Moving to Saudi Arabia
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Saudi Arabia, in one place.
Western AsiaThinking about moving to Saudi Arabia?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Saudi Arabia at a glance
How long can you stay in Saudi Arabia?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 90 days
UK passport- Rule
- eTA before you fly
- Stay
- 180 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 90 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 90 days
Australian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 90 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa needed
- Stay
- –
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Citizenship in Saudi Arabia
Naturalization takes about 10 years of residence.
Dual citizenship isn't allowed, so you'd give up your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has no personal income tax.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Lowest income tax band – 0%
- Top income tax rate – 0%
- Corporate tax – 2%
- VAT or sales tax – 15%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Saudi Arabia
Everyday prices in Saudi Arabia are about 47% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2025: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
It's cheaper than the US, though rent in the big cities can close the gap.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Saudi Arabia safe?
The US State Department rates Saudi Arabia Level 3 ("Reconsider travel", updated 2026-03-13). Level 3 means the US asks you to reconsider the trip. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Saudi Arabia
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Saudi Arabia over the last 12 months, half came in above 24 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 79 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (3,508,404 tests).
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
Saudi Arabia: the basics
| What | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Capital | Riyadh |
| Currency | Saudi riyal (SAR) |
| Languages | Arabic |
| Population | about 33.7 million |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Saudi Arabia
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Saudi Arabia FAQs
Visa on arrival, for 90 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 10 years of residence.
No.
You'd give up your other passport to naturalize.
Saudi Arabia has no personal income tax.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 47% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2025.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 3.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 24 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 79 Mbps.
The Saudi riyal (SAR).
The main language is Arabic.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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