Health insurance in Saudi Arabia.
In Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
The rules
What Saudi Arabia asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Mandatory for every expat resident
Every expat’s sponsor must insure them. A residence permit (iqama) is not issued or renewed without a policy that lasts as long as the permit.
Source: chi.gov.sa - Employer pays for staff and family
Employers must insure Saudi and non-Saudi staff and their dependants. Dependants are a spouse, sons up to 25 and unmarried daughters.
Source: chi.gov.sa - Cover within 10 working days
For expats, cover must start within 10 working days of entering Saudi Arabia or of moving sponsorship to a new employer.
Source: chi.gov.sa - No employer? You pay
A resident who is not sponsored by an employer takes on the employer’s duty, and must insure themselves and their family.
Source: chi.gov.sa - Visit visa: insurance required
Anyone applying for a visit visa, an extension or a transit visa needs the unified visitor health policy. Family travelling with you need it too.
Source: chi.gov.sa - Visitor policy: SAR 100,000, emergencies
The visitor policy pays up to SAR 100,000, for emergency care only, while you are in Saudi Arabia. Emergency pregnancy and delivery are capped at SAR 5,000.
Source: chi.gov.sa - Tourist visa: insurance included
Health insurance is built into the tourist visa. It starts on the day the visa is issued.
Source: chi.gov.sa - Fines for employers
An employer who does not insure staff must pay the missed premiums, plus a fine up to 1 year’s premium per person, and can be barred from hiring expats.
Source: chi.gov.sa
Saudi Arabia’s health insurance law was written to give non-Saudi residents care through private insurance. Expats are treated through their policy, at hospitals and clinics in the insurer’s network.
Source: chi.gov.saLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
Your iqama needs a policy from an insurer licensed in Saudi Arabia and qualified by the Council of Health Insurance. That policy works through a hospital network inside the Kingdom, so add an international plan for trips abroad.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Saudi Arabia. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Saudi Arabia.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Saudi Arabia and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Saudi Arabia.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- CHI-qualified insurer
The policy must come from an insurer licensed in Saudi Arabia and qualified by the Council of Health Insurance, or it won’t count for your iqama.
- The hospital network
You are treated inside the insurer’s network. Check the hospitals near your home and work are on the list.
- Older children
Sons over 25 and married daughters are not dependants. They need their own policy.
- Cover when you travel
The visitor policy pays only inside Saudi Arabia. If you travel often, check cover abroad or add an international plan.
Step by step
Getting covered in Saudi Arabia.
- 01Give your employer your family’s details. Your employer needs each person’s name, date of birth, ID number and expiry date, marital status and national address. It passes them to the insurer.
- 02The insurer loads you into the CHI system. Once the premium is paid, the insurer must upload you and your dependants to the CHI policy system within 48 hours.
- 03Cover starts within 10 working days. For expats, cover must start within 10 working days of entering Saudi Arabia. Your iqama is issued only with a policy that runs as long as the permit.
- 04Find your hospitals in the network. Your insurer must show the schedule of benefits and the medical network on its website or app. Check the hospitals near your home there.
- 05Changing jobs: the new employer insures you. If you move to a new employer, it must cover you from the date your sponsorship transfers.
- 06Watch for renewal notices. The insurer must remind your employer 60, 30 and 15 days before the policy ends. Without a renewed policy, the iqama can’t be renewed.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Assuming a son over 25 stays on the family policy. He needs his own.
- 02Letting the policy lapse before iqama renewal. The iqama can’t be renewed without it.
- 03Expecting the visitor policy to pay for routine care. It covers emergencies only.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Questions
People also ask.
Is health insurance mandatory in Saudi Arabia for expats?+
Yes. Your sponsor must insure you, and your iqama is not issued or renewed without a valid policy.
Does my employer have to insure my family in Saudi Arabia?+
Yes. Employers must cover staff and their dependants: a spouse, sons up to 25 and unmarried daughters.
Do I need health insurance for a Saudi visit visa?+
Yes. Visit visas, extensions and transit visas need the unified visitor policy. For tourist visas, insurance is included in the visa.
What does Saudi visitor health insurance cover?+
Emergency care inside Saudi Arabia, up to SAR 100,000 for the policy period. Routine care is not covered.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.