Musaned Visa & Iqama Guide for Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia

A domestic-worker visa is issued under the household-employment category (not the regular work-visa system that applies to companies). The sponsor is an individual, not a commercial entity, and the contract is the unified domestic-worker contract approved by the Council of Ministers. Visa issuance is requested through Musaned and bundled with the recruitment-office contract.

The visa fee is SAR 2,000 per worker, paid to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The standard processing time is 5–10 working days after the recruitment office submits the contract, though peak demand around Ramadan and Hajj can stretch this to three weeks.

You have 90 days from arrival to issue the iqama. Steps: 1) Fingerprint registration at Jawazat. 2) Medical fitness test at an MOH-accredited clinic (around SAR 350). 3) Mandatory health insurance for one year (around SAR 1,000 for a domestic-worker policy). 4) Iqama issuance fee SAR 1,250 for year one. 5) Submit the file through Absher or the Jawazat office.

Renewal is annual: SAR 1,250 + renewed insurance. Missing the renewal date triggers an SAR 500 monthly fine and risks the worker being flagged as out-of-status, which blocks her exit and re-entry rights.

A domestic worker can change sponsor in two ways. First, with the current sponsor’s approval: the new sponsor opens a transfer request on Musaned, the current sponsor approves, and the new iqama is issued. Second, without approval: only allowed if the current sponsor has committed a contract violation — most commonly a salary in arrears for three consecutive months, documented through the Wage Protection System (WPS). The Ministry of Human Resources reviews and approves these unilateral transfers.

Transfer fees are SAR 2,000 in the first year, SAR 4,000 if the worker has been in the country between 1 and 2 years, and SAR 6,000 thereafter. The fee is paid by the new sponsor and includes the new iqama issuance.

At the end of the contract or by mutual termination, the sponsor issues a final-exit visa through Absher. The worker has 60 days from issuance to leave the country. Final-exit is free of charge but blocks any further iqama actions, so don’t issue it until you’re certain — once stamped, you can’t re-hire the same worker under the same visa.