Saudi Arabia allows transfer of foreign workers from companies to individuals
New online service enables eligible expats to move into domestic worker jobs
Dubai: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has launched an online service allowing individuals to apply for the transfer of eligible foreign workers from private sector companies to individuals for employment in domestic occupations.
The ministry said the service, available through its electronic platform, is designed to regulate the transfer of expatriate workers from private sector establishments to individuals under specific rules and conditions.
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It said applicants must hold a valid work permit and must not be employed in senior professions, including educational, technical, healthcare or specialist occupations, or in professions reserved exclusively for Saudi nationals. The occupation to which the worker is transferred must be one classified as domestic work.
The ministry said applications must include an electronically certified waiver from the previous employer, endorsed by the chamber of commerce, along with proof of the new employer's financial ability, either through a salary certificate or a bank statement. A copy of the worker's residence permit showing their fingerprint and signature must also be submitted, together with details of the requested domestic occupation and the new employer.
The service coincides with the mandatory implementation of Saudi Arabia's Wage Protection Programme for domestic workers, which requires salaries to be paid through approved channels to safeguard the rights of both employers and workers while enhancing transparency and compliance in the labour market.
The ministry said supporting documents may be uploaded electronically in PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, DOCX and XLSX formats, with a maximum file size of 3 MB per document.
The Kingdom imposes an annual fee of SR9,600 for each additional domestic worker employed beyond the permitted limit of four for Saudi citizens and two for expatriate residents, with exemptions for humanitarian cases, including people with disabilities and those suffering from chronic or serious illnesses.
