What you need for your move to Saudi Arabia
Lumora guides you through the whole move, not just the job offer. This support is free for candidates, from your first enquiry through to your first weeks in post.
Your job offer and contract
Your Saudi employer acts as your sponsor and applies for your work visa authorisation. Before you accept, look closely at what the offer includes.
- Basic salary, housing allowance and transport allowance
- Annual flights and medical insurance
- Schooling support for children, if relevant
- Contract length and end of service benefits
Your documents
Start gathering these early, as some steps take longer than you would expect.
- A passport with plenty of validity remaining, plus photos to the required specification
- Your signed employment contract
- Degree certificates and transcripts, usually legalised first by the UK FCDO legalisation service, then by the Saudi Embassy or Saudi Cultural Bureau. This is often the slowest step, so allow plenty of time
- Clinical and healthcare laboratory roles may also need professional classification with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, which can include a primary source verification check, often through Dataflow. Research and university roles may not need this, so check with your employer
Your health certificate
A medical report on the official Saudi Embassy medical form, completed and signed by a UK licensed doctor.
- Includes required blood tests and screening, typically covering HIV, hepatitis B and C and other infectious diseases, and may include a chest X ray
- The report and test results usually need to be completed within about three months of submitting the visa application
- The medical report may also need to be legalised
- You will usually have a further medical check after arriving in Saudi Arabia, as part of getting residency
Your police certificate
A UK police certificate from ACRO, which can be requested online. It usually needs to be recent, often within three months of the visa application, and may need to be legalised.
Applying for the visa
Applications are usually submitted through an approved visa agent or service centre, not directly by you. Once issued, the work visa normally has a limited time to enter Saudi Arabia, often three months.
Arriving and settling in
- Getting your residency permit, the Iqama, through your employer
- Opening a bank account, getting a local SIM and finding housing
- Bringing your family: family visas, schooling and healthcare
- Everyday life, including the working week, cultural expectations, dress, climate and community
How Lumora helps
- A personal checklist and timeline for your move
- Guidance on each document and where to get it
- Support understanding your offer
- Regular check ins until your first day and beyond
Thinking about a move to Saudi Arabia?
Register your CV and we will talk you through what a genuine opportunity looks like.
What you need for your move to Saudi Arabia
Lumora guides you through the whole move, not just the job offer. This support is free for candidates, from your first enquiry through to your first weeks in post.
Your job offer and contract
Your Saudi employer acts as your sponsor and applies for your work visa authorisation. Before you accept, look closely at what the offer includes.
- Basic salary, housing allowance and transport allowance
- Annual flights and medical insurance
- Schooling support for children, if relevant
- Contract length and end of service benefits
Your documents
Start gathering these early, as some steps take longer than you would expect.
- A passport with plenty of validity remaining, plus photos to the required specification
- Your signed employment contract
- Degree certificates and transcripts, usually legalised first by the UK FCDO legalisation service, then by the Saudi Embassy or Saudi Cultural Bureau. This is often the slowest step, so allow plenty of time
- Clinical and healthcare laboratory roles may also need professional classification with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, which can include a primary source verification check, often through Dataflow. Research and university roles may not need this, so check with your employer
Your health certificate
A medical report on the official Saudi Embassy medical form, completed and signed by a UK licensed doctor.
- Includes required blood tests and screening, typically covering HIV, hepatitis B and C and other infectious diseases, and may include a chest X ray
- The report and test results usually need to be completed within about three months of submitting the visa application
- The medical report may also need to be legalised
- You will usually have a further medical check after arriving in Saudi Arabia, as part of getting residency
Your police certificate
A UK police certificate from ACRO, which can be requested online. It usually needs to be recent, often within three months of the visa application, and may need to be legalised.
Applying for the visa
Applications are usually submitted through an approved visa agent or service centre, not directly by you. Once issued, the work visa normally has a limited time to enter Saudi Arabia, often three months.
Arriving and settling in
- Getting your residency permit, the Iqama, through your employer
- Opening a bank account, getting a local SIM and finding housing
- Bringing your family: family visas, schooling and healthcare
- Everyday life, including the working week, cultural expectations, dress, climate and community
How Lumora helps
- A personal checklist and timeline for your move
- Guidance on each document and where to get it
- Support understanding your offer
- Regular check ins until your first day and beyond
Thinking about a move to Saudi Arabia?
Register your CV and we will talk you through what a genuine opportunity looks like.