Saudi Arabia Extends Work Permit Renewal Grace Period by Six Months

Riyadh:** Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced a **six-month extension** to the grace period for the issuance and renewal of work permits, providing significant relief to expatriate workers and employers across the Kingdom.

According to the ministry, the extended grace period applies to foreign workers whose work permits expired **more than 12 months ago**. It also covers expatriates whose work permits have not been issued despite **six months or more** having passed since their arrival in Saudi Arabia.

The ministry urged all companies, institutions, and sponsors to take advantage of the extended deadline by renewing expired work permits or issuing new ones as soon as possible. Officials warned that failure to comply could result in legal action and financial penalties once the grace period ends.

Under Saudi labor law, newly arrived foreign workers are generally subject to a **three- to six-month probationary period**. Employers are legally required to complete the issuance of both the employee’s work permit and residency permit (**Iqama**) before the probation period expires.

The latest decision follows an earlier announcement by Saudi Arabia’s **Qiwa** platform, which had stated that workers with work permits expired for more than **three months** would be automatically removed from employers’ records starting **July 1**. The ministry said the extension is part of broader efforts to regulate the labor market while protecting the rights of both employers and employees.