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Residency by InvestmentActive

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Premium Residency

Also known as: Saudi Iqama, Saudi Green Card, Saudi Premium Residency Permit

Regulator: Premium Residency Center, Ministry of Interior, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaOfficial program site ↗
Min investment
$1K
Program tier
Permanent Residency
Program type
Investor Visa
Initial validity
99 yr
Renewable
Yes
Path to PR
Immediate
Path to citizenship
No
Schengen access
No

Investment options

Donation

$213K

Permanent (Unlimited Duration) Premium Residency — one-time non-refundable payment of SAR 800,000 (~USD 213,000). Lifelong residency with no sponsor required.

Donation

$27K
Hold for 1 years

Limited Duration Premium Residency — annual renewable SAR 100,000 (~USD 27,000).

Real Estate

$1.1M
Hold for 5 years

Real Estate Owner Premium Residency — property worth SAR 4 million (~USD 1.07M), property fully owned (no mortgage), 5-year residency.

Business Investment

$1.9M
Hold for 5 years

Business Investor Premium Residency — investment of SAR 7 million (~USD 1.87M) within first 2 years; creation of minimum 10 jobs; valid investment license.

Business Investment

$107K
Hold for 5 years

Entrepreneur Premium Residency — minimum SAR 400,000 capital, holding 10%+ equity. Path to PR if startup invests SAR 15M and creates 10 jobs/yr in years 1-2.

Passive Income Proof

$1K
Hold for 5 years

Special Talent, Gifted Persons, and Distinguished Competence categories — SAR 4,000 fee, 5-year validity, requires PIF or Ministry of HR endorsement of expertise.

Physical presence

To apply
Visit Saudi Arabia for biometrics and document submission
To maintain
No minimum stay requirement for Permanent variant; Limited-Duration variant requires annual renewal
For PR
Permanent variant grants PR at issuance
For citizenship
10+ years residence plus Arabic language plus discretionary approval — Premium Residency does NOT automatically lead to citizenship

Path to citizenship

  • Available: No

Saudi citizenship is granted by Royal Decree only — there is no application-based naturalization. Premium Residency does not lead to citizenship by any guaranteed path. Dual citizenship not generally permitted.

Tax implications

  • Becomes tax resident automatically: No
  • Worldwide income taxed: No
  • Territorial tax system: Yes
  • Day-count for tax residency: 183 days
  • Wealth tax: No

Saudi Arabia has NO personal income tax. 15% VAT on goods/services. 5% real estate transaction tax. Zakat applies to Saudi/GCC nationals but not non-Saudis. Premium Residency holders remain tax-free on personal income; Saudi tax residency cert available.

Family inclusion

  • Spouse: Yes
  • Children under 18: Yes
  • Dependent adult children: Yes
  • Parents: Yes

Spouse, children regardless of age, parents — all sponsorable on the Premium Residency holder's status. Significantly more generous than standard iqama dependency rules.

Additional fees

  • Legal/agent (est.): $3K

Fees built into the headline payment. VAT (15%) may apply on certain elements. Renewal fees for limited-duration variants paid annually.

Eligibility requirements

  • Age 21+
  • Clean criminal record
  • Health certificate
  • Financial solvency
  • Valid passport with at least 6 months remaining
  • Specific category-based proofs (investment license, real-estate deed, talent recognition, etc.)

Disqualifiers

  • Sanctioned nationalities (varies)
  • Prior immigration violations in Saudi Arabia
  • Criminal record

Recent changes

  1. 2019

    Premium Residency Center launched with two tiers (SAR 800K permanent, SAR 100K annual).

  2. 2024-01

    Vision 2030 expansion: five new category-based residencies added — Special Talent, Gifted Persons, Investor, Entrepreneur, Real Estate Owner.

  3. 2025-2026

    Streamlined digital application via Absher / premiumresidency.sa. Continued promotion under Vision 2030 to attract foreign talent and capital.

Notes

Saudi Premium Residency is one of the few true 'permanent residence by donation' products globally — SAR 800K (~USD 213K) for lifelong residency is competitive with mid-tier Caribbean CBI on price. No citizenship path. Useful for those with business interests in Saudi Arabia, Aramco supply chains, or family in Gulf. Zero personal income tax. Sharia-influenced legal system; not aligned with Western inheritance/estate practices.

EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.