Saudi Arabia: Mandatory Health Insurance Prior to Temporary Work Visa Issuance

Saudi Arabia has changed several rules regarding health insurance for temporary work visa applicants, including that: 

• The health insurance policy must be obtained prior to the issuance of a temporary work visa; previously, a policy could be obtained after the issuance of the temporary work visa.  
• The health insurance must now be provided by the visa-sponsoring entity’s registered health insurance provider, and this insurance provider also must be approved by the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) – a health insurance regulatory body in Saudi Arabia. Previously, health insurance from any provider on Enjaz was sufficient.  
• The health insurance provider must now provide a copy of the insured individual’s passport and temporary employment contract to CCHI. This will ensure the insurance policy is linked to the individual’s passport record on the CCHI system. Previously, this was not necessary.       

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].