Saudi Arabia · Business / Startup
Saudi Arabia Premium · Entrepreneur 1
Investment needed: SAR 400k+ ≈ $107k
Premium Residency - Entrepreneur Category 1
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Premium · Entrepreneur 1 is a business / startup route for Saudi Arabia. Applicants need an investment of SAR 400k+ ≈ $107k. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- SAR 400k+ ≈ $107k
- Government fees
- $170 · SAR 4,000 ≈ $1,070
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; investment SAR 400k+ ≈ $107k. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees$170 · SAR 4,000 ≈ $1,070
- $170Application processing fee at the application stage.
- SAR 4,000 (≈ $1,070)Fee payable within 30 days of approval.
Invested and heldSAR 400k+ ≈ $107k
- SAR 400,000 (≈ $107,000)Funding raised from investments or rounds from investment entities approved by the Center.
RenewalRenewable
The five-year residency is renewable.
Permanent residenceTime here counts
Permanent residency is possible once the permanent-residency conditions are met.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- The founder holds an ownership share of at least 20% in the start-up.
What you must show1
- Funding of at least SAR 400,000 (≈ $107,000) is raised from investments or rounds from investment entities approved by the Center.
Documents6
- A valid entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment is submitted.
- A reference letter from the investing entity is submitted.
- A passport valid for at least 180 days is submitted.
- Proof of financial solvency (bank statement) is submitted.
- Proof of no criminal record for the applicant and family is submitted.
- A medical report on communicable diseases not older than 6 months is submitted.
Steps1
- Applicants applying from inside the Kingdom need a legal residence permit valid for at least 90 days.
After you arrive2
- Renewal requires meeting the Category 1 criteria.
- Renewal also requires residing in the Kingdom at least 30 months during the residency.
When you become tax resident
How Saudi Arabia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 30 days in a zakat yearNatural person with a permanent residence in the Kingdom, physically present for at least 30 days, consecutive or aggregated.
- At least 183 days in a zakat yearNatural person without a permanent residence in the Kingdom, physically present for at least 183 days, consecutive or aggregated.
- Foreign-source income
Source/zakat scope
All tax rules for Saudi Arabia Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Bank account / funds
Proof of financial solvency (bank statement) is submitted
- Police certificate and civil documents
Proof of no criminal record for the applicant and family is submitted
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Five-year renewable Premium Residency for founders of start-ups with a Ministry of Investment entrepreneur licence, at least SAR 400,000 (≈ $107,000) raised from investment or funding rounds including a Center-approved entity, and at least 20% ownership. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- An investment of at least SAR 400,000 (≈ $107,000) · Funding raised from investments or rounds from investment entities approved by the Center. 1
- A fee of $170 · Application processing fee at the application stage. 1
- A fee of SAR 4,000 (≈ $1,070) · Fee payable within 30 days of approval. 1
Requirements
- The founder holds an ownership share of at least 20% in the start-up. 1
- Funding of at least SAR 400,000 (≈ $107,000) is raised from investments or rounds from investment entities approved by the Center. 1
- A valid entrepreneur licence from the Ministry of Investment is submitted. 1
- A reference letter from the investing entity is submitted. 1
- A passport valid for at least 180 days is submitted. 1
- Proof of financial solvency (bank statement) is submitted. 1
- Proof of no criminal record for the applicant and family is submitted. 1
- A medical report on communicable diseases not older than 6 months is submitted. 1
- Applicants applying from inside the Kingdom need a legal residence permit valid for at least 90 days. 1
- Renewal requires meeting the Category 1 criteria. 1
- Renewal also requires residing in the Kingdom at least 30 months during the residency. 1
Stay
- Five years, renewable; permanent residency possible on meeting the permanent-residency conditions.
- Visa validity: 60 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Holders may live in the Kingdom with family, own real estate (outside Mecca, Medina and restricted areas), work in the private sector and change employer without non-Saudi transfer fees, and enter and exit without a visa.
Family
Spouse, children under 25 and non-working parents may be included as family.
Official sources
- Conditions, controls and criteria for the Premium Residency products · Premium Residency Center, Saudi Arabia · checked 2026-10-11
- Saudi Premium Residency portal (product list) · Premium Residency Center, Saudi Arabia · checked 2026-10-10
Premium · Entrepreneur 1 and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium · Entrepreneur 1 | Needs an investment of SAR 400k+ ≈ $107k | – | Limited |
| Premium · Entrepreneur 2 | Needs an investment of SAR 15M+ ≈ $4M | – | Limited |
| SMART Visa S · 2 years Thailand | Needs savings of ฿600k+ ≈ $18k | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Business Manager Japan | Needs an investment of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden · Entrepreneur United Arab Emirates | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Premium · Entrepreneur 1?
An investment of at least SAR 400,000 (≈ $107,000). Funding raised from investments or rounds from investment entities approved by the Center. A fee of $170. Application processing fee at the application stage. A fee of SAR 4,000 (≈ $1,070). Fee payable within 30 days of approval.
How long can I stay on the Premium · Entrepreneur 1?
Five years, renewable; permanent residency possible on meeting the permanent-residency conditions.
Can I work on the Premium · Entrepreneur 1?
Limited. Holders may live in the Kingdom with family, own real estate (outside Mecca, Medina and restricted areas), work in the private sector and change employer without non-Saudi transfer fees, and enter and exit without a visa.
Can I bring my family on the Premium · Entrepreneur 1?
Spouse, children under 25 and non-working parents may be included as family.
Does the Premium · Entrepreneur 1 lead to permanent residence in Saudi Arabia?
Time on the Premium · Entrepreneur 1 counts toward permanent residence in Saudi Arabia.
How are Premium · Entrepreneur 1 holders taxed in Saudi Arabia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Premium · Entrepreneur 1. The standard rules apply: Saudi income tax applies to non-Saudi shares in resident capital companies and to non-residents with a permanent establishment or Saudi-source income. Payments to non-residents carry withholding of 5% to 20% by income type.
More in Saudi Arabia
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Conditions, controls and criteria for the Premium Residency products · Premium Residency Center, Saudi Arabia · checked 2026-10-11
- Saudi Premium Residency portal (product list) · Premium Residency Center, Saudi Arabia · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.