The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Extends Work Permit Compliance Deadline for Certain Foreign Workers

Key Point  

• Saudi Arabia extended its grace period for employers to regularize certain expired or unissued work permits for foreign workers, providing additional time to complete required labor authorization procedures before enforcement measures apply.  

Compliance Deadline for Certain Foreign Workers 

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced an extension of the grace period for correcting the status of certain foreign workers with work permit compliance issues. The extension will remain in effect until the end of the current year.  

This initiative strengthens compliance with Saudi labor regulations, protects the rights of employers and employees and gives both parties additional time to complete required immigration and labor procedures.

Who Does This Affect?

The extension applies to two categories of foreign workers: 

Expired Work Permits 

Foreign workers whose work permits expired more than 12 months ago can use the extended period to regularize their status.

Unissued Work Permits 

The grace period also applies where a work permit has not been issued within six months from the worker’s date of joining the employer.  

What Employers Should Do 

The ministry urged employers and affected workers to take action before the deadline by: 

• Renewing expired work permits; and 
• Issuing work permits where they have not yet been obtained.  

According to the ministry, the extension was granted in part due to positive participation by employers and workers who have already begun correcting their compliance status.  

Compliance Reminder 

MHRSD emphasized that employers and workers should complete the necessary procedures before the grace period ends. Failure to regularize affected cases during the designated period will result in the implementation of applicable legal and regulatory measures. 

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