Saudi Arabia extends grace period for irregular foreign workers until December 31

Saudi Arabia has extended the deadline for employers to regularise the status of foreign workers with long-expired or missing work permits until December 31, 2026, giving businesses an additional six months to complete compliance requirements, according to a report by Fragomen.

The extension applies to foreign workers whose work permits expired more than 12 months ago, as well as those who were not issued a work permit within six months of joining an establishment. The previous deadline was June 30, 2026.

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Under the earlier timeline, foreign workers whose work permits had expired for more than three months were set to be automatically removed from their employers' records on the Qiwa portal after the June deadline. The extension postpones that action and allows employers more time to update workers' employment status.

Employers have been advised to review the status of their foreign workforce and renew expired work permits or obtain new permits, wherever required, before the revised deadline.

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Authorities have warned that employers who fail to regularise the status of eligible workers by December 31, 2026 could face financial penalties and other compliance-related consequences.