Saudi Arabia · Work
Saudi Arabia Premium · Talent (specialist)
Income needed: from SAR 14k a month ≈ $3,730
Premium Residency - Special Talent: Professionals (health, scientific, researchers)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Premium · Talent (specialist) is a work route for Saudi Arabia. Applicants need income from SAR 14k a month ≈ $3,730. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- from SAR 14k a month ≈ $3,730
- Government fees
- $170 · SAR 4,000 ≈ $1,070
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; income to show from SAR 14k/mo ≈ $3,730. 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.
Shown, not spentSAR 35k+/mo ≈ $9,330 · SAR 14k+/mo ≈ $3,730
- SAR 35,000 a month (≈ $9,330)Minimum monthly wage for professionals in health and scientific fields.
- SAR 14,000 a month (≈ $3,730)Alternative: minimum monthly wage for researchers.
RenewalRenewable
The five-year residency is renewable while you keep working in a priority field and the minimum wage continues.
Permanent residenceAfter 10 years of residence
Permanent residency is possible after more than 10 years of residence in the Kingdom, including 5 years on a premium permit.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Saudi Arabia
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- Applicants hold a Bachelor's degree or higher.
- Applicants have a full-time employment contract with an approved entity in a priority field.
- Probation is completed.
- Applicants have at least 3 years of related experience.
- Applicants reach the minimum points on the points-based system.
What you must show2
- Monthly wage is at least SAR 35,000 (≈ $9,330) for professionals in health and scientific fields.
- Alternatively, the minimum monthly wage for researchers is SAR 14,000 (≈ $3,730).
Documents5
- An employer reference letter 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.
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 professionals in health and scientific priority fields and researchers who hold an employment contract with an entity approved by the Center and meet a points assessment. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least SAR 35,000 a month (≈ $9,330) · Minimum monthly wage for professionals in health and scientific fields. 1
- Income of at least SAR 14,000 a month (≈ $3,730) · Alternative: minimum monthly wage for researchers. 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
- Applicants hold a Bachelor's degree or higher. 1
- Applicants have a full-time employment contract with an approved entity in a priority field. 1
- Probation is completed. 1
- Applicants have at least 3 years of related experience. 1
- Applicants reach the minimum points on the points-based system. 1
- Monthly wage is at least SAR 35,000 (≈ $9,330) for professionals in health and scientific fields. 1
- Alternatively, the minimum monthly wage for researchers is SAR 14,000 (≈ $3,730). 1
- An employer reference letter 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
Stay
- Five years, renewable while employment in a priority field and the wage minimum continue; permanent residency possible after more than 10 years of residence including 5 years on a premium permit.
- 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 · Talent (specialist) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium · Talent (specialist) | Needs income from SAR 14k a month ≈ $3,730 | – | Limited |
| Work visa (iqama) | – | – | – |
| Premium · Talent (executive) | Needs income of SAR 960k+ a year ≈ $256k | – | Limited |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Premium · Talent (specialist)?
Income of at least SAR 35,000 a month (≈ $9,330). Minimum monthly wage for professionals in health and scientific fields. Income of at least SAR 14,000 a month (≈ $3,730). Alternative: minimum monthly wage for researchers. 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 · Talent (specialist)?
Five years, renewable while employment in a priority field and the wage minimum continue; permanent residency possible after more than 10 years of residence including 5 years on a premium permit.
Can I work on the Premium · Talent (specialist)?
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 · Talent (specialist)?
Spouse, children under 25 and non-working parents may be included as family.
Does the Premium · Talent (specialist) lead to permanent residence in Saudi Arabia?
Time on the Premium · Talent (specialist) counts toward permanent residence in Saudi Arabia, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Premium · Talent (specialist) holders taxed in Saudi Arabia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Premium · Talent (specialist). 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
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
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.