Labor ministry issues guidelines for expat work license fees

The Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development has issued new rules for expatriate work licenses and levy.

Under the new regulations, a fee of SAR 100 will be paid by companies per foreign worker to issue a one-year work permit.

Fees will be collected annually upon issuing or renewing work licenses, the ministry added.

Starting 2018, companies, where expats outnumber Saudis, will pay a monthly levy of SAR 400 per expat worker, which will be gradually increased by SAR 200 annually to SAR 800 in 2020, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The "fiscal year" method will also apply to entities with unified numbers. The fiscal year for a unified number entity will begin with the first license issued or renewed, after implementing the new fees.

The unified-number entities, with work licenses issued before the end of this year   will only pay the required fees for the period falling in 2018.