Saudi Arabia sets rules for final exit visas for domestic workers during probation

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports has set conditions allowing employers to issue final exit visas for domestic workers during their 90 day probationary period, even if they have not yet been issued residency permits.

The service is available electronically through the Absher platform and allows employers to complete final exit procedures for eligible domestic workers during the probationary period.

Under the conditions, the worker must not be registered as deceased or absent from work and must be inside Saudi Arabia when the final exit visa is issued.

The worker must also have no outstanding traffic violations and hold a passport valid for at least 60 days.

Under regulations issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, employers and domestic workers must enter into a written employment contract that may include a probationary period of no more than 90 days.

The probationary period allows employers to assess a domestic worker’s professional competence and personal conduct before the employment relationship continues on a longer term basis.

Both the employer and domestic worker have the right to terminate the employment contract unilaterally during the probationary period.

A domestic worker may not be placed on probation more than once with the same employer, unless both sides agree that the worker will take up a different job from the one covered by the initial probationary period.