Saudi Arabia Premium Residency: 2023 Overview

Written by a GCC immigration adviser with two decades of rubber-stamped passports under his belt.

Why This Matters in 2023

When Riyadh rolled out the Premium Residency (the so-called Saudi Green Card) four years ago, observers wondered whether the Kingdom—long protective of its labour-sponsorship model—was really ready to open the gates. Fast-forward to 2023 and the answer is a data-driven “yes, but on Saudi terms.”

The revamped scheme now dovetails with Vision 2030, luring investors, specialists and entrepreneurs who want unfettered mobility without the hand-holding (or hand-cuffing) of a traditional sponsor (kafeel). If you are weighing relocation to the Gulf, understanding this permit is essential—particularly because the window for “first-mover” advantages is still wide open.

1. Investment and Fee Structure

Saudi Arabia offers several Premium Residency tiers, each calibrated to a different risk appetite and time horizon. Think of it as a menu rather than a one-size-fits-all visa. Below is the distilled price matrix as of Q2 2023:

* The real-estate tier, unveiled in late-2022, must be residential property outside the holy cities; you can lease but not own inside Mecca and Medina.

Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions

1. Application fee: SAR 7,000 (non-refundable).
2. Medical insurance for principal and dependants: budget SAR 3,000–6,000 per head yearly.
3. Translation/legalisation: expect ~SAR 4,000 if your paperwork spans multiple jurisdictions.

Payment Timeline

• Fees are paid online via SADAD once the Premium Residency Centre approves your file.
• The one-time SAR 800k can be split into two instalments if you secure a bank guarantee.
• Full refund (minus the SAR 7k processing fee) is possible only before residency issuance.

Pull-quote: “Wire the funds from a Saudi bank account; transfers from abroad often trigger AML queries that stall applications for weeks.” —Author’s field note

2. Rights vs. the Traditional Iqama

Let’s put the two side-by-side:

In practice, Premium Residents navigate Saudi Arabia more like expatriate executives in Dubai—swapping nightly reminder texts to the sponsor for true autonomy.

3. Family Inclusion

Premium Residency is purposely family-centric, an antidote to the horror stories of children stuck abroad when a sponsor-employer pulled the plug.

Eligible dependants:
- Spouse (multiple wives not recognised for this permit).
- Sons up to 25 years (raised from 18 in 2023).
- Daughters until marriage.
- Parents on humanitarian grounds, subject to SAR 5,000 annual fee each.
- Up to two domestic workers without extra levy.

Dependants receive almost identical rights—access to government schools, public healthcare and freedom to work after a simple notification to the Labour Ministry.

Education & Healthcare Tip

International school fees in Riyadh average SAR 35k/year. Yet Premium Residents can enroll kids in select government schools for free; Arabic proficiency is the only entry test. For healthcare, insure your family within the Cooperative Council’s C-Plan to avoid the “expat surcharge” common in private hospitals.

4. Business Ownership Perks

Premium Residency folds investment and immigration into a single wrapper. Here’s why that matters to founders and high-earning professionals:

4.1 100 % Ownership, No Local Partner

Company set-up now flows through MISA’s (ex-SAGIA) one-stop online portal. Incorporation of an LLC costs roughly SAR 6,500 in government fees, and foreign capital can be as low as SAR 500k depending on sector.

4.2 Work for Your Own Startup—or Somebody Else

Unlike Dubai’s Golden Visa, Saudi allows Premium Residents to accept salaried positions while owning a company on the side. Just notify the employer and update GOSI contributions; no new work permit is required.

4.3 Tax Considerations

• Corporate income tax: 20 % on non-Saudi shareholder profits; Zakat substitutes tax on Saudi shares.
• Personal income tax: still zero—yes, really.
• VAT: 15 % applies to most supplies.

Pro tip: Structure dividends rather than salary if you plan to repatriate funds; banks apply lighter scrutiny to profit distributions.

4.4 A Real-World Anecdote

Last year I supported a Canadian petroleum engineer who invested SAR 8 million in a Jeddah logistics startup. Within eight months he:
1. Obtained Premium Residency (unlimited tier).
2. Hired 14 Saudis, hitting “Green Plus” on the Nitaqat scale and earning a visa-allocation bonus.
3. Grew revenue enough to offset the SAR 800k fee before year-end.

His verdict? “The residency cost looked steep initially, but freedom from sponsorship and profit taxes made it a rounding error.”

5. How It Compares to Other GCC Pathways

In a region where every capital is courting global talent, choice overload is the new norm. Two articles in our library give deep dives:

• UAE vs Saudi Arabia for Engineers: Pay and Lifestyle 2024
• Qatar Residency for Professionals: Free Zone vs Sponsor

Snapshot Comparison

Key takeaway: Saudi’s offer is the most “permanent” by law, though the UAE edges ahead on lifestyle amenities and brand cachet.

6. Step-by-Step Application Process

1. Pre-qualification
   • Upload passport, CV, degree, and criminal-record certificate.
   • System auto-checks if you made the terror watchlist (let’s hope not).

2. Payment of SAR 7,000 Processing Fee
   Non-refundable, but deducted from the main fee if approved.

3. Due Diligence & Interview
   Conducted by the Premium Residency Centre (PRC). Virtual interviews are the norm post-COVID.

4. Medical Tests
   Perform at a Saudi-approved clinic; cost ~SAR 700.

5. Proof of Funds
   Bank letter or audited statements covering the selected tier.

6. Final Payment & Biometrics
   Once SADAD receipt is cleared, your digital iqama appears in Absher within 24 hours. Original card is couriered.

Timeline

Average: 23 working days from submission to card delivery, assuming paperwork is immaculate. Compare that with the UAE’s 3-month Golden Visa or Portugal’s 18-month wait list—Saudi bureaucracy doesn’t mess around when budget targets are on the line.

7. Common Pitfalls—and How to Avoid Them

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Does Premium Residency lead to Saudi citizenship?
Nothing in the statute promises citizenship. However, Article 9 of the Naturalisation Law allows the King to fast-track “exceptional contributors.” The residency is a prerequisite, not a guarantee.

Can I mortgage property for the Real-Estate tier?
Yes, if the equity portion meets the SAR 4 million threshold. Banks typically offer 70 % LTV to Premium Residents.

Is the fee tax-deductible in my home country?
Depends. In Canada it is considered a personal expense; in the UK you may claim it as a capital cost if tied to business expansion. Consult a tax adviser.

What happens if I stay abroad for 12 months?
Your status lapses unless you file an online extension citing force majeure (pandemic, war, etc). Keep one foot—or at least one utility bill—in the Kingdom.

9. Final Thoughts

Saudi Arabia’s Premium Residency is not a discount visa; it is a strategic fast lane aimed at those who plan to root capital, skills or intellectual property in the Kingdom. For investors, it unlocks markets historically gated behind local partners. For professionals, it erases the career-limiting leash of sponsorship. And for families, it provides a stable platform in a region where visas can hinge on the next job offer.

If that aligns with your 5- or 20-year horizon, now is the moment to run the numbers—while fees are still fixed and the sandbox is less crowded.

Ready to see precisely how Premium Residency stacks up against all your GCC options? Create a free, data-backed relocation plan on BorderPilot and let us crunch the variables for you—before you wire a single riyal.