Saudi Arabia has extended the deadline for employers to regularise expired work permits for foreign workers by six months, giving businesses until December 31, 2026, to comply with labour regulations.
The extension, announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, replaces the previous June 30, 2026 deadline and is intended to give employers more time to resolve outstanding work permit issues.
The revised timeline applies to expatriate workers whose work permits expired more than 12 months ago, as well as employees who were not issued a work permit within six months of joining their employer.
The extension delays the automatic removal of affected workers from employers’ records on Saudi Arabia’s Qiwa labour platform.
Under the earlier rules, foreign workers whose permits had remained expired for more than three months were due to be automatically removed from their employers’ records after the June deadline.
With the extension, employers now have until the end of the year to renew expired permits or complete pending work permit registrations.
Saudi authorities have urged businesses to review their workforce records and resolve all outstanding permit issues before the new deadline, warning that failure to comply could result in regulatory sanctions.
Companies that fail to regularise affected workers by December 31 could face financial penalties, enforcement actions and the removal of employees from their Qiwa records, potentially disrupting workforce management and employment status.
The latest extension comes amid sweeping labour reforms introduced by Saudi Arabia to strengthen compliance and improve regulation of its labour market.
In June, the Kingdom ended the work permit exemption previously granted to holders of its Premium Residency programme, making it mandatory for all Premium Residency holders seeking employment to obtain separate work permits.
Authorities also introduced tougher penalties for labour law violations.
Under the revised regulations, employers who hire foreign workers without valid work permits face fines of SR10,000 (about $2,666) for each affected employee.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said the reforms are designed to formalise the labour market, prevent abuse and ensure compliance with employment regulations.
The updated framework also broadens the list of labour violations to include undocumented employment contracts, illegal recruitment, child labour, unlawful retention of workers’ passports, and breaches of maternity and childcare protections.
Employers who fail to digitally register employment contracts are also liable to a fine of SR1,000 (about $266) for each worker involved.
The six-month extension is therefore expected to give employers additional time to regularise outstanding work permit issues before stricter enforcement measures take full effect at the end of the year.
