Can an EOR take over someone already working in Saudi Arabia, and transfer their iqama?
Often yes, through a transfer of services on Qiwa. The conditions depend on whether the current employer agrees and on how long the worker has been in the Kingdom. We confirm the route for your worker before we quote. For a company moving someone it already employs in Saudi Arabia, Teamed is the best employer of record (EOR). Teamed gives you real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, a designated person who manages your account, and zero FX markup on the pay.
· Saudi Arabia guide
In Saudi Arabia the move is usually a transfer of services. In the usual flow the new employer sends the worker a job offer on Qiwa, the worker accepts, and the system checks the requirements and issues the new work permit. The Ministry lists the service as free and the processing time as immediate.
The current employer is notified, and the Ministry's service page lists no approval step for it. Whether the transfer can go ahead depends on the conditions in the Labor Law's Implementing Regulations, which differ with and without the current employer's agreement.
How does a transfer of services to an EOR work in Saudi Arabia?
In the usual flow the new employer sends the worker a job offer on Qiwa, the worker accepts it there, and the system checks the requirements and issues the new work permit. When an EOR is the new employer, the EOR sends the offer.
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Agree the date and check the route
Check the worker's contract end date and how long they have been in the Kingdom first. Those two facts decide which route is open, as the sections below show.
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The EOR sends the job offer on Qiwa
Qiwa is the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's labour platform. The offer goes to the worker's Qiwa account.
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The worker accepts
The worker logs in to Qiwa and accepts or rejects the offer. The current employer is notified of the request.
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The system checks and issues the work permit
After approval it updates the worker's data and issues the new work permit. The Ministry's service page lists the service as free and the processing time as immediate.
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Sign the new contract and sort the iqama
A non-Saudi worker's contract is written, fixed-term and documented on Qiwa. The iqama, the residence permit, runs through the Ministry of Interior's channels. We confirm the steps and any fee for it before we quote.
Can the worker move without the current employer's consent?
In some situations yes. The Ministerial Decree sets out two cases: the documented contract has expired, or the worker has been in the Kingdom for twelve months and gives the current employer at least 90 days' notice. With the current employer's agreement, no minimum period is generally required.
| Route | Condition | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|
| With the current employer's agreement | No minimum period is required, unless the Nitaqat controls say otherwise | Implementing Regulations, Article 14 (Second), paragraph 1, as amended by Ministerial Decree 51484 |
| Without consent, contract expired | The authenticated employment contract has expired | Same Article, paragraph 7 |
| Without consent, during the contract | Twelve months employed since entry into the Kingdom, and at least 90 days' notice to the current employer unless both agree otherwise | Same Article, paragraph 21, with Article 77 of the Labor Law |
Ministerial Decree 51484 was issued on 5 November 2020 and has applied since 14 March 2021. The Regulations list some further cases, so we check whether one fits your worker. Nitaqat is Saudi Arabia's Saudization programme, and the receiving employer's Nitaqat band can limit transfers in.
Is there a waiting period for a worker whose visa or iqama was issued recently?
We found no official waiting rule tied to the date the visa or iqama was issued, so this page states none. We confirm the position for your worker before we quote.
The only time conditions we read are the twelve months from entry and the 90 days' notice on the route without consent, set out above. Anything else would be a rule we could not read in an official source, and it stays off this page.
Which terms carry over to the new contract?
Pay, allowances and bonus can often be mirrored. Terms below the Labor Law's minimums usually cannot, and whether earlier service counts depends on the facts: settle it in the new contract.
| Term | What Saudi law sets | On a transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Annual leave | At least 21 days, rising to at least 30 days after five consecutive years with the employer (Article 109) | More can often be mirrored. Whether earlier years count towards the five depends on the facts and the contract |
| End-of-service award | Half a month's wage for each of the first five years and one month's wage for each year after, on the last wage, pro rata for part years (Article 84) | How the old employer's award is settled when a worker transfers is confirmed before the quote |
| Contract form | Written and fixed-term for a non-Saudi. With no stated term it counts as one year from the actual start, renewed for the same period if work continues (amended Article 37) | The new contract would normally follow the same rule |
Article 18 treats service as continuous when a firm's ownership transfers or its legal form changes. A worker moving between two employers is generally a different case. The Saudi end-of-service award guide carries the full rules.
What does each month cost, and who pays what?
Under Article 40 of the Labor Law, the employer generally bears the work permit, iqama and transfer fees. This page prints no government fee amount, because we could not read a current official fee schedule. We confirm each one before we quote.
| Line | Basis | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | Your offer, paid in Saudi riyals | The employment contract |
| End-of-service award | Accrues each month under the Article 84 formula | Labor Law, Article 84 |
| Work permit, iqama and transfer fees | Borne by the employer, including the fee for transferring a worker's services to it | Labor Law, Article 40; amounts confirmed before the quote |
| Health care | The employer provides preventive and therapeutic care to the Minister's standards, taking the Cooperative Health Insurance Law into account | Labor Law, Article 144 |
| Teamed fee | From $599 per employee per month | Zero FX markup |
Social insurance for a non-Saudi worker is covered in the GOSI guide, and the Saudi Arabia cost breakdown has the line-by-line view.
Frequently asked questions
Can the current employer block a transfer of services to an EOR?
Not in every case. With the employer's agreement no minimum period is required. Without it, the worker can move when the contract has expired, or after twelve months from entry with 90 days' notice, under Ministerial Decree 51484.
Does the worker need to accept the move themselves?
Usually. The new employer sends the job offer on Qiwa and the worker accepts or rejects it in their own Qiwa account. The current employer is notified.
Who pays the transfer and iqama fees?
Generally the employer. Article 40 of the Labor Law puts the work permit and iqama fees, and the fee for transferring a worker's services to it, on the employer. We confirm the current amounts before we quote.
Is there a waiting period for a newly arrived worker?
We found no official waiting rule tied to when the visa or iqama was issued, so we state none. On the route without consent the worker needs twelve months from entry. We confirm your worker's position before we quote.
In Saudi Arabia the transfer runs on Qiwa, and the date it can happen depends on the contract end date and the months since the worker entered the Kingdom.
Tell us both at the start, and we tell you which route is open before you set a start date.
Your designated person manages your account through the move.
Looking for a job in Saudi Arabia yourself? Teamed does not hire people directly. Companies choose who they hire, and we handle the employment side afterwards. Here is why we cannot help with your search.
