Premium Residency Saudi Arabia: Fees, Requirements, Full Guide
What Premium Residency is
Premium Residency is Saudi Arabia's official self-sponsored residency programme, launched by royal order and run by the Premium Residency Centre. Unlike a standard work iqama, it is not tied to any employer. You sponsor yourself, which means the residency stands even if your circumstances change.
The fee structure, plainly
For context against the UK: SAR 800,000 is about GBP 164,000, which is less than a quarter of the UK Investor visa route's GBP 2m entry point, before the UK route was closed to new applicants. The Gulf comparison most investors make is the UAE golden visa, which is cheaper but tied to property in Dubai, a market with different fundamentals.
| Option | Fee | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Limited duration | SAR 100,000 per year | Renewable yearly residency, work rights, family sponsorship |
| Permanent | SAR 800,000 one-time | Lifetime residency, no renewals, family included |
| Real Estate Owner | Qualifying property SAR 4m+ instead of cash fee | Self-sponsored residency attached to property ownership |
| Special Talent | Case-dependent | Senior professionals in targeted fields |
The Real Estate Owner route in detail
The property route is the one property investors care about. Buy an unencumbered property, no mortgage, valued at SAR 4,000,000 or more, roughly GBP 820,000, and you can apply for self-sponsored residency through that ownership. Key points:
- •Property must be unencumbered: owned outright, no debt secured on it
- •Valuation evidenced through the official channel, not a seller's asking price
- •Residency covers you and your immediate family
- •You keep the property: it does not lock up your capital like a deposit scheme
- •Rental income continues unaffected while you hold residency
Requirements for UK applicants
- •Valid passport, six months minimum validity
- •Clean criminal record certificate
- •Medical checks, standard residency requirement
- •Proof of funds or qualifying property for the chosen route
- •No Arabic required: applications are supported in English through our legal team
How long it takes and who runs it
Typical processing runs four to eight weeks from a complete application. Our Vision Saudi team, led by senior legal counsel Dr. Abdullatif Alwasm, prepares the full file: documentation, valuations, translations and submission. You sign, we run the process, and you track progress with a named contact.
Is it worth it for a UK investor?
If you are buying property at SAR 4m or above anyway, the Real Estate Owner route is close to a free benefit attached to a purchase you already wanted. Below that level, company formation from SAR 29,500 usually covers residency needs more cheaply than SAR 100,000 per year. Book a briefing and we will model both routes against your actual plans.
Ready to see live opportunities?
Book a private briefing, or run your numbers first with our free calculators.