Saudi Arabia has widened its Premium Residency Program, known globally as the Saudi Green Card, adding new residency categories and refining eligibility rules in 2025 to attract top talent, investors, and entrepreneurs as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan. The Saudi Premium Residency Center (SPRC), an independent agency linked to the Economic Affairs and Development Council, says applications topped 40,000 from January 2024 through July 2025, reflecting strong demand as foreign professionals seek long-term stability without a local sponsor. Officials frame the program as a core tool to diversify the economy beyond oil and to position the Kingdom as a leading regional hub.
Under the Saudi Premium Residency system, qualified foreigners can secure long-term or permanent residence without a Saudi sponsor, a major shift from traditional Gulf residency models. This includes the right to:
- Own and manage businesses
- Invest in Saudi capital markets
- Purchase residential, commercial, and industrial real estate (with limits in Mecca and Medina)
Families can join, work, study, and travel more freely, and certain high-skill categories receive temporary relief from Saudization requirements. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the tiered structure—ranging from limited-term permits to permanent status—expands access while targeting capital and skills that support national priorities.
Recent policy updates introduced new residency product categories and tightened thresholds for salary, experience, and investment. The SPRC continues to adjust rules to keep the program competitive and aligned with Vision 2030. While some categories involve substantial financial commitments, officials and business leaders say the benefits—especially the end of sponsorship and the ability to run onshore companies—address long-standing barriers for foreign executives and founders.
Policy Changes Overview
The Premium Residency framework now includes seven main categories, each with set fees, durations, and criteria, and several include clear pathways to permanence:
- Special Talent Residency
- Duration: 5 years, renewable
- Fee: SAR 4,000
- Target: Skilled professionals in healthcare, science, research, and senior executive roles
- Typical requirements: Bachelor’s degree, at least 3 years of experience, monthly pay between SAR 14,000 and SAR 80,000
- Benefits: May nominate two staff for residency; exemption from Saudization (“Nitaqat”) for up to 3 years; route to permanent residency
- Gifted Residency
- Duration: 5 years, renewable once
- Fee: SAR 4,000
- Target: Cultural and sports professionals with ministry recommendation or notable awards
- Pathway: Route to permanent residency for exceptional talent
- Investor Residency
- Duration: 5 years, renewable or permanent option
- Fee: SAR 4,000
- Requirement: Minimum SAR 7 million investment and creation of 10 jobs within 2 years
- Benefits: Immediate access to permanent residency and full business ownership privileges
- Entrepreneur Residency
- Tracks:
- First category: 5 years, SAR 4,000
- Second category: Permanent, SAR 4,000
- Requirements: Start-up license and investment ranging from roughly SAR 400,000 to SAR 15 million depending on track; job-creation milestones
- Benefit: Founders can set up and manage companies without a sponsor and progress toward permanence
- Tracks:
- Real Estate Owner Residency
- Linked to owning mortgage-free, developed residential property worth at least SAR 4 million
- Fee: SAR 4,000
- Note: Residency remains tied to the property
- Limited Duration Residency
- Duration: 1–5 years
- Fee: SAR 100,000 per year (discounts possible)
- Purpose: Short-term projects, assignments, or investments
- Requirement: Proof of financial solvency
- Unlimited Duration Residency
- Status: Permanent
- Fee: SAR 800,000 (one-time)
- Eligibility: Applicants meeting contribution or investment criteria and demonstrating financial solvency
Baseline Conditions (All Categories)
- Age: 21 or older
- Valid passport
- Clean criminal record
- Financial solvency
- Health clearance
The SPRC manages reviews and may request further documents to verify skills, awards, investments, or business plans. The agency has been tasked with delivering updates quickly so the program keeps pace with market needs.
Family and Travel Benefits
- Family members eligible: spouses, unmarried children under 25, and dependent parents
- Family permits allow work and investment
- Premium residents may sponsor relative visitor visas
- Fast-track border lanes and visa-free re-entry ease frequent travel for executives and researchers
Officials say these features are tailored for senior professionals and founders who rotate between project sites and international offices. Business leaders call the policy a breakthrough for regional operations, citing the ability to own and lead Saudi entities onshore—something historically constrained by sponsorship rules.
Impact on Applicants and Practical Gains
The application process is fully digital through the SPRC’s platform. Key steps and paperwork include:
- Confirm category eligibility and gather supporting documents
- Standard documents:
- Proof of investment or property ownership (Investor, Real Estate)
- Business licenses or start-up approvals (Entrepreneur)
- Recommendation letters or awards (Gifted)
- Medical reports (issued within 6 months)
- Financial statements
- Pay non-refundable fees:
- SAR 4,000 for most categories
- SAR 100,000 per year for Limited Duration
- SAR 800,000 (one-off) for Unlimited Duration
- SPRC reviews and issues residency permits upon approval
- Families can apply simultaneously or after main applicant approval
Practical benefits reported by applicants:
- A senior researcher with Special Talent Residency can accept a post in Riyadh, move family, enroll children in local schools, and travel for conferences without juggling re-entry permits.
- An entrepreneur can register a Saudi entity, hire locally, and bring core foreign staff under clear rules.
- An investor can deploy capital into regulated markets and real estate (with holy-city limits) and plan multi-year expansion with stable, renewable status.
The program grants permission to:
– Own, establish, and manage businesses
– Invest in Saudi capital markets
– Own real estate across residential, commercial, and industrial segments (with restrictions near holy sites)
The sponsor-free model removes a key source of uncertainty for expatriates who have long cited employer control over residency as a barrier to mobility and family life.
Historical Context and Program Administration
Launched in 2019, the Premium Residency initiative began with fewer options and narrower benefits. It has expanded to compete with international residency and citizenship-by-investment offerings while focusing on long-term economic outcomes within the Kingdom.
- The SPRC was created by Royal decree and operates independently to streamline decisions and maintain transparent standards.
- Government officials describe the program as a living system: categories, fees, and criteria are adjusted as national priorities evolve.
- Officials have signaled more automation and tighter links with investment and licensing bodies to reduce back-and-forth document requests.
Sectoral Targets and Future Changes
Officials suggest targeted incentives may be added for sectors that support Vision 2030, such as:
- Technology
- Renewable energy
- Healthcare
Any future steps would likely refine categories and incentives to bring the people and capital needed for mega-projects and new industry scale-up.
Preparing to Apply — Practical Checklist
Before filing, candidates should:
- Match their profile to the right category and confirm baseline conditions
- Secure proof of investment, property, or business plans where required
- Gather ministry endorsements or award letters for Gifted routes
- Obtain recent medical reports and clear financial statements
- Plan family applications and work prospects for spouses
Applicants can file through the SPRC’s official portal, which provides step-by-step guidance and fee payment. The government’s primary information hub for the program is available via the Saudi Premium Residency Center at pr.sa. For coordination on business licenses, the Ministry of Investment’s channels offer added support through linked portals.
Reception, Criticism, and Outlook
- Demand remains strong: more than 40,000 applications in the last 19 months.
- Main attractions: sponsor-free status, family inclusion, and investment rights.
- Support from investors and employers: clarity around job-creation targets and investment thresholds, and structured entrepreneur tracks for early-stage and later-stage ventures.
- Criticism: the SAR 800,000 permanent fee may restrict unlimited-duration residency to ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
- Policy response: multiple lower-cost routes (Special Talent, Gifted, Entrepreneur first category, Limited Duration) exist with pathways to permanence through performance measures.
Important takeaway: While the permanent fee may limit some applicants, the program offers diverse entry points and practical, sponsor-free residency benefits that address long-standing barriers for foreign professionals, founders, and investors.
As digital systems improve, applicants should expect faster processing and fewer document requests. The SPRC’s ongoing updates and possible sector-targeted incentives aim to keep the Saudi Premium Residency competitive and aligned with Vision 2030’s goal of attracting the capital and skills needed for economic diversification.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Article in a Nutshell
In 2025 Saudi Arabia broadened its Premium Residency Program to support Vision 2030 goals by attracting talent, entrepreneurs and investors. The SPRC, which recorded over 40,000 applications from January 2024 to July 2025, now administers seven residency categories with distinct fees and eligibility requirements. Benefits include sponsor-free residency, rights to operate businesses, invest in capital markets, and buy real estate (with holy-site limits). Families can join, and certain categories offer Saudization exemptions. Application is digital and requires financial solvency, medical clearance, clean criminal records and category-specific documentation such as investment proof or ministry endorsements. While the SAR 800,000 unlimited-duration fee may restrict access for many, lower-cost five-year options and entrepreneur tracks create pathways to permanence. The SPRC plans ongoing rule adjustments and sector-targeted incentives to keep the scheme competitive and aligned with economic priorities.
