Even if Saudi Arabia does not have a digital nomad visa program yet, foreign citizens who want to move here and work for a limited period of time can do that based on other types of visas. In 2018, Saudi Arabia introduced the electronic visa system, thus easing the process of entering the country. By 2030, the country aims to become one of the most appealing tourist destinations in the Middle East.
Tourist visas can be used by digital nomads who want to live and work from Saudi Arabia. Below, our immigration lawyers in Saudi Arabia explain your options in terms of remote work from here. If you are an entrepreneur, you can rely on us for Saudi company formation services.
Persons who can choose where they can work from have the possibility of choosing foreign countries closer or farther from home, depending on their preferences. Now, many states have enabled digital nomad visas for remote workers, but Saudi Arabia is not one of them yet.
If you want to become a digital nomad in Saudi Arabia, however, you can apply for a tourist visa that will enable you to enter and stay here for 90 days. The validity of this visa is one year, so you can benefit from multiple entries, as long as each of them does not exceed 3 months.
Even if this is not the same as a Saudi digital nomad visa it resembles one from the following points of view:
The e-visa is available for citizens of nearly 50 countries up to this moment.
Compared to a digital nomad visa, temporary immigration to Saudi Arabia through the tourist visa does not require you to submit proof of income, however, you should have a bank statement to indicate you can support your stay here.
Foreign employees who came to the country through intra-company transfers must have their employment visas converted to Saudi residence permits (iqama), which usually have a one- to two-year validity period. The document is issued by the General Department of Passports.
If you want to come here as an entrepreneur, our immigration lawyers in Saudi Arabia can help you open a company in Saudi Arabia.
Are you interested in immigration to Saudi Arabia? With the help of our lawyers, you can move here in accordance with the relocation regulations imposed here. It is very important to have support from inside when moving here, as it can speed up the procedure, apart from ensuring that it is correct.
Obtaining a Saudi freelance visa as a digital nomad would normally imply having the possibility of working for a non-Saudi employer. In addition, it would impose different conditions than a tourist one.
Here is a comparison between the tourist and the freelance visa in Saudi Arabia:
It is worth considering the advantages and disadvantages when it comes to working remotely from Saudi Arabia, however, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that here, foreign citizens need work permits.
Feel free to ask for the support of our local specialists for information on the legal ways through which you can work from Saudi Arabia.
You may rely on us to provide accounting support for businesses in Saudi Arabia. Businesses, for instance, can select the solutions that suit their needs and specifications. Our Saudi accountants can provide a wide range of services to help businesses get the most out of an increasingly popular outsourced solution.
Even if does not provide for a freelance visa, Saudi Arabia has taken major steps in enabling an electronic visa system. This way, it aims to make it easier for those to come here for short visits to enter the country.
Through this system, Saudi Arabia has become of the few countries in the world to have an electronic visa service. The online visa allows its holder a 90-day stay following each admission into the Kingdom and is valid for a year from the date of issuance. From a validity point of view, it resembles the digital nomad visa, without the additional requirements of indicating a foreign source of income.
Traveling and living as a freelancer in Saudi Arabia is possible, however, under different circumstances than in Western countries.
If you want to know more about the freelance visa for Saudi Arabia, you can rely on our agents here.
While under a designated type of visa, there would be certain restrictions for the issuance of digital nomad visas, under the electronic visa system, this is no longer an issue.
For example, obtaining a digital nomad visa in most countries with this program implies having a specific income for the duration of the stay. The amount required is usually an average salary of the respective country. Under a tourist visa, even if you need proof that you can support your stay here, the amount is usually lower.
As a digital nomad, one would need to show proof of having a foreign employer, while as a tourist in Saudi Arabia, there is no need for such proof.
Feel free to send us your questions on the freelance visa in Saudi Arabia and alternatives to this program.
Despite not having the possibility of applying for a freelance visa in Saudi Arabia, foreign citizens have two options if they want to work here:
In the first case, the Saudi employer will be the foreign citizen’s sponsor.
If you consider any of these options to suit your interests, our company formation specialists in Saudi Arabia can guide you. We are at your service if you decide to start your own business here.
Despite not having a digital nomad visa, Saudi Arabia is sought by many foreign remote workers who have ranked their favorite cities. Among these:
If you want to relocate to any of these cities and work as a digital nomad, here is other useful information about Saudi Arabia:
If you want to apply for a digital nomad visa in Saudi Arabia, we invite you to discuss your options with our local advisors. We are also at your disposal if you want to relocate here on a permanent basis.