Saudi Arabia grants six-month extension for expired work permit regularisation

Saudi Arabia has extended the grace period for employers to regularise expired work permits for foreign workers until December 31, 2026, providing businesses with an additional six months to address outstanding compliance issues.

The extension, announced by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, replaces the earlier June 30, 2026, deadline, Travel Biz reported.

It applies to expatriate workers whose work permits expired more than 12 months ago, as well as employees who were not issued a work permit within six months of joining their employer.

What they are saying

The move delays the automatic removal of affected workers from employers’ records on the Kingdom’s Qiwa labour platform, a process that was initially scheduled to begin after the previous deadline.

• Under the earlier timeline, foreign workers with work permits that had remained expired for more than three months were expected to be automatically removed from their employers’ records in the Qiwa system. With the revised deadline, employers now have until the end of the year to renew expired permits or complete pending work permit registrations.
• Saudi authorities have urged employers to review their workforce records and ensure all outstanding work permit requirements are resolved before December 31, warning that failure to comply could attract regulatory sanctions.

Businesses that miss the new deadline could face financial penalties, compliance enforcement measures and the removal of affected employees from their records within the Qiwa platform, potentially disrupting workforce management and employment status.

What you should know

The latest extension comes weeks after Saudi Arabia tightened its labour regulations as part of broader efforts to strengthen compliance in its employment market.

• As previously reported by Nairametrics, the Kingdom in June ended the work permit exemption previously granted to holders of its Premium Residency programme, requiring all Premium Residency holders seeking employment to obtain a separate work permit before taking up jobs.
• Saudi authorities also introduced stricter penalties for employers who violate labour regulations. Under the revised framework, employers who hire foreign workers without valid work permits face fines of SR10,000 (about $2,666) per worker.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said the measures are aimed at formalising the labour market, curbing abuse and ensuring both employers and employees comply with existing employment regulations.

The reforms also expanded the scope of labour violations to include undocumented employment contracts, illegal recruitment practices, child labour, unlawful retention of employees’ passports, and breaches of maternity and childcare protections.

Additionally, employers who fail to digitally register employment contracts are liable to a fine of SR1,000 (about $266) for each affected worker.

The latest decision to extend the work permit grace period until December 31, 2026, is therefore seen as providing employers with additional time to regularise outstanding work permit issues before stricter enforcement measures take full effect.