Saudi Arabia introduces new service for foreign workers

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia has launched a new electronic service that allows individuals to request the transfer of foreign workers from private-sector establishments to individuals, subject to a set of regulations and conditions.

The initiative is intended to regulate the transfer of workers from private sector establishments to individuals for employment in domestic professions.

Among the requirements, the foreign worker must hold a valid work permit and must not be employed in a high-level profession, including educational, technical, healthcare or specialist occupations.

Workers employed in professions that have been fully Saudised are also excluded. The position requested under the transfer must be classified as a domestic profession.

According to the ministry, Applicants are required to submit an electronically certified waiver from the worker’s current employer, authenticated by the chamber of commerce. They must also provide proof of financial capability, either through a salary certificate or a bank statement.

In addition, applicants must upload a copy of the worker’s residency permit bearing the expatriate’s fingerprint and signature.

The application must also include details of the intended domestic profession, as well as the new employer’s name and national identification number.

The ministry also stated that supporting documents must be uploaded electronically in PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, DOCX, or XLSX formats, with each file not exceeding 3 MB.

The launch of this service coincides with the mandatory implementation of the Wage Protection Program for domestic workers, which ensures that wages are paid through approved channels, safeguards the rights of both parties in the contractual relationship, and promotes greater transparency and compliance across the labor market.

The ministry also confirmed that an annual fee of SR9,600 will apply for each additional domestic worker beyond the permitted limit of four for Saudi citizens and two for residents. Exemptions will be available in humanitarian cases, including for people with disabilities and those with chronic or serious illnesses.