Saudi Arabia has disclosed the financial threshold foreigners must meet to be considered for its five-year premium residency, setting the figure at 100,000 SAR (roughly KSh 3.6 million).
The announcement provides clarity on one of the most significant requirements in the application process for what the country is calling premium residency status, a longer-term arrangement designed for foreign nationals who wish to live in the kingdom for an extended period.
5-year premium residency: Saudi Arabia publishes fee foreigners need to pay
Cost of Saudi Arabia’s 5-year premium residency
The 100,000 SAR payment is the headline financial requirement attached to the five-year duration of the premium residency.
For Kenyan applicants eyeing the opportunity, this translates to roughly KSh 3.6 million at current exchange rates, placing it well beyond the reach of average earners and firmly in the territory of high-net-worth individuals.
It is worth noting that the financial requirement alone does not guarantee approval. Saudi Arabia has made clear that additional criteria must be satisfied before an application is considered complete and eligible for processing.
Saudi Arabia’s premium residency: Other conditions foreigners must meet
Beyond paying the specified fee, prospective applicants are expected to fulfil a separate set of requirements.
While the full list of those additional conditions was not detailed in the announcement covered here, Saudi Arabia confirmed that meeting the financial threshold is only one component of a broader evaluation process.
The premium residency programme reflects Saudi Arabia’s continued effort to attract qualified and financially capable foreign nationals as part of its broader economic diversification drive under Vision 2030.
The five-year residency option sits alongside other existing categories in the kingdom’s residency framework, giving eligible foreigners a longer-term legal footing in the country without the need to renew their status annually.
