Saudi Premium Residency 2026: Fees, 7 Types, Eligibility and How to Apply

Last updated: 20 October 2026

Saudi Premium Residency is a residence permit that lets a foreigner live, work and own property in Saudi Arabia without a sponsor (kafeel). There are 7 products: two paid ones open to anyone who can afford them (SAR 100,000 a year or SAR 800,000 once) and five SAR 4,000 products for skilled professionals, gifted people, investors, entrepreneurs and property owners. You apply on pr.gov.sa, the portal of the Premium Residency Center.

Locals and expats often call it the “Saudi green card” or “premium iqama”. For an expat who has lived in the Kingdom for years, the big attractions are simple: no sponsor, no exit and re-entry visas, no dependent fee for the family, and the right to change jobs. This guide covers every product with its fee and limits, what the permit does and does not give you, the 2026 work permit change and the exact application steps.

Saudi Premium Residency at a Glance

The 7 Saudi Premium Residency Products and Their Fees

The Premium Residency Center lists seven products. Pick the one that matches you, because each has its own conditions and the fee is not the same.

Every product page on the portal carries the note “All conditions are subject to change”, so check the product page on the day you apply.

Special Talent Residency (for professionals already working in Saudi Arabia)

This is the product most expats on a work iqama can realistically aim for. You need a job contract with an entity approved by the Center (the “whitelist”) and you must meet one of these tracks:

• Researchers: at least SAR 14,000 a month, a bachelor’s degree or higher, more than 3 years of experience, at least 3 published research papers and a minimum score on the Center’s points system.
• Healthcare and scientific professionals: at least SAR 35,000 a month, with the same degree, experience and points requirements (no papers needed).
• Executives: a first or second-level executive role with at least SAR 80,000 a month.

You also need a reference letter from your employer and you must have finished your probation period. The permit lasts 5 years and is renewable. If you change jobs, you get a 2-month grace period to find a new one, up to 6 months in total over the 5 years. After more than 10 years in the Kingdom, including at least 5 on any Premium Residency product, you can move to a permanent permit. Not sure your salary qualifies? Compare it with the figures in our Saudi salary guide.

Gifted Residency

For people with exceptional talent in sports, culture or the arts. Category 1 covers people who were nominated for or won a specified award; category 2 covers people who meet the minimum criteria of the relevant ministry. The Center asks the Ministry of Culture or the Ministry of Sports for a recommendation, so you send a portfolio or CV. Applicants under 18 can apply through a guardian. It lasts 5 years and can be renewed once.

Investor Residency

For foreign investors with a Ministry of Investment (MISA) licence. Your share must be at least SAR 7 million with proof that the capital was injected, the company needs a valid commercial registration, and it must employ at least 10 people under your share, proven by a GOSI certificate. The permit is permanent straight away, but you must keep the SAR 7 million and the 10 jobs for the first 2 years. If you are still planning the company, start with our business setup in Saudi Arabia guide.

Entrepreneur Residency

For start-up founders with a MISA entrepreneur licence. Category 1 needs at least SAR 400,000 raised from an investor accredited by the Center and a stake of at least 20%; it lasts 5 years and can be renewed for another 5 if you spent 30 months in the Kingdom. Category 2 needs at least SAR 15 million raised, a stake of at least 10%, and 10 new jobs in year one plus 10 more in year two; it is permanent, with conditions in the first 2 years. The company is also exempt from Nitaqat for its first 3 years.

Real Estate Owner Residency

For owners of a residential property in Saudi Arabia worth at least SAR 4 million. It must be a built property, not land, never mortgaged, and valued by a valuer accredited by Taqeem. The permit lasts as long as you keep the property; if you sell, you have 90 days to buy a replacement. You must spend at least 10 days in the Kingdom in the first year and 5 days a year after that.

The official product page now also lists an off-plan option: one residential unit worth at least SAR 4 million from a developer approved by REGA, with at least SAR 1 million or 10% of the price paid (whichever is higher), no mortgage financing, and ownership transferred within 5 years of purchase. Some older articles still say off-plan property does not qualify; the official product page is the one to follow.

Limited Duration and Unlimited Duration

These are the original products from 2019 and the only ones that do not need a job, a talent or an investment, just money. Limited Duration costs SAR 100,000 for each year; it is issued for one year and can be renewed, and the product page lets you choose up to 5 years at a time. Unlimited Duration costs SAR 800,000, paid once, and is permanent. Both require you to be 21 or older and to show financial solvency, usually with a recent bank statement. Paying in dollars? Our SAR to USD converter shows that SAR 800,000 is about USD 213,000 at the fixed rate of 3.75.

Saudi Premium Residency Requirements for All Products

Whatever product you choose, the Premium Residency Center’s general conditions apply to you and, where stated, to your family:

• A passport valid for at least 180 days from the application date, for you and each family member.
• Proof of financial solvency, such as a recent bank statement.
• No criminal record, for you and your family.
• A medical report showing no communicable diseases, not older than 6 months, from a licensed centre in Saudi Arabia or a centre abroad certified by a Saudi mission.
• If you apply from inside Saudi Arabia: a valid iqama with at least 90 days left.
• After approval: Saudi medical insurance for you and your family, kept valid for as long as you hold the permit.

About age: the portal’s FAQ still lists 21 as a general condition, but the detailed product conditions apply it only to Limited and Unlimited Duration, and the Gifted product accepts applicants under 18 through a guardian. If you are under 21, check the conditions page of your product.

Benefits of Saudi Premium Residency

• No sponsor: your residency is not tied to an employer or a kafeel.
• Family: you can bring your spouse, children under 25 and parents who do not work in Saudi Arabia. There is no limit on the number of family members and they do not pay the product fee.
• No dependent fee: you and your family are exempt from the monthly fee charged on expat dependents, which is SAR 400 per person on a normal iqama (see our iqama fees guide).
• Travel: you and your family can leave and enter the Kingdom without an exit and re-entry visa, and you can use the citizens’ lanes at airports.
• Work: you can work in the private sector and change jobs without employer transfer fees. Jobs reserved for Saudis are excluded.
• Property: you can own residential, commercial and industrial property, except in Makkah, Madinah and border areas. In Makkah and Madinah you can hold usufruct rights for up to 99 years.
• Domestic workers and vehicles: you can hire domestic workers and own cars on the same terms as Saudi nationals.
• Visits: you can bring parents, grandparents, children, siblings and their children on visit visas.
• Business: you can do business under the Investment Law and invest in the stock market under CMA rules.

What Premium Residency does not give you

It does not give Saudi citizenship or a Saudi passport, free public schooling or university, GCC free-movement rights or a special tax treatment. Marrying a Saudi citizen does not grant it automatically either. Compare that with the cost of keeping your family on a normal residency through the permanent family visa before you decide it is worth it.

New in 2026: The Qiwa Work Permit for Premium Residency Holders

In June 2026, Okaz and Saudi Gazette reported that Qiwa, the labour platform of the Ministry of Human Resources, now asks Premium Residency holders who work in the private sector to get a dedicated “work permit for premium residency holders”, with a fee of SAR 100. Advisers such as KPMG said the transition rules for existing holders were still awaited. To compare this with the rules for workers, dependents and students, see part time jobs in Saudi Arabia.

The Premium Residency Center’s own FAQ still says holders can work and change jobs freely, and it does not mention the permit yet. If you hold Premium Residency and start or change a job, ask your employer to check the permit on Qiwa first.

How to Apply for Saudi Premium Residency Step by Step

1. Choose your product on the products page of pr.gov.sa. The portal also has a short tool that suggests the product that fits you.
2. Create an account on pr.gov.sa and fill in the application for that product.
3. Upload your documents in Arabic or English: passports, bank statement, medical report and the product documents (job contract and salary proof, investment licence, property deed and valuation, or portfolio).
4. Pay the USD 170 processing fee online. A lawyer or representative can file for you with proof of representation.
5. Review: an account manager checks your file and asks for any missing papers, the employer reference letter or the ministry recommendation. Answer within 60 days or the application can be rejected.
6. Approval: you are notified in your portal account. Within 30 days you must pay the product fee and buy Saudi medical insurance for yourself and your family, or the approval is cancelled.
7. Cards issued: the residency is granted within 15 working days of payment and cards are issued for you and your family.

If you sign in with a Saudi account, keep your Nafath app and your Absher-registered mobile number working, because government services send codes there.

Applying from inside Saudi Arabia on a work iqama

Many expats in Saudi Arabia apply while still working on a normal iqama. That is allowed, but two rules matter. Your iqama must be valid for at least 90 days when you apply, so renew it first if it is close to expiry (see iqama renewal fees). And before the Premium Residency is issued, you must settle everything tied to your current residency: employer clearance and your contract obligations under the sponsorship system. Talk to your HR department early, because your employer has to release you.

Family Rules: Spouse, Children Turning 25 and Parents

• Children: covered until 25, when their cards are cancelled. Children with special needs and unmarried daughters over 25 can stay linked to your record.
• Parents: covered only if they do not work in Saudi Arabia.
• Divorce: the spouse’s Premium Residency ends but the children’s stays. The former spouse gets a 60-day grace period, which can be extended to 180 days.
• If the holder dies: the family keeps the rights one time only, and never beyond the original validity of the permit. You can tell the Center in advance which family member the rights should pass to.
• If a family member breaks the law: only that person’s residency can be cancelled; yours stays.

Renewal, Cancellation and Switching Products

Limited Duration is renewed on the portal before it expires, for as long as you still meet the conditions; there is no refund if you end it part-way through a year. The five newer products are renewed or made permanent under their own rules, explained above.

A Premium Residency can be cancelled for a court sentence of 60 days or more in prison or a fine of SAR 100,000 or more, a deportation order, false information in the application, losing the product’s condition (your job, salary, property or investment) or failing to keep medical insurance. After cancellation you can stay for 60 days, extendable to 180. False information can also bar you from applying again for up to 5 years.

You cannot hold two products at once, but you can switch, for example from Special Talent to Real Estate Owner, by making a new application.

Is Saudi Premium Residency Worth It?

For a family of five on a normal iqama, the dependent fee alone is SAR 1,600 a month, or SAR 19,200 a year. Add exit and re-entry visas, job transfer fees and the freedom to own a home, and a SAR 4,000 product such as Special Talent or Real Estate Owner pays for itself very quickly if you qualify. The SAR 100,000 Limited Duration product makes sense mainly for wealthy families who do not fit any of the newer products. Use our cost of living calculator to see what your family spends today before you compare.

Before you open a bank account or move savings for the application, see our pick of the best banks in Saudi Arabia for expats, and if you are still on a normal residency, our complete iqama guide explains the rules that apply to you until the Premium Residency is issued.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Premium Residency Center, products, FAQ, product conditions and service level pages, read 20 October 2026; Okaz and Saudi Gazette, June 2026 (Qiwa work permit).