Saudi Arabia’s Professional Verification Expansion: Impact on Global Technical Hiring

If you hire technicians, tradespeople or engineers for Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom now checks many of them before they arrive. This guide explains the two checks that news stories often mix up, which workers each one covers, what the new family visa rule says, and what to change in your hiring plan so a failed check does not stop a whole batch.

Two checks with one confusing name

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (often written MHRSD or HRSD) runs both checks. Both have been called "professional verification" in English, so it is easy to confuse them. They are not the same thing.

• The skills exam. A practical and written test for skilled workers, such as trades. It checks what the worker can do.
• The qualification check. A review of degrees and experience for highly skilled professions. It checks what the worker has studied and proved on paper.

Before you plan a recruitment drive, find out which check applies to each job title. The steps, the timing and the documents are different.

The skills exam for skilled workers

The ministry launched this programme on 7 March 2021, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation. It includes practical and theoretical exams in the worker's own field.¹

The programme has two tracks. One tests skilled workers in their home countries, at selected international exam centres, before they travel. The other tests skilled workers who are already in Saudi Arabia, at certified local centres.¹

For the home-country track, the ministry said the work visa for targeted jobs would be linked to passing the exam in the worker's country. It said this would be enforced step by step, under a plan agreed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the sending countries.¹ At launch, the ministry said the programme would target more than 1,000 professions in 23 specialty fields.¹

India gives a picture of how this works in a sending country. Its National Skill Development Corporation says candidates take a competency-based exam, with theory and practical parts, at accredited testing centres in India.²

Because the rollout depends on the country and the job, do not assume the rule is the same for every source market. Ask before you plan.

The qualification check for highly skilled professions

In 2024, the ministry said it had finished the first phase of its "Professional Verification" service, part of a wider "Professional Accreditation" programme. That first phase covered 128 countries. It runs on one electronic platform, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.³

The ministry said the service follows Cabinet Decision No. 195. It focuses on highly skilled professions. It checks that a worker's academic qualifications match the job, using Saudi Arabia's official lists of occupations and of education levels and fields.³

At that time, the ministry planned to cover 160 countries and all professions, including engineering and health.³ In January 2025, Gulf News reported that the final phase was complete, with 160 labour-exporting countries and 1,007 professions.⁴ But in July 2025, Arab News still described the programme as covering 128 countries and set to expand to 160.⁵

Because the reports disagree, do not plan around a country count. Check on the official platform, or with your Saudi visa adviser, whether your source country and your job titles are covered today.

Where the new skill levels fit

In July 2025, Arab News reported a ministerial decision that sorts foreign workers into three levels: high-skill, skilled and basic. The level depends on qualifications, experience, technical ability, wage and age.⁵ The same report said classification runs through the Qiwa platform, that employers were urged to review their staff there, and that workers can ask to be reassessed.⁵

For you, this means the job title, salary and qualifications on an offer now matter more than before. Keep them consistent with what the candidate can prove.

Family visas for highly skilled workers

On 6 October 2026, Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry announced a new measure, made with the Foreign Ministry and the human resources ministry. Highly skilled foreign workers can bring eligible family members while their own work visa is still being processed.⁶

Eligible family members are spouses, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters. Their entry visas can be issued at the same time as the worker's employment visa, if all requirements are met. Residence permits for the family are then completed after arrival.⁶

Important details are still open. KPMG noted that the process and the way to apply were still waiting for confirmation from the Saudi authorities and consular missions.⁷ It also advised employers to watch for official guidance on start dates and on which occupations qualify.⁷ Until that guidance is published, do not promise this benefit to candidates in an offer letter.

What to change in your hiring plan

1. Sort every job title. Mark each role as "skills exam", "qualification check" or "not sure". Resolve every "not sure" with your Saudi partner before you advertise.
2. Use the same job title everywhere. The title on the job order, the offer and the visa file should match. A mismatch can send a worker to the wrong check or the wrong skill level.
3. Put the exam inside your selection, not after it. Shortlist, run your own practical test, then book the official exam. Make the offer final only after a pass.
4. Book exam places early. Ask how many seats the centre has. For a large batch, plan in waves and leave time for candidates who need a second attempt.
5. Prepare clean papers for professionals. Collect degree certificates, transcripts and experience letters. Check that names and dates match the passport. Arrange certified translations where needed.
6. Agree who pays, in writing. Decide who pays exam fees and travel to the test centre. Do not let these costs fall on the worker.
7. Track results in one place. Keep each candidate's exam or verification result, date and reference number in one list. You will need it when visas are filed.

Questions to ask your recruitment partner

• Which of our job titles need the skills exam, and which need the qualification check?
• Is the exam running in the candidate's country now? At which accredited centre?
• How many candidates can that centre test each week?
• If a candidate fails, can they try again, and how soon?
• Who pays the exam fee, travel and any overnight stay on test day?
• How will you show us each result, and can we check it ourselves?

Warning signs

• Someone offers to "arrange" a pass or a certificate without the worker sitting the exam.
• A test centre you cannot find on the official platform.
• An agent who asks workers to pay test costs or "processing fees" for the exam.
• Firm promises about family visas before the official rules are published.

Rules in Saudi Arabia change often, and news reports do not always agree. Treat this guide as a starting point and confirm each step with the ministry or a licensed visa adviser before you commit to dates.

Frequently asked questions

Is "professional verification" the same as the Saudi skills exam?

Not quite. The skills exam is a practical and written test for skilled workers, such as trades. The qualification check reviews degrees and experience for highly skilled professions. Both have been called professional verification, so always ask which one a job needs.

Does every foreign worker need to pass a test before getting a Saudi work visa?

No. The exam linked to the work visa applies to targeted skilled jobs, and the ministry said it would be phased in country by country. Other roles go through the qualification check instead. Confirm the rule for each job title and source country.

Can our senior engineers bring their families at the same time?

Saudi Arabia announced in October 2026 that highly skilled workers can bring a spouse, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters while their own work visa is processed. The application process and the list of qualifying jobs were still not confirmed. Wait for official guidance before you promise it.

How many countries does the programme cover?

The ministry said the first phase covered 128 countries in 2024 and planned to reach 160. Later news reports disagree on whether that target has been met. Check the official platform for your source country.