Saudi Work Visa from Pakistan 2026: Process, Fees and New Skill Rules
Saudi Arabia is still the largest single destination for Pakistani workers, with hundreds of thousands of emigrants registered for the Kingdom every year. But the route has changed. Since 2025 Saudi Arabia classifies every long-term work permit by skill level, and since January 2026 Pakistani tradespeople must hold a Skill Verification Certificate before a visa is issued. Here is what the process actually looks like from Islamabad or Rawalpindi today.
Who needs a Saudi work visa
Any Pakistani taking paid employment in Saudi Arabia needs an employment visa sponsored by a Saudi employer. You cannot convert a visit or Umrah visa into a job. The employer must first hold an approved block visa (quota) through Qiwa, the Ministry of Human Resources platform. Domestic workers — housemaids, drivers, cooks and caregivers — are recruited through a separate platform called Musaned instead. The heavily advertised “azad visa” is not an official category: working for anyone other than your registered sponsor breaches Saudi labour law and can end in fines, detention and deportation.
The process, step by step
- Your Saudi employer obtains a block visa quota in Qiwa and issues a job offer and employment contract.
- You accept the contract electronically. Check the job title, basic salary, working hours, annual leave and end-of-service terms before you agree — the title on the contract must match the visa.
- If your trade is covered, you sit the Skill Verification Program exam (see below).
- Get your degree or diploma attested: HEC or IBCC first, then MOFA, then the Saudi Embassy. Our guide to Saudi Embassy degree attestation sets out the order and the documents.
- Complete the Wafid (GAMCA) medical at an approved centre in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Gujranwala or Peshawar.
- Once MOFA issues the visa authorisation number, submit your passport, contract, attested documents and medical report to the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad — or the Consulate in Karachi if you are from Sindh or Balochistan.
- After the visa is stamped, complete Protector registration with the BEOE. This is mandatory under the Emigration Ordinance 1979 and airlines check for it.
- On arrival, your employer must issue your Iqama, normally within 90 days.
What it costs in 2026
Costs vary by employer, trade and agency, and a genuine job offer should cover the Saudi-side fees rather than passing them to you. Figures reported in Pakistan during 2026 include a Wafid/GAMCA medical of roughly PKR 24,000–25,000, a skill verification certificate of about USD 50 (around PKR 14,000), and attestation costs ranging from a few thousand rupees to well over PKR 50,000 depending on how many documents you need, plus Protector registration and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation welfare contributions.
On the Saudi side, the work visa fee is commonly quoted at SAR 2,000–4,000 and Iqama issuance at SAR 650–1,000. Those are employer obligations. Mandatory medical insurance is also the employer’s cost and cannot lawfully be deducted from your salary. If an agent asks you to pay the Saudi visa or Iqama fee yourself, treat it as a warning sign.
The skill verification exam catches most people out
Pakistan was the first country to sign a formal agreement with Takamol, the Saudi government-authorised body running the Skill Verification Program. Workers in around two dozen technical occupations — electricians, plumbers, welders, mechanics, AC and refrigeration technicians, and similar trades — must pass a two-part assessment: a short computer-based theory test followed by a longer practical exam. The certificate fee was set at USD 50 from January 2026. Our Saudi Skill Verification Program guide explains the trades covered and how to prepare.
Where applications stall
The most common problems we see are simple ones: dealing with an agent who is not licensed by the BEOE, a job title on the contract that does not match the visa category, attestation done in the wrong sequence, and a medical report that expires before the visa is stamped. Verify any agency’s BEOE licence number before you pay anything, and keep your own copies of every document. You can review the wider visa services and attestation services we handle for Saudi-bound clients.
Hijrat handles attestation, translation, Wafid medical guidance and Protector paperwork for Saudi-bound workers from our Aabpara office in Islamabad, and for clients in Rawalpindi and overseas. Talk to us before you pay any agent.
Saudi visa rules, fees and skill-verification requirements change frequently and every decision rests with the Saudi authorities and the Government of Pakistan. This article reflects information available on the date of publication — always confirm current requirements with Hijrat, the Saudi Embassy or the BEOE before applying or paying any fee.