What is Premium Residency?
Saudi Premium Residency is a set of residency products, run by the Premium Residency Center, that let a foreigner live in Saudi Arabia without being tied to an employer.
Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated
General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.
At a glance
- In Arabic
- الإقامة المميزة
- Said as
- al-iqāma al-mumayyaza (al-ee-KAA-ma al-mu-MAY-ya-za)
- Official channel
- pr.gov.sa, the Premium Residency Center’s official site
- Can you use it from abroad?
- Applications are made online on the official site. The legal work behind an application, such as registering an investment, can often be done through a lawyer with a power of attorney.
Tell us what you plan to do in Saudi Arabia and which Premium Residency product you are looking at.
Why does Premium Residency matter if you are a foreigner?
It matters because it is a way to live in Saudi Arabia that does not depend on a job. Most foreigners there hold an iqama, the usual residence permit, through their employer. If the job ends, their residency is affected too.
Premium Residency is run separately, by the Premium Residency Center. So investors, founders and property owners often look at it when they plan to spend real time in Saudi Arabia.
Which Premium Residency products are there?
On 21 October 2026, the Premium Residency Center’s official site listed six products. They were Special Talent Residency, Gifted Residency, Investor Residency, Entrepreneur Residency, Real Estate Owner Residency, and Limited Duration and Unlimited Duration Premium Residency. According to the Premium Residency Center, each product has its own conditions, controls and criteria. The same site publishes them, and they can change, so read them on the day you apply.
Where will you meet Premium Residency?
You will meet it when you invest, start a business or buy property in Saudi Arabia and want to live there:
How Premium Residency compares with residency through a job.
Residency routes for investors and foundersComing soonRegistering an investment is a separate step, and it does not give residency.
Foreign investment registrationOwning property and holding residency are separate questions.
Which foreigners can own property in Saudi Arabia
Can you deal with Premium Residency from outside Saudi Arabia?
Applications are made online, on the Premium Residency Center’s official site. Its pages say who can apply for each product.
The legal work behind an application can often be done from abroad. For example, a Saudi lawyer can register an investment or set up a company for you. You give them a power of attorney, a signed document that lets someone act in your name. You can usually sign it in your own country. No one can promise that a residency application will be approved; the authority decides each one.
Frequently asked questions
How do you apply for Saudi Premium Residency?
Through the Premium Residency Center, which manages Saudi Premium Residency. Its official site sets out the current products and the conditions for each, so read them on the day you apply and choose the product that fits you. If your application rests on an investment or a company, check that it is in order first. A lawyer can help with that part.
Is Premium Residency the same as an iqama?
No. An iqama is the residence permit, and its ID number, held by a non-Saudi living in Saudi Arabia. Premium Residency is a separate set of residency products, managed by the Premium Residency Center, that are not tied to an employer. The two have different rules, different applications and different official channels.
What does Saudi Premium Residency cost, and what are the requirements?
We don’t list them here. The official site of the Premium Residency Center sets out the current products and the conditions for each. Check it on the day you apply. What applies depends on the product you choose and your own situation. A licensed lawyer can check the investment or company behind your application before you apply.
Is Premium Residency the Saudi “golden visa” or “green card”?
People sometimes use those informal names for it. The official name is Premium Residency: a set of residency products, not a visit visa. Use the official name when you search or apply, so you land on the official site of the Premium Residency Center rather than an agent’s page that only looks official.
Official sources
This page draws on 1 official sources. Each line shows who publishes it, its language and, where recorded, the date we last checked it.
- Premium Residency Center · Saudi Premium Residency (in Arabic and English) · checked
General information about Saudi law, not advice on your situation. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed.