Saudi Arabia makes health insurance mandatory for issuance of temporary work visas

Saudi Arabia has introduced new requirements mandating that foreign nationals applying for temporary work visas must secure health insurance before their visa is issued. The change marks a shift from the earlier process, which allowed applicants to obtain health insurance after visa approval.

According to a report by Fragomen, the new policy requires the health insurance to be issued by the sponsoring company’s registered health insurance provider, which must also be approved by the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI), the regulatory authority overseeing health coverage in the Kingdom. Previously, any provider listed on the Enjaz platform was accepted.

Under the revised rules, the approved insurance provider must also submit a copy of the applicant’s passport and temporary employment contract to the CCHI. This ensures that the insurance policy is directly linked to the individual’s passport record in the council’s system, a requirement that did not exist earlier.


The update aligns with Saudi Arabia’s broader effort to strengthen worker protection and simplify administrative processes tied to foreign employment.

The new rule applies to all employers sponsoring foreign workers on temporary work visas and takes immediate effect.