Transfer of Sponsorship in Saudi Arabia: Employer Guide
How an expatriate's services move between employers on Qiwa: the three transfer paths, when consent isn't needed, and what each employer must do.
What the market still calls a sponsorship or kafala transfer is, in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's (MHRSD) terms, a transfer of the worker's services (نقل الخدمات). It runs on Qiwa, it is started by the establishment that wants to hire, and since 14 March 2021 it does not always need the current employer's agreement.
In short: the receiving establishment files the request on Qiwa and creates the new contract; the worker accepts within 10 days. The request then goes straight through, waits for a notice period, or waits up to 10 days for the current employer's decision. The Ministry of Interior approves it, and the new employer has 14 days to complete it on Absher or Muqeem. The receiving establishment needs an active CR, no expired work permits in its group, wage protection compliance, Medium Green (in the Expansion phase) and enough quota, and it pays the transfer fee.
Hiring a worker from another establishment
Qiwa's knowledge hub sets out the receiving employer's steps:
- Open the Employee Transfer service in the Qiwa business account and choose "I want to hire an employee from another establishment".
- Select the receiving establishment. Qiwa shows its available recruitment quota.
- Enter the worker's border number and date of birth, and review the predicted transfer details.
- Create the employment contract. The worker must approve it.
Check eligibility first. Qiwa will not accept a worker who is not currently working in Saudi Arabia, is already in another transfer, or holds a final exit visa or a final exit work permit. A worker on a temporary work visa is not eligible unless the Ministry of Interior makes an exception.
Conditions on the receiving establishment
Qiwa's Employee Transfer pages (updated September 2026) require:
- an existing, active establishment with an active commercial registration;
- no expired work permits in any establishment of the same Establishment Group;
- compliance with the Wage Protection System, with no existing remarks;
- Medium Green Nitaqat for an establishment in the Expansion phase, and transfers within the recruitment quota, which is shared with permanent work visa requests;
- compliance with the contract authentication plan;
- the worker's approval of the request and the contract.
MHRSD's user guide for the reform, published on 14 March 2021, set stricter figures: wage protection compliance of at least 80% over the last three months, 100% of contracts documented, at least 80% on the self-assessment programme, and approved internal work regulations. Qiwa's 2026 pages do not repeat them, so rely on the platform's eligibility check when you file. Our Nitaqat guide covers what each band allows.
The three paths, and when consent is not needed
MHRSD announced its Labour Reform Initiative on 4 November 2020, in force from 14 March 2021. It lets an expatriate worker move to another job when the contract ends, without the employer's consent, and sets rules for moving while the contract is running, provided the notice period and conditions are observed. The Labour Law frames this: Article 39 forbids working for, or employing, another employer's worker outside the prescribed procedures, and Article 41 leaves transfer conditions to the Implementing Regulations.
Qiwa routes each request down one of three paths:
1. Direct transfer. No approval and no notice period. It applies when the work permit has expired and the current employer has not renewed it, or when no work permit was issued for more than 90 days after the worker arrived in the Kingdom.
2. Transfer pending notice period. The worker serves notice with the current employer first. This applies when the worker has been in Saudi Arabia for more than one year, depending on the contract authentication plan. Notice starts once the worker accepts the request, provided the receiving establishment meets the contract authentication plan.
3. Transfer pending the current employer's approval. This applies when the worker has been in Saudi Arabia for less than one year, or where the contract authentication plan requires it.
MHRSD's 2021 guide set out the rules at launch; Qiwa's current pages do not restate them. Without consent, a worker could move after completing 12 months with the current employer on first entry, while on the job, with no other transfer open, and serving notice where a documented contract is in force. The guide exempted from the service's conditions the cases where there was no documented contract, the wage had gone unpaid for three consecutive months, no work permit was issued within 90 days of entry, the work permit or iqama had expired, or the current establishment agreed. The guide excluded domestic workers and workers with an absence-from-work report.
How long is the notice? No official page we opened gives one figure for transfers. Qiwa's glossary (February 2024) says an employee must give at least 60 days' notice before ending the contract; Article 75, in its current text, requires at least 30 days from an employee ending an indefinite, monthly-paid contract. MHRSD's 2021 guide adds that where less of the contract remains than the agreed notice, the shorter period applies. Read the end date Qiwa shows on the request.
Completing the transfer: iqama, permit and GOSI
After acceptance, the request goes to the Ministry of Interior, which Qiwa says usually takes up to 14 days. Once it is accepted, the status becomes "Awaiting new employer action" and the new employer has 14 days to complete the transfer on Absher or Muqeem, or the request expires.
MHRSD's 2021 guide states that the worker needs an iqama, a work permit and a documented contract with the new employer. Qiwa sends the updated employee information to GOSI automatically once the Ministry of Interior accepts, so no manual GOSI update is needed. For keeping the iqama valid afterwards, see our iqama renewal guide.
Fees. Article 40(3) of the Labour Law puts the transfer fee on the employer the worker moves to, and MHRSD's 2021 guide says the worker pays no government fee. Qiwa lists the service as "Paid" and says an occupation change within the transfer adds no second fee, while MHRSD's service page for the same request lists it as free. No official page we opened states the amount.
Losing a worker to another establishment
A request for one of your workers appears under received requests on your Employee Transfer page.
- Where your approval is needed, accept (the contract ends after the notice period) or reject (the contract continues). After 10 days without a response the request is cancelled automatically.
- Where the worker is serving notice, you can shorten it with "Reduce notice period".
- Where a direct transfer applies, you are not asked. On Qiwa, an expired work permit you did not renew is one such ground; MHRSD's 2021 guide also listed three consecutive months of unpaid wages among the cases exempt from the service's conditions.
The contract still has to be closed properly. Article 88 requires the wage and dues to be settled within one week of the end of the contractual relationship, or two weeks where the worker ended the contract. Article 64 requires a free service certificate on request and the return of documents the worker deposited. How the end-of-service award is calculated depends on how the contract ended; the offboarding checklist covers the settlement, though a transfer needs no final exit visa.
MHRSD's 2021 guide also says an establishment whose worker leaves before the contract ends receives an instant visa, according to the conditions in force. Confirm the current terms on Qiwa.
Why transfer requests fail
Qiwa's status list shows where requests stop: rejected or cancelled by the employee; rejected by the current employer; auto-cancelled after 10 days without a response; rejected by the Ministry of Interior; expired because the new employer did not finish on Absher or Muqeem within 14 days; or a submission failure on an external platform. Earlier, Qiwa blocks requests that fail its eligibility checks: a receiving establishment below Medium Green or out of quota, expired permits in its group, wage protection remarks, or an ineligible worker. None of the Qiwa pages we opened gives the reasons behind a Ministry of Interior rejection.
How SCPL helps employers
SCPL runs transfers for companies on both sides of the move, acting on your Qiwa, Absher Business and Muqeem accounts as your authorised agent; you remain the employer throughout.
- Iqama services: sponsorship transfer in and out, including the Qiwa steps; on the releasing side, accepting or rejecting the request, reducing notice where you agree, and the final settlement.
- Qiwa services: the establishment file, contracts, work permits and transfer requests.
- Government relations: the Absher Business and Muqeem side, including completion within the 14 days.
Ask for a written scope: send the number of transfers you expect, in or out, and your current Nitaqat band.
FAQ
Who submits a transfer of sponsorship request in Saudi Arabia?
The receiving establishment, on Qiwa's Employee Transfer service. The worker accepts it on Qiwa within 10 days.
Can an employee transfer without the current employer's consent?
Yes, in defined cases: when the contract ends; by direct transfer where the work permit expired unrenewed or none was issued within 90 days of arrival; and by a notice-period transfer for workers in the Kingdom for more than one year, depending on the contract authentication plan.
What Nitaqat band do we need to receive a transferred worker?
Medium Green for an establishment in the Expansion phase, within your recruitment quota.
Who pays the transfer fee?
The new employer, under Article 40(3) of the Labour Law. No official page we opened states the amount.
How long does a Qiwa transfer take?
It depends on the path: up to 10 days for each response, any notice period, usually up to 14 days at the Ministry of Interior, then 14 days for the new employer to finish on Absher or Muqeem.
Does a transfer need a final exit visa?
No. A worker who already holds a final exit visa cannot be transferred.
Official sources
Verify current requirements directly with the authorities. Rules in this area change, and the official portal is always ahead of any guide, including this one.
- Qiwa — How to transfer a non-Saudi from another establishment?
- Qiwa — How to manage Employee Transfer requests?
- Qiwa — Employee Transfer service (conditions and FAQ)
- Qiwa — Notice period (glossary)
- MHRSD — Request for transfer of expatriate workers (service page)
- MHRSD — Labour Reform Initiative announcement (4 November 2020, Arabic)
- MHRSD — User guide for the Labour Reform Initiative services (14 March 2021, Arabic)
- MHRSD — Labour Law, "Employment of non-Saudis" (Articles 39, 40 and 41)
- MHRSD — Labour Law, "Labour relations" (Articles 64, 75 and 88)