Saudi Arabia Tightens Iqama, Visa, and Residency Ahead of 2026

Saudi Arabia is tightening immigration, Iqama, and residency enforcement ahead of 2026, introducing streamlined deportation procedures while maintaining strict controls on visa compliance.

Saudi authorities are sharpening both residency-status enforcement (Iqama and visa compliance) and corporate transparency obligations as part of a broader push to tighten regulatory discipline ahead of 2026.

Two late-2025 developments are particularly relevant for employers, HR teams, and compliance leads, namely, the rollout of a structured self-deportation process for immigration violators, and stepped-up penalties tied to beneficial owner disclosure.

A digital “self-deportation” route formalizes removals for immigration violators

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has operationalized deportation procedures through the launch of a Self-Deportation Platform, enabling individuals residing illegally to complete exit formalities digitally rather than relying exclusively on detention-to-removal processes.

This move does not constitute an amnesty. Instead, it reflects an effort to increase administrative efficiency and accelerate enforcement outcomes. For employers, the compliance signal is clear: immigration controls remain firmly in place, while the procedural barriers to removals are being lowered. Regional reporting indicates that the initiative forms part of a broader enforcement campaign, which may extend from arrest through deportation, including coordinated transfers to designated ports of exit.

Why this matters for employer compliance (Iqama and visa controls):

• Workforce risk is operational, not theoretical: If an employee’s residency or work authorization lapses, the “time-to-resolution” is likely shortening, meaning less opportunity to quietly correct issues after a violation is discovered.
• Secondary liability pressures increase: Enforcement campaigns in Saudi Arabia routinely emphasize accountability not only for violators but also for parties who facilitate irregular stay or work.
• HR systems must be audit-ready: Employers should assume tighter inspections and ensure that onboarding, sponsorship records, contract alignment, and renewal reminders are consistently documented.

Practical steps employers should implement now

• Run monthly reconciliations of Iqama validity, visa type, job role alignment, and sponsorship status across the workforce.
• Hard-code “stop points” in HR workflows so employees cannot be assigned to shifts/projects when residency documentation is expired or inconsistent.
• Train line managers: operational changes (site transfers, role changes, secondments) can create compliance drift if HR is informed late.

Beneficial owner non-disclosure: Fines and a clearer enforcement runway

Alongside immigration enforcement, Saudi Arabia is also tightening corporate governance expectations, particularly around beneficial ownership (ultimate beneficial owner / UBO) transparency.

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In early December 2025, Saudi media reported Ministry of Commerce (MCO) plans to penalize companies that fail to disclose beneficial owner data or to submit annual confirmation of that data, including a fine structure that escalates if violations repeat within a year.  Separately, legal and regulatory coverage notes that updated beneficial ownership regulations have been issued by the Minister of Commerce, replacing earlier rules with more comprehensive disclosure requirements.

This sits on top of the existing UBO framework introduced in 2025. The UBO Rules were decreed in February 2025 and took effect in April 2025, requiring most companies to maintain and disclose accurate UBO information (with certain exemptions such as publicly listed companies).

Why Middle East businesses should pay attention

• This is not just an AML topic: UBO data is increasingly a cross-functional compliance item affecting licensing, banking, contracting, and tender eligibility.
• Disclosure is becoming operationally enforced: The regulatory direction is toward routine data validation and annual reconfirmation rather than “one-and-done” filing.
• Ownership structures can create accidental non-complianceL Multi-layer holding structures, nominee arrangements, and cross-border ownership can make it harder to identify the natural person(s) who ultimately own or control the entity, precisely the gap these rules aim to close.

What companies should do (now)

Companies should begin by reviewing their ownership structures in detail, ensuring that the chain of ownership is mapped through to the natural person level and that control rights and decision-making powers are clearly documented. This exercise is particularly important for entities with layered or cross-border ownership structures, where beneficial ownership can be less immediately transparent.

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In parallel, internal procedures should be put in place to ensure that beneficial ownership information is updated whenever relevant changes occur, such as share transfers, adjustments to voting rights, or changes in senior management or control arrangements. These triggers should be formally embedded into corporate governance and legal workflows rather than handled on an ad hoc basis.

Finally, the annual confirmation of beneficial ownership data should be treated as a recurring compliance obligation, supported by a clear internal timeline, assigned responsibility, and documented sign-off. Framing annual confirmation as a routine regulatory deliverable, rather than a one-off filing, can help reduce the risk of non-compliance as enforcement tightens.

The combined compliance takeaway for 2026 planning

Taken together, these moves point to a single theme: Saudi Arabia is accelerating enforcement by making compliance more measurable and administration more automated.

On the immigration side, the introduction of a self-deportation route reduces friction in resolving violations and reinforces the importance of keeping Iqama and visa status continuously clean. On the corporate governance side, beneficial ownership compliance is shifting from “policy requirement” to “penalty-backed expectation,” with more explicit attention on disclosure and annual confirmation cycles.

For multinational groups and locally incorporated entities alike, the near-term priority is to avoid compliance gaps that typically surface during audits, inspections, or renewal cycles:

• HR/immigration: Proof of valid status, sponsor alignment, documented renewals, and controls preventing unauthorized work.
• Corporate/legal: Accurate beneficial owner identification, timely updates, and evidence of annual confirmation discipline.

If your Saudi footprint includes both a sizeable expatriate workforce and multiple legal entities, consider treating 2026 readiness as a coordinated program across HR, Legal, and Compliance—because enforcement risk now cuts across all three.

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