HRSD issues guidelines for residency, work permit fee split

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) explained the calculation mechanism for splitting the fees of renewal of work and residency permits on a quarterly basis minimum.

The move, however, exempts domestic workers and those employed in similar professions.

In January 2020, Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet approved issuance of residency permits for those having work licenses and renewal of these permits at least on a quarterly basis, Argaam reported.

Expat levy for each foreign worker within the Saudi employment quota is estimated at SAR 8,400 annually and SAR 700 monthly, while fees for each foreign worker over the Saudi quota is calculated at SAR 9,600 annually and SAR 800 monthly.

In January, Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet approved issuance of residency permits for those holding work licenses and renewal of these permits on a quarterly basis. Moreover, the Cabinet approved to collect the fees of work and residency licenses, issuance residency fees and expat levy in installments, exempting domestic workers from this decision, according to Argaam.

The Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) and the HRSD Ministry, started issuing and renewing the expat residency permits on a quarterly basis. This came in cooperation with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA), represented by the National Information Center (NIC).

The new mechanism will help private sector entities achieve the optimum cash management, with higher efficiency rates, while boosting the labor market attractiveness and making the contractual relationships more resilient in line with the requirements of the global labour markets.