It can take two to three months to obtain a residence visa for Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom must issue authorisation to the applicant’s sponsor in the country.
Once you have been offered a job in Saudi Arabia, details of the contract, your professional qualifications and medical examination certificate need to be passed to the Saudi embassy. A visa number is then issued and the Saudi embassy can provide you with a stamped residency visa, which is converted to a residency permit when you arrive in the country.
Foreign workers are required to carry this permit at all times as it will have a photograph on it and is a form of ID.
A foreigner’s passport must have at least six months left to run on it and it is recommended to keep several photocopies, as passports must be left with the employer. The authorities in Saudi Arabia make regular checks with employers to ensure that workers are not being employed illegally.
Birth certificates should also be provided for all members of the family who will be living in the country and medical certificates are required. Medical examination is required in your own country prior to application and another is required when you arrive in the Kingdom. All workers must prove they are in good health and not afflicted with any sexually transmitted or other diseases.
Those who have a stamp in their passport from Israel will not be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia.