Your contract decides which one you need.
Physical, blood tests (HIV, hepatitis) and chest X-ray at an approved clinic. Repeated in Saudi for your Iqama.
Six steps. We run the four in the middle. Typical Saudi work visa processing time from South Africa: 6–14 weeks in total. The South African part takes 3–4 weeks once your documents are in.
Employer registers your job on Qiwa.
DIRCO + embassy legalisation.
SAPS PCC, in parallel.
Timed to stay valid.
Full file checked first.
Residency issued in Saudi.
PLEASE NOTE: We at Global Visa Services, strive to provide the best and most efficient services to meet your needs and deadlines. We carry out all queries and processes as soon as possible, but we cannot be held liable if third parties or issuing authorities delay the process or if they do not issue your documents before the intended date. We cannot be held liable for any losses or refunds incurred with regard to documents.
Roughly 6 to 14 weeks from accepting the offer to receiving your Iqama. Police clearance and qualification verification depending on the offered job take the longest, so start them immediately.
Under Saudi labour law the employer generally pays the visa, work permit, Iqama (residence permit) and government levies. Your costs are on the South African side: the SAPS police clearance, DIRCO legalisation, attestation of your qualifications, the medical, and our service fee. Exact amounts depend on how many documents need attesting, so we give you one fixed quote before we start. No surprise costs later.
You need a signed job offer and a visa number from a Saudi employer, a South African passport valid for at least 6 months with blank pages, qualifications attested to match your job title, a SAPS police clearance legalised by DIRCO, and a medical report from an approved clinic. Every name and date must match your passport exactly.
Your original passport, recent passport photos, the signed employment contract, the visa authorisation number, your attested degree or trade certificate, a DIRCO-legalised police clearance, your medical report and a copy of your South African ID. We check every page against your passport before anything goes to the embassy.
The medical is done at an approved clinic and usually includes a physical examination, blood tests (including HIV and hepatitis) and a chest X-ray for TB. Results are only valid for a limited time, so we book it so it is still valid at embassy stamping. You will repeat a medical in Saudi Arabia for your Iqama.
The long-term work visa is for full-time employment contracts and converts to an Iqama once you arrive. The temporary work visa covers project or seasonal work and does not give residency. Your contract decides which one you need. Temporary visas can be suspended at short notice in 2026, so confirm before booking flights.
Six steps: your employer issues the visa number, we attest your documents, get your police clearance legalised, book your medical, submit your file to the embassy for stamping, and you fly to Saudi Arabia to receive your Iqama. We handle the four steps in the middle.
Yes. For a Saudi work visa, Cape Town applicants can use our office at 144 Longmarket Street, which handles the full Saudi work visa application, the same as our Sandton office in Johannesburg. You can hand in documents in person or courier them to us.
It is not compulsory, but most rejections come from small document errors, such as a name mismatch, a wrong job title or an expired police clearance. A Saudi work visa agent in South Africa like Global Visa Services checks every document, times each step so nothing expires, and deals with DIRCO and the embassy for you.
No. A Saudi work visa is always sponsored by an employer in Saudi Arabia. You need a job offer and a visa number before the application can start.
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