Summary
Business Investor premium residency: SAR 7M stake, 10 employees, one-time SAR 4,000 fee, conditional permanent status. Eligibility, benefits and how to apply.
Saudi premium residency for investors, offered as the "Business Investor" (Investor Residency) product, gives a foreign investor conditional permanent residency from day one, provided their own stake in a Saudi business is worth at least SAR 7 million and the business employs at least 10 people. This guide covers eligibility, fees, benefits, the application process and the grounds for cancellation under the Premium Residency Law and the Premium Residency Center's published product conditions, as of September 2026. For an overview of the whole regime and all products, see our Saudi Premium Residency guide.
Key takeaways
- The Business Investor product requires the applicant's own share of their Saudi investment to be at least SAR 7,000,000, evidenced by a Ministry of Investment (MISA) registration or license, a commercial registration, articles of incorporation and proof of capital injection.
- The applicant must show 10 employees within their share of the company or companies, evidenced by the company's GOSI (social insurance) certificate.
- Fees are a USD 170 processing fee on application, then a one-time SAR 4,000 within 30 days of approval, together with health insurance for the holder and family.
- The product grants conditional permanent residency directly; the condition is maintaining the SAR 7 million investment and 10 employees during the first two years, subject to periodic reviews.
- Family covers spouses, children under 25 and parents not working in Saudi Arabia; they are exempt from the dependants' levy and can leave and re-enter without a visa.
What is the Business Investor premium residency and who qualifies?
The Business Investor residency is one of the Premium Residency Center's products, aimed at non-Saudi individuals who carry on an investment activity in the Kingdom. You qualify if you invest at least SAR 7 million in lawful investment activities in Saudi Arabia and meet both the general conditions of the law and the product's specific conditions.
The legal basis is the Premium Residency Law (Royal Decree No. M/106 dated 10/9/1440H), last amended by Royal Decree No. M/84 dated 11/6/1445H. As amended, Article 3 provides for two types, permanent and fixed-term, each with products and fees approved by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.
General conditions the Center checks for every applicant:
- Passports for the applicant and family valid for at least 180 days from the application date.
- Proof of financial solvency, such as a recent bank statement.
- No criminal record for the applicant and family.
- A medical report confirming freedom from communicable diseases, dated within 6 months.
- If applying from inside Saudi Arabia: a legal residency permit valid for at least 90 days.
There is no longer a minimum age: the former requirement to be at least 21 was repealed by the 1445H amendment.
What is the minimum investment and how do you prove it?
The minimum is SAR 7,000,000 representing the applicant's own share, not the company's total capital. If you hold 50% of a company, it is the value of your 50% that counts.
The Center asks for:
- A valid investment registration or license from MISA for an investment in which your share is at least SAR 7 million. Under the new Investment Law, Article 7 requires foreign investors to register with MISA before making any investment, which is why the Center accepts either a "registration" or a "license".
- A valid commercial registration issued by the Ministry of Commerce.
- The company's articles of incorporation in Saudi Arabia, and any other documents showing your share is worth at least SAR 7 million.
- Proof of capital injection of at least SAR 7 million for your share, through audited financial statements, a capital injection certificate or other documents the Center accepts.
The investment can be spread across more than one company, as the conditions refer to "company/companies". The practical point that most often matters is actual injection: subscribed but unpaid capital does not meet the test. If the entity is not yet set up, start with our foreign investment license steps.
Do you have to employ Saudi nationals?
The published condition is to employ 10 employees within the applicant's share in the company or companies submitted, verified through the company's GOSI certificate. The Center's published conditions do not specify the nationality of those employees.
Separately, the company remains subject to Saudization (Nitaqat) quotas based on its activity and size; that obligation applies regardless of the residency. If you hold less than 100% of the company, confirm with your account manager how "within the applicant's share" is calculated, as the published wording does not explain the method.
This condition is ongoing: headcount must stay at 10 or more for the first two years, or the residency may be cancelled.
What does the investor residency cost and how long does it last?
The core fee is a one-time SAR 4,000, preceded by a USD 170 processing fee on application. The residency is conditional permanent, so there is no annual renewal or annual fee.
In detail:
- Processing fee: USD 170 at the registration and document upload stage.
- Residency fee: SAR 4,000, payable within 30 days of the approval notice, together with a health insurance policy for the applicant and family under the Cooperative Health Insurance Law. If this is not done in time, the application is deemed cancelled (Article 6 of the law).
- Term: conditional permanent residency granted directly, with periodic reviews by the Center of the business's progress during the conditional period.
- Lifting the condition: keeping the investment at SAR 7 million or more and at least 10 employees throughout the first two years.
What are the benefits for the investor and family?
Holders enjoy the general benefits in Article 2 of the law and the Center's conditions, including:
- Living in Saudi Arabia with family (spouses, children under 25, and parents not working in the Kingdom).
- Leaving and re-entering Saudi Arabia, for the holder and family, without a visa, and using the citizens' lanes at ports of entry.
- Exemption from the expat dependants' levy and from fees for moving between employers.
- The right for the holder and family to work in the private sector and change employers, except in jobs reserved for Saudis.
- Real estate ownership for residential, commercial and industrial use outside Makkah, Madinah, border areas and other restricted zones, plus usufruct rights in Makkah and Madinah for no longer than the residency term and in any case no more than 99 years. See our guide to foreign real estate ownership in Saudi Arabia.
- Doing business under the Investment Law, owning private vehicles, sponsoring domestic workers and obtaining visit visas for relatives.
The product has no special benefits beyond direct permanent residency. If the holder dies or loses legal capacity, the rights continue for the family once only, subject to the applicable procedures.
How do you apply on the Premium Residency Center portal?
Applications are made online through the Premium Residency Center portal (pr.gov.sa) in three phases:
- Registration and documents: create an account, select the Investor Residency product, upload the general and product-specific documents in Arabic or English, and pay the USD 170 processing fee. A legal representative may apply on your behalf.
- Review: an account manager is assigned to verify the conditions and may request clarification or further documents. The Center may reject the application if 60 days pass after a clarification request without a response, or if the documents are inconsistent.
- Approval and issuance: after the approval notice, pay SAR 4,000 and provide health insurance within 30 days; residency cards are then issued for you and your family.
Before filing, check that the figures match across the MISA registration, articles of incorporation, financial statements and GOSI certificate.
When can the investor residency be cancelled?
The residency can be cancelled on the grounds in Article 9 of the law and the product conditions; for business investors, the key one is failing to maintain the minimum investment or headcount during the first two years.
Grounds for cancellation or termination:
- Conviction for an offence punishable by at least 60 days' imprisonment or a fine of at least SAR 100,000.
- A deportation decision or judgment.
- False information in the application.
- Breach of obligations under the law, its regulations and other Saudi laws.
- Voluntary relinquishment, death or loss of legal capacity.
- Termination by the Center's board in the public interest.
After cancellation the holder may stay up to 60 days to settle their affairs, extendable by the Center's CEO to a total of no more than 180 days. Children's cards are cancelled at age 25. Anyone who submits misleading information may be barred from applying for any product for up to 5 years.
Investor residency or another premium residency product?
The investor product suits someone with a real operating business, a SAR 7 million stake and 10 employees. If that does not fit, the alternatives are:
- Real Estate Owner residency: an existing, unmortgaged residential property worth at least SAR 4,000,000, or an off-plan unit of the same value; SAR 4,000 fee; validity tied to continued ownership. See real estate owner premium residency.
- Entrepreneur residency: a MISA entrepreneur license and a funding round from an accredited entity of at least SAR 400,000 (first category), or SAR 15 million with 10 jobs in year one and 10 more in year two for direct permanent residency (second category).
- Limited and Unlimited Duration residency: only proof of financial capability, for SAR 100,000 per year (1 to 5 years) or SAR 800,000 for permanent.
You cannot hold two products at once, but you can switch through a new application that meets the target product's conditions. Our foreign investment team helps investors choose the right product and structure the investment before applying.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get investor residency before setting up my company?
No. The published conditions require a valid commercial registration, articles of incorporation and a MISA registration or license, plus proof that SAR 7 million has been injected for your share and that 10 employees are registered with GOSI. In practice, the application comes after the company is incorporated and operating, not at the planning or set-up stage.
Does the investor residency need annual renewal?
No. The product grants conditional permanent residency directly for a one-time SAR 4,000 fee. However, the Center carries out periodic reviews during the first two years, and you must keep the investment at SAR 7 million or more and at least 10 employees throughout that period, or the residency may be cancelled.
Can the SAR 7 million be split across several companies?
The published conditions refer to "license(s)" and "company/companies", which indicates that stakes in more than one Saudi company can be counted. The test is that your combined share, supported by ownership documents and proof of capital injection, is at least SAR 7 million. It is sensible to confirm the calculation with your account manager before filing.
Which family members are covered?
Family means spouses, children under 25 and parents who do not work in Saudi Arabia. The records of children with special needs and unmarried daughters over 25 may also be linked to the holder's record. Family members are exempt from the dependants' levy, can travel in and out without a visa, and may work in the private sector except in Saudi-only jobs.
What happens if headcount drops below 10 in the first two years?
Failing to maintain the minimum headcount or investment during the first two years is an express ground for cancellation in the product conditions. On cancellation, the holder is given up to 60 days to settle their affairs, extendable to no more than 180 days in total, and the family members' cards are cancelled with the holder's permit.
Official sources
Information as published in September 2026; the Center states that all product conditions are subject to change.