At a glance
- Local name
- Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa
- Country
- Saudi Arabia
- Process steps
- 10
- Fee items
- 10
- Online portals
- 7
- FAQs
- 9
- Pitfalls covered
- 8
- Last verified
- 2026-06
What is Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa in KSA?
A Saudi work permit (Rukhsat Amal) is the document that legally authorises a non-Saudi to work for a specific employer in a specific profession. It is issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) through the Qiwa platform and is conceptually distinct from the Iqama (which is the residency card): the Iqama proves you live in Saudi Arabia, the work permit proves you can work. In practice they are usually issued and renewed together as part of one Muqeem cycle, but the underlying records sit in different systems and can fail independently.
Qiwa (qiwa.sa) is now the single most important platform in any Saudi worker's life. It holds the employment contract, the salary, the job title, the skill-tier classification, the contract duration, and the digital signatures from both employer and employee. Every Iqama renewal, every sponsor transfer, every visa block-request, every end-of-service calculation runs through Qiwa. New arrivals are sometimes told to ignore Qiwa and just sign the paper contract - that is the wrong instinct. The Qiwa contract is the legal one; the paper is a courtesy copy.
The work-permit levy (commonly called the Maktab Amal fee or expat levy) is paid by the employer at SAR 700/month or SAR 800/month depending on Nitaqat band. Nitaqat is the labour-localisation system that grades every Saudi establishment by the ratio of Saudi to non-Saudi employees - Platinum, Green (high/mid/low), Yellow, Red. If the company's non-Saudi headcount exceeds its Saudi headcount, it is 'unbalanced' and pays SAR 800/month per worker (SAR 9,600/year); 'balanced' establishments pay SAR 700/month (SAR 8,400/year). Red-band companies cannot issue new work permits at all.
December 2025 brought a major reform reported widely in industry sources: the Saudi Cabinet was said to have permanently cancelled the work-permit levy for companies holding a valid Industrial Licence, meaning SAR 0 for manufacturing-sector employers. As of June 2026 the cancellation is being applied in practice but is not yet fully visible in official MHRSD gazette text, so industrial-sector sponsors should confirm the exemption directly with MHRSD or Qiwa before relying on a zero-levy budget. Other sector employers continue to pay the SAR 700/800 schedule.
Sponsor transfers (the old kafala transfer) now run through Qiwa as a digital request-and-acceptance flow. New employer raises a transfer request on Qiwa > HR Management > Transfer Request; the employee has 10 days to accept on Qiwa or Absher; the current employer has 14 days to object on legal grounds only; silence after 14 days lets the transfer auto-proceed. Transfer fees are paid by the new employer at SAR 2,000 for the 1st transfer, SAR 4,000 for the 2nd, and SAR 6,000 for the 3rd and beyond. The biggest change since 2021 is that employee-initiated transfers without the current employer's consent are now legally protected in five specific cases.
The skill-based classification introduced in July 2025 and fully active across 2026 is the second major reform shaping work permits. Every new work permit is tagged High-Skilled (degree + 5 years experience, salary SAR 15,000+), Skilled (secondary education + 2 years, SAR 7,000-14,999), or Basic (entry-level, under 60 years, SAR 3,000-6,999). The tier shapes family-sponsorship eligibility, Premium Residency conversion paths, driving-licence conversion windows, and even Iqama renewal speed. Mis-classification at issuance is hard to fix retroactively - confirm it on the Qiwa contract before signing.
What documents do I need for Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa?
Bring originals AND coloured photocopies of every item. Files are rejected at counter for a single missing page or unattested certificate.
Documents required
- ✓Sponsoring establishment's Commercial Registration (CR) in good standing on Najiz / Ministry of Commerce
- ✓Open Nitaqat slot in the right colour band for the worker's profession
- ✓Block-visa approval from Qiwa Visa Services
- ✓Worker's attested educational certificates (degree + transcript) - required to set High-Skilled tier
- ✓Worker's attested police clearance from the country of last residence and any country lived in for 6+ months in the previous 5 years
- ✓Worker's Saher-compliant medical exam from a GCC-approved centre in the home country
- ✓Valid passport with 6+ months remaining beyond planned arrival
- ✓Saudi work visa stamped at a Saudi embassy through Enjaz
- ✓Active CCHI health insurance from issuance, registered with the worker's Iqama number
- ✓Qiwa contract signed digitally by both employer and worker (Nafath identity verification on the worker side)
Eligibility
- →Sponsoring establishment is in Platinum, Green, or Yellow Nitaqat (Red cannot issue work permits)
- →Establishment has paid its outstanding work-permit levy on SADAD up to the new worker's start date
- →Worker is 18-60 years old (the Basic tier upper age cap; technical roles can exceed)
- →Worker matches the profession on the block-visa request
- →Worker has no prior deportation, unresolved Huroob, or active re-entry ban
- →Salary on the Qiwa contract meets the skill-tier minimum (SAR 3,000 Basic, SAR 7,000 Skilled, SAR 15,000 High-Skilled)
- →Both parties hold active Absher accounts to support the Nafath-based contract signature
How much does Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa cost in KSA in 2026?
Government fees current to 2026-06. All payments via the relevant portal wallet or SADAD-equivalent rail; service-centre cash counters typically charge a small extra typing fee.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit levy (unbalanced Nitaqat) | 9,600 SAR | SAR 800/month per worker when non-Saudi headcount exceeds Saudi headcount. Paid by employer through SADAD. |
| Work permit levy (balanced Nitaqat) | 8,400 SAR | SAR 700/month per worker when non-Saudi headcount does not exceed Saudi headcount. |
| Work permit levy (industrial-licence holder) | 0 SAR | Reported Cabinet decision December 2025 - cancelled for valid industrial licence holders. Confirm with MHRSD/Qiwa before relying on it. |
| Work permit issuance / renewal | 650 SAR | Annual administrative fee on top of the levy, issued alongside the Iqama renewal. |
| Absher processing service fee | 51.75 SAR | Per transaction (issuance, renewal, transfer) from January 2025. |
| First sponsor transfer fee | 2,000 SAR | Paid by new employer through SADAD when accepting a Qiwa transfer. |
| Second sponsor transfer fee | 4,000 SAR | Paid by new employer; doubles from the first transfer. |
| Third and subsequent sponsor transfer fee | 6,000 SAR | Paid by new employer; stays at SAR 6,000 for all subsequent transfers. |
| Late work-permit renewal fine | 500-1,000 SAR | SAR 500 first offence, SAR 1,000 subsequent; tied to the Iqama late-renewal schedule. |
| Block-visa application fee (per worker) | 2,000 SAR | Charged to the employer at the time of block-visa request through Qiwa. Some sources cite SAR 2,000-7,000 depending on profession and nationality - confirm in Qiwa screen. |
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Skip the Qiwa queue. The KSA desk files this end-to-end for a fixed fee, with email updates the whole way.
Fixed desk fee · Email updates · No surprise add-ons.
How do I apply for Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa step by step?
The end-to-end flow for Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa in KSA. Total wall-clock time: First work permit: 4-12 weeks from block-visa request to active permit, with Saudi embassy stamping the longest leg. Qiwa sponsor transfer with consent: 2-4 weeks from request to finalisation. Employee-initiated transfer without consent: 4-8 weeks while the 14-day employer objection window runs and evidence is reviewed..
- 1
Establishment verifies its Nitaqat band on Qiwa
HR opens Qiwa > Establishment Profile to check the current Nitaqat colour (Platinum / Green / Yellow / Red). Red establishments cannot issue any new work permits; Yellow can issue limited categories; Green and Platinum have full rights. If the band is wrong, fix it by hiring more Saudis or restructuring before proceeding. The labour-localisation ratio is calculated live and updates monthly.
⏱ Same day📍 online - 2
Block-visa request on Qiwa
HR opens Qiwa > Visa Services > Block Visa Request, picks the target profession, nationality, skill tier (High-Skilled / Skilled / Basic), and number of workers. The system checks Nitaqat slot availability and approves or rejects within 1-5 working days. The fee at this step is around SAR 2,000-7,000 per worker depending on profession and nationality. The approved block visa is what the worker uses at the Saudi embassy abroad.
⏱ 1-5 working days📍 online - 3
Worker stamps the work visa at a Saudi embassy abroad
The worker uses Enjaz (visa.mofa.gov.sa) to book the embassy appointment, uploads attested documents (degree, police clearance, Saher medical), pays the home-country visa fee, and receives a single-entry work visa valid for 90 days from issuance. The 90-day clock is the hard ceiling for completing the entire Iqama and work-permit pipeline in-Kingdom.
⏱ 1-4 weeks depending on country📍 either - 4
Worker arrives and completes the in-Kingdom Iqama pipeline
After arrival the worker completes the in-Kingdom Saher-compliant medical at a Muqeem-approved clinic, attends Jawazat for biometrics, and gets the temporary Iqama number activated on Absher. This is the same pipeline as Iqama issuance - the work permit is the parallel record created in Qiwa at the moment Muqeem prints the Iqama.
⏱ 2-4 weeks📍 either - 5
Worker signs the Qiwa employment contract via Nafath
The worker activates the Absher and Nafath app, opens Qiwa Individuals, and reviews the employment contract uploaded by HR: job title (must match the work permit), salary, contract duration (fixed-term or open), end-of-service entitlement, and any optional clauses. The worker signs digitally using Nafath face-scan. The signature legally binds the worker to that specific employer for the contract term. Refusing to sign blocks Iqama issuance.
⏱ Same day📍 online - 6
Sponsor pays the work-permit levy and issuance fee on SADAD
HR pays the work-permit issuance fee (SAR 650) plus the first 12 months of the SAR 700 or SAR 800 monthly levy plus the SAR 51.75 Absher processing service fee. Payments go through SADAD against the establishment's CR number with the worker's Iqama number referenced. Industrial-licence holders may now be exempt from the levy - confirm at this step.
⏱ Same day📍 online - 7
Muqeem prints the Iqama and Qiwa activates the work permit
Once medical, biometrics, contract, and fees are clear, HR triggers 'Iqama Issuance' on muqeem.sa. The work permit record on Qiwa flips to active in the same transaction. The digital work permit and digital Iqama appear in Absher under My Services within minutes. The physical 5-year Muqeem card follows by Wasil over 5-10 working days.
⏱ Same day digital📍 online - 8
For sponsor transfer: new employer raises a Qiwa transfer request
The new (prospective) employer logs into Qiwa > HR Management > Transfer Request, enters the worker's Iqama number, and uploads the new employment contract (job title, salary, end-of-service terms). The worker receives a Qiwa and Absher notification and has 10 days to review and accept. Accepting binds the new contract. The current employer has 14 days to object on legal grounds only; silence after 14 days lets the transfer auto-proceed.
⏱ 10-14 days📍 online - 9
For employee-initiated transfer: confirm one of the five legal grounds
An employee can initiate a Qiwa transfer without the current employer's consent if any of these apply: salary unpaid for 3+ months; employer failed to renew the Iqama on time; employer breached the contract; the establishment is in Nitaqat Red; or the fixed-term contract has expired. The employee opens Qiwa > Sponsorship Services > Transfer Without Consent, picks the ground, and uploads evidence (pay slips, bank statements, contract). The new employer accepts and pays the transfer fee.
⏱ 10-30 days📍 online - 10
Pay the transfer fee on SADAD and finalise
Once the transfer is accepted, the new employer pays the SAR 2,000 / 4,000 / 6,000 transfer fee (depending on how many transfers the worker has done) plus the SAR 51.75 Absher service fee through SADAD. Qiwa updates the sponsor link, Muqeem updates the Iqama record, and the worker's new contract goes live. The worker can confirm the change on Absher > Services > My Services > Iqama within hours.
⏱ Same day after acceptance📍 online
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Which portal do I use for Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa in KSA?
These official portals handle Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa for KSA. Each page on Wathim has the login flow, common errors and sibling fallback when one is down.
Block-visa requests, employment contracts, Nitaqat band, skill-tier classification, sponsor transfers, employee-initiated transfer cases.
Portal guide →Sponsor-side platform where the work-permit-linked Iqama is actually printed and renewed.
Portal guide →Worker-side view of the active work permit, levy receipts, exit/re-entry permits, and traffic fines.
Portal guide →Used when a court action or labour-dispute decision is needed to resolve a transfer block or a contract enforcement.
Portal guide →SSO required for every Qiwa and Muqeem work-permit, transfer and Maktab Amal levy payment.
Portal guide →WPS payroll platform used to evidence salary payments that GOSI and Qiwa cross-check before permit renewal.
Portal guide →GOSI registration and certificate portal that must be aligned before a work permit can be renewed.
Portal guide →💡 Typing centres are useful for first-time block-visa requests by small establishments without a dedicated GRO, for translating attested degrees into the Arabic format Qiwa expects when setting High-Skilled tier, and for walking smaller sponsors through the SADAD levy payment flow. They are not a useful channel for employee-initiated transfers - that is best handled by a labour lawyer or directly through Qiwa with a Najiz follow-up if needed. Expect SAR 100-400 in service fees per transaction for typing-centre assistance.
How do I renew Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa and what are the penalties?
Work permits renew annually on Muqeem alongside the Iqama. The sponsor pays the SAR 650 issuance fee, the SAR 700 or SAR 800 monthly levy for the renewal period, and the SAR 51.75 Absher processing fee. Renewal cannot proceed if the establishment has slipped into Nitaqat Red, if the levy is in arrears, or if there is an unresolved 'Absent from Work' flag against the worker. Industrial-sector employers should confirm the December 2025 levy exemption applies before the next renewal cycle.
Fines & penalties
- ⚠Working without an active work permit: SAR 10,000+ fine on the worker, separate fine on the employer, possible deportation and re-entry ban
- ⚠Working in a profession different from the one on the work permit: separate Qiwa violation, can trigger labour-office penalties and complicate sponsor transfers
- ⚠Late work-permit renewal: SAR 500 first offence, SAR 1,000 subsequent (mirrors the Iqama late-renewal schedule)
- ⚠Employer filing a false 'Absent from Work' (formerly Huroob) report: up to SAR 20,000 fine plus labour-record black marks (per industry reports - confirm with MHRSD)
- ⚠Failure to pay the work-permit levy: establishment blocked from new permits and transfers until cleared, plus interest on arrears
- ⚠Operating in Nitaqat Red without remediation: complete freeze on work-permit issuance, renewal, and transfer; existing workers can initiate transfers without consent under the LRI 2021 grounds
- ⚠Misclassifying a worker as Basic when they qualify for Skilled or High-Skilled: can be challenged through Qiwa but is slow to fix; affects family-sponsorship eligibility in the meantime
What goes wrong with Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa applications?
These failures repeat across every Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa case Wathim sees in KSA. Catch them before submitting to save a counter rejection.
- !Signing the Qiwa contract without checking the job title - the wrong title blocks driving-licence conversion, family sponsorship, and Premium Residency conversion later
- !Treating the paper contract HR hands you as the legal one - the Qiwa digital contract is what the courts and Muqeem read, and the paper can quietly differ
- !Assuming the employer's promise that 'we'll fix the skill tier later' will work - retroactive tier changes are slow and routinely fail when the salary on Qiwa stays below the threshold
- !Letting the work-permit levy go into arrears - it blocks every Iqama renewal and family-residence application in the establishment until cleared
- !Filing a false Huroob report as an employer to pressure a worker into transfer - the SAR 20,000 fine and labour-record penalty are now real risks under LRI 2021
- !Ignoring the 14-day employer objection window when a worker raises a transfer - silence after 14 days lets the transfer auto-proceed and the old employer loses the worker without compensation
- !Misjudging the industrial-licence levy exemption - it has been reported in the press but is not yet visible on every Qiwa screen, so confirm with MHRSD before budgeting SAR 0
- !Believing that a fixed-term contract automatically renews - if it expires without action, the worker can transfer without consent under LRI 2021, even if the employer wanted to keep them
Where can I file Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa in person in KSA?
Jawazat centres handle this directly.
Frequently asked questions about Work Permit (Rukhsat Amal) via Qiwa in KSA
Under the Labour Reform Initiative 2021 an employee can transfer sponsorship through Qiwa without the current employer's consent in five specific cases: salary has been unpaid for 3 or more consecutive months; the employer has failed to renew the Iqama on time; the employer has breached the terms of the Qiwa employment contract; the establishment falls into Nitaqat Red; or the fixed-term contract has expired (under LRI 2021 the contract end is itself a ground for transfer). You file the request inside Qiwa > Sponsorship Services > Transfer Without Consent, upload evidence (pay slips, bank statements, the contract), and the new employer accepts and pays the SAR 2,000 / 4,000 / 6,000 transfer fee.
The transfer fee is SAR 2,000 for the first transfer, SAR 4,000 for the second, and SAR 6,000 for the third and every subsequent transfer of the same worker. The fee is paid by the new (incoming) employer through SADAD as part of the Qiwa transfer flow, plus the SAR 51.75 Absher processing service fee. The worker does not pay anything - any agency or 'paper transfer' fee a recruiter asks for is unofficial. The transfer count is per worker, not per establishment, so a worker who has transferred twice already costs the next new employer SAR 6,000 even if it is the first time they are hiring.
The work-permit levy (Maktab Amal fee or expat levy) is paid by the employer at SAR 700/month per worker (balanced Nitaqat) or SAR 800/month (unbalanced). Annual costs are SAR 8,400 or SAR 9,600 per worker. Saudi labour law prohibits deducting the levy from the worker's salary - it is a hard employer cost. In December 2025 the Saudi Cabinet was reported to have permanently cancelled the levy for companies holding a valid Industrial Licence, taking it to SAR 0 for manufacturing employers. The exemption is being applied in practice but is not yet fully reflected in every official MHRSD gazette text as of June 2026 - industrial sponsors should confirm directly with MHRSD or on Qiwa before budgeting a zero-levy renewal.
Nitaqat is the labour-localisation system that grades Saudi establishments by the ratio of Saudi to non-Saudi employees, in colour bands: Platinum, Green (high/mid/low), Yellow, Red. Platinum and Green can issue new work permits without restriction; Yellow can issue limited categories with restrictions; Red is completely frozen - no new permits, no renewals on some categories, and existing workers can transfer without consent under LRI 2021. The colour is calculated live and updates monthly. Before joining a small establishment, ask HR for the current Nitaqat band - signing a contract with a Red company is a known fast-track to a stalled work permit.
From July 2025 (fully active in 2026) every Saudi work permit is tagged with one of three skill tiers, set on the Qiwa contract at issuance: High-Skilled (university degree + 5 years' experience, salary SAR 15,000+); Skilled (secondary education + 2 years' experience, salary SAR 7,000-14,999); Basic (entry-level, under 60 years, salary SAR 3,000-6,999). The tier shapes family-sponsorship eligibility, driving-licence conversion windows, Premium Residency conversion paths, and salary expectations for renewals. Retroactive re-classification is slow and often blocked at the salary check, so confirm the tier on the Qiwa contract before signing - 'we will fix it later' usually does not work.
No. A standard work permit binds a worker to a single sponsoring employer in a single profession - the Qiwa contract is what the labour courts read, and working for anyone else without an active permit is a violation worth SAR 10,000+ in fines plus possible deportation. Two narrow exceptions: Premium Residency holders can work for any employer or freelance directly because they are self-sponsored; and the Saudi freelancer permit programme (through MHRSD's Freelancer portal) allows specific categories of professionals to take on contract work in addition to a primary employment, provided the primary employer authorises it on Qiwa.
When the Qiwa contract is terminated or expires, the worker has a transition window to find a new sponsor or to file a final exit. Under LRI 2021 the worker can immediately file an employee-initiated transfer through Qiwa even without the old employer's consent - the contract-end is itself a ground for transfer. The old work permit stays active for a short period (typically until the next Iqama renewal cycle) but cannot be used to work for the original employer. If no new sponsor is found, the worker files a final exit through Absher (no government visa fee; check the SADAD bill line for any Absher processing service fee before paying) and departs.
Three options. Option A: ask the employer to cancel the flag in Qiwa or Absher (quickest within the first 15-20 days). Option B: file a formal labour complaint with MHRSD through hrsd.gov.sa or Musaned, with evidence of attendance (emails, badge swipes, bank statements showing salary received). Saudi labour courts can review and cancel the flag, and employers filing false reports now face fines up to SAR 20,000 (per industry sources - the figure is not yet officially confirmed by MHRSD). Option C: use the 60-day grace window from the date the report was filed to transfer sponsorship to a new employer through Qiwa or to file a final exit visa and depart.
Article 84 gives half a month per year for the first five years and a full month per year from year six onwards, on your last wage including fixed allowances. Article 85 reduces the resignation entitlement to one-third for 2 to 5 years of service, two-thirds for more than 5 but less than 10 years, and the full award at 10 or more years. Termination by the employer pays full at every tenure. Run the exact number on our Saudi end-of-service calculator.
