14, impacting foreign workers with stricter requirements.

Saudi Arabia tightens work visa rules from January 14

Visaliv

14 Jan 2025

Starting January 14, 2025, Saudi Arabia has implemented stricter work visa regulations for foreign workers, particularly affecting Indian nationals. A new pre-verification process requires applicants to validate their academic and professional qualifications before applying for work visas. This move aims to enhance the quality of the workforce in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which seeks to create more job opportunities for Saudi nationals.

Indian workers, who make up the second-largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia, are particularly affected. While the new regulations promise to streamline recruitment processes, the pre-verification requirement could lead to delays, especially due to a limited number of certification centers.

Currently, verification centers are only located in select regions, leading to travel and logistical challenges for applicants from distant areas.

These changes are part of a broader reform initiative aimed at improving labor market standards, offering more flexible employment contracts, and reducing reliance on foreign workers in certain sectors.

As the kingdom moves forward with these reforms, both employers and workers will need to navigate the new requirements. While it promises to raise workforce standards, the challenge of accessing verification centers remains a concern for many.