Saudi Arabia · Startup Visa
Saudi Entrepreneur Residency for Founders
Saudi Arabia's founder route is the Entrepreneur Residency, a Premium Residency product launched in January 2024 for owners of innovative startups. It lets holders work for and move between private employers, and can lead to conditional permanent residency once the company creates jobs.
- Startup route
- Entrepreneur Residency (Premium Residency)
- Minimum capital
- Product-specific; confirm with Premium Residency Center
- Permanent residence
- Conditional PR via job targets or Investor product
- Citizenship
- 10 consecutive years' residence; discretionary
Entrepreneur Residency
The Entrepreneur Residency is one of five Premium Residency products launched on 10 January 2024 and is aimed at entrepreneurs and owners of innovative projects who want to launch and grow startups in Saudi Arabia. In November 2025 the Premium Residency Center granted it to more than 100 founders from over 20 nationalities during the Biban Forum in Riyadh. On top of the general Premium Residency rights, holders can nominate two staff members, such as executives, for the Special Talent Residency without meeting that product's usual criteria, and the company is exempt from the Nitaqat program for its first three operational years. Creating 10 jobs in the first year and 10 more in the second opens a direct route to conditional permanent residency.
- Launched
- 10 January 2024
- Target
- Founders of innovative, technology-driven startups
- Team benefit
- 2 staff can receive the Special Talent Residency
- Nitaqat
- Exempt for the first 3 operational years
- Leads to
- Conditional PR after 10 + 10 jobs in two years
- Government fee
- Varies; confirm with the Premium Residency Center
- Family
- Spouses, children and parents, as the regulations define
Requirements
- A valid passport.
- Proof of financial solvency, which the Premium Residency Law requires of every applicant.
- A criminal record certificate showing no prior convictions.
- A health report, no older than six months, showing the applicant is free of infectious diseases.
- Lawful residence status when applying from inside Saudi Arabia.
- An innovative, technology-driven startup project that fits the Entrepreneur product as assessed by the Premium Residency Center.
How to apply
- Apply online through the Premium Residency Center portal and select the Entrepreneur Residency product.
- Upload the passport, solvency evidence, criminal record certificate and health report.
- Within 30 days of approval, pay the financial consideration and provide medical insurance under the Cooperative Health Insurance Law.
- Register the venture with the Ministry of Investment through its entrepreneurial registration track.
Entrepreneurial registration (Ministry of Investment)
The Investment Law approved by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 40 of 16 July 2024 replaced the Foreign Investment Law, and foreign investors now register with the Ministry of Investment before investing instead of holding the former investment license. The ministry's Investor Guide, 13th edition of March 2026, has a dedicated track for entrepreneurs and startups planning innovative, distinctive or emerging-technology companies that can scale in the Saudi market. Applicants need a letter of support or proof of accreditation from a supervising body, either a Saudi university or an accredited business incubator. Registration is issued to legal entities, foreign companies and individuals who hold Premium Residency, and Premium Residency holders skip some document requirements.
- Legal basis
- Investment Law, Council of Ministers Resolution No. 40 (2024)
- Processing time
- About 5 working days for entrepreneurial registration
- Support letter
- Saudi university or accredited business incubator
- Government fee
- Set by the ministry when it approves the registration
- Certificate
- Issued in Arabic only
Requirements
- A letter of support or proof of project accreditation from a Saudi university or an accredited business incubator.
- The ISIC activity code and ownership data of the proposed company.
- An embassy-certified commercial registration for any foreign corporate partner; Premium Residency holders are exempt from this item.
- For applicants already living in Saudi Arabia, a no-objection letter from the employer and a copy of the residence permit.
- Any activity-specific conditions listed in Section 5 of the Investor Guide.
How to apply
- Open an account on the Invest Saudi e-services portal.
- Choose the entrepreneurial registration track and upload the support letter and ownership data.
- Receive the decision, usually within five working days on this track.
- Pay the registration fee within the notified period, since unpaid registrations become void.
How the residence and the company fit together
Saudi Arabia splits the founder's paperwork in two. The Premium Residency Center decides on the person, while the Ministry of Investment registers the business activity. Holding Premium Residency helps on the company side: the ministry's registration is open to individuals who hold it, alongside legal entities and foreign companies, and holders are excused from supplying a certified foreign commercial registration. The Nitaqat exemption then gives the startup three operational years before the Saudization quotas of that program apply to it.
The two Special Talent nominations matter for teams. A founder can bring, for example, a technical co-founder or senior executive into the Kingdom on a Premium Residency of their own, without that person meeting the Special Talent product's usual criteria. The job-creation milestone of 10 roles in each of the first two years is the step that turns a founder's residence into conditional permanent residency, so hiring plans and residence planning are closely linked.
Questions and answers
Does Saudi Arabia have a startup visa?
Its founder route is the Entrepreneur Residency, one of the Premium Residency products launched in January 2024. It is designed for entrepreneurs and innovators who want to launch and develop startups in Saudi Arabia. The company itself is registered separately with the Ministry of Investment, which runs a dedicated registration track for entrepreneurs.
How much does the Saudi Entrepreneur Residency cost?
The Premium Residency Law, as amended, lets the center's board propose each product and its financial consideration, which the Council of Economic and Development Affairs then approves. The amount is paid within 30 days of approval together with proof of medical insurance. Current figures should be confirmed with the Premium Residency Center before applying.
Do founders still need a MISA investment license?
No longer in that form. The Investment Law adopted in July 2024 replaced the Foreign Investment Law, and foreign investors now register with the Ministry of Investment before starting an investment. Entrepreneurs use a dedicated registration track that requires a support letter from a Saudi university or an accredited business incubator.
Official sources
- Premium Residency - Ministry of Communications and Information Technologymcit.gov.sa
- Saudi Premium Residency Center Launches Five New Products - SPAwww.spa.gov.sa
- Premium Residency Center Grants More Than 100 Entrepreneurs Premium Residency During Biban Forum 2025 - SPAwww.spa.gov.sa
- Entrepreneur Residency - Premium Residency Centerpr.gov.sa
- Investor Guide, 13th Edition - Ministry of Investmentmisa.gov.sa
- Frequently Asked Questions - Ministry of Investmentmisa.gov.sa
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Saudi Arabia.
Startup visa
Entrepreneur Residency from the Premium Residency Center for tech startups
02Temporary residence
Premium Residency for a set term, with family, property and business rights
03Permanent residence
Conditional PR through 20 jobs in two years, or the Investor product
04Citizenship
Discretionary naturalization after 10 years; fluent Arabic required