Since the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development consolidated its services, Qiwa has become the single interface through which Saudi private-sector employers manage expatriate labour. Understanding its functions — and their sequence — is the difference between a smooth Indian recruitment and a stalled one.
The Establishment File
Everything starts with the establishment's status on Qiwa: commercial registration, Nitaqat band, wage protection compliance and a valid Saudization ratio. A file with unresolved violations cannot request visas. We ask new clients to confirm this before scoping a requirement.
Visa Requests
Employers request new expatriate visas by profession and nationality. Qiwa applies the rules automatically: available quota under the Nitaqat band, skill-based classification of the profession, SVP requirement where listed, and any sector caps. Approved requests flow to MOFA for issuance as block visas.
Work-Permit Issuance and Renewal
When a worker arrives, the employer issues the work permit on Qiwa, paying the expatriate levy and permit fees, which then enables iqama issuance through Absher. Renewals run annually; from 2026, SVP certificates for listed professions and skill-tier compliance are checked at renewal.
Contract Authentication
Qiwa requires employment contracts to be authenticated digitally. The contract must match the profession, salary and terms on the visa and comply with the Saudi Labour Law and the Embassy of India's minimum referral wages for Indian workers. Authentication protects both sides in disputes and is now a prerequisite for several other services.
Profession Changes and Transfers
Changing a worker's profession, or receiving a worker transferred from another employer, is processed on Qiwa subject to Nitaqat availability and, for listed professions, SVP certification. Under the Labour Reform Initiative, transfers after one year of service no longer need the current employer's consent if contract conditions are met.
Integration With Other Systems
- Musaned — domestic-worker recruitment runs on Musaned, not Qiwa
- Absher — iqama and exit/re-entry services
- Mudad — wage protection reporting, which Qiwa checks for compliance
- Wafid — medical results referenced at visa stamping
Wage Protection and Mudad
Qiwa checks the establishment's wage-protection compliance through Mudad before releasing several services, including visa requests and transfers. Employers must upload payroll files monthly and pay salaries through approved bank channels; delays of more than a defined period flag the file. For Indian workers this matters doubly, because the attested contract wage becomes the reference — paying less than the contract is both a Saudi compliance breach and grounds for the worker to transfer.
Common Qiwa Errors in Indian Recruitment
- Requesting a profession code that differs from the demand letter attested by the Embassy of India
- Issuing a work permit with a salary below the attested contract
- Authenticating a contract with a different job title from the visa
- Missing the SVP certificate check for a listed profession until renewal
Each is avoidable if the three documents — demand letter, contract and Qiwa record — are built from a single source of truth, which is what we set up with every new client.
Delegating Access
Establishments can grant a recruitment partner limited Qiwa access for visa and contract functions. Many clients delegate document preparation to us while retaining approval rights, which keeps the profession codes and wages consistent across systems.
What Your Agency Needs From Qiwa
The visa authorisation details, the profession codes exactly as issued, and the authenticated model contract. With those three, the Indian-side process runs cleanly. See the full chain in our block visa process guide and cost implications in the Saudi hiring cost breakdown.
