Saudi Arabia

Last Updated: 2026-04-01

Official Portal: Ministry of Interior — Absher Platform

Embassy Finder: Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Saudi Missions Abroad

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	10 years of continuous legal residence (in practice, decades or never)
Language requirement	Arabic proficiency required
Civics test	No formal test
Processing time	Entirely discretionary; no published timeline (years to indefinite)
Naturalization fee	SAR 100,000 (approximately USD 26,600)
Dual citizenship	No — Saudi nationals who acquire foreign citizenship lose Saudi nationality
Citizenship by birth in Saudi Arabia	Extremely limited jus soli (only for children of unknown parentage)
Citizenship by descent	Patrilineal (through the father only)
Governing law	Saudi Nationality Law (Royal Decree No. M/54 of 2004, replacing the 1954 Saudi Arabian Citizenship System)

Dual Citizenship

No. Saudi Arabia strictly prohibits dual citizenship. Under Article 11 of the Saudi Nationality Law, a Saudi national who acquires a foreign nationality loses Saudi citizenship automatically unless prior permission was obtained from the Prime Minister (effectively the King or Crown Prince). Foreign nationals naturalizing in Saudi Arabia must renounce all prior nationalities.

Enforcement: Saudi Arabia enforces this prohibition rigorously. Saudi nationals discovered holding foreign passports may face loss of citizenship, revocation of government benefits, criminal penalties, and confiscation of the foreign passport. The prohibition extends to all members of the Saudi population, including naturalized citizens and descendants of immigrants.

There are no bilateral agreements, treaty exceptions, or discretionary carve-outs. This reflects the Kingdom’s view of citizenship as an exclusive loyalty bond tied to extensive state benefits including subsidized housing, healthcare, education, fuel subsidies, and priority access to government employment.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Soli)

Saudi Arabia has no general jus soli rule. Birth on Saudi soil does not confer nationality. The only exception is a child of unknown parentage born or found in Saudi territory, who is deemed Saudi.

This means hundreds of thousands of persons born and raised in Saudi Arabia to foreign worker parents have no claim to Saudi nationality, regardless of how many generations their family has been resident.

By Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

Saudi nationality is transmitted exclusively through the father:

Father is Saudi: The child acquires Saudi nationality automatically at birth, regardless of where born or the mother’s nationality.
Mother is Saudi, father is foreign: The child does not acquire Saudi nationality automatically. The child may apply upon reaching adulthood, but the grant is discretionary and requires a Royal Order. A 2012 amendment allowed children of Saudi mothers to apply, but approval rates remain low and the process is opaque.
Illegitimate children: Under Saudi law, children born outside marriage to a Saudi mother and unknown father may be considered Saudi, applying the foundling principle.

By Adoption

Saudi Arabia follows Islamic law, which does not recognize formal adoption (tabanni). Kafala (guardianship) does not confer Saudi nationality on the child.

By Marriage

A foreign woman who marries a Saudi man may apply for Saudi nationality, but the pathway is lengthy and discretionary:

The marriage must have been authorized by the Ministry of Interior (Saudi men must obtain government permission to marry foreign women).
There is no fixed statutory waiting period, but in practice applications are considered only after 5+ years of marriage with children from the union.
Full renunciation of prior nationality is required.
Approval is by Royal Order.

A foreign man who marries a Saudi woman gains no path to Saudi nationality.

By Naturalization (Residency)

Saudi Arabia’s naturalization system is notoriously restrictive — among the most closed in the world.

Requirement	Details
Residency	10 years of continuous lawful residence (Article 9 of the Nationality Law)
Age	Must be at least 21 years old at the time of application
Language	Arabic fluency
Financial standing	Must have a legitimate and adequate source of income
Character	No criminal record; good conduct and reputation
Health	Free from communicable diseases; mentally and physically fit
Renunciation	Must renounce all prior nationalities
Fee	SAR 100,000 (approximately USD 26,600)
Approval	By Royal Order on recommendation of the Minister of Interior

Reality check: Meeting these requirements creates no entitlement whatsoever. Saudi Arabia treats naturalization as an exceptional act of state discretion, not a right. The overwhelming majority of long-term foreign residents — including those born and raised in the Kingdom — will never receive Saudi citizenship. Estimates suggest only a few hundred naturalizations are granted annually out of a foreign population of approximately 13 million.

Premium Residency (Iqama Mumtaza): Since 2019, Saudi Arabia has offered a Premium Residency program as an alternative to citizenship. For SAR 800,000 (approximately USD 213,000) as a one-time fee or SAR 100,000 per year, foreign nationals can obtain:

Indefinite or annual residence without employer sponsorship
Property ownership rights
Business ownership
Family sponsorship This is not a path to citizenship — it is an enhanced residency status only.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A Saudi citizen may renounce nationality with the permission of the Prime Minister, provided they hold or are assured another nationality and are not subject to military obligations.

Involuntary Loss

Ground	Details
Acquisition of foreign citizenship	Automatic loss without prior authorization from the Prime Minister
Foreign military service	Joining a foreign military without Saudi government permission
Foreign government service	Employment by a foreign government without authorization
Fraud	Naturalization obtained through fraud, false documents, or misrepresentation
State security	Acts against the sovereignty, security, or interests of the Kingdom
Absence	Naturalized citizens residing abroad for more than 4 years without an acceptable reason (Article 13)

Revocation of naturalized citizens: Saudi Arabia reserves broad powers to revoke nationality from naturalized citizens. The Nationality Law permits revocation at any time if the individual is found to have obtained citizenship fraudulently or if their continued citizenship is deemed contrary to state interests. There is no independent judicial review of citizenship revocation decisions.

Restoration of Nationality

Former Saudi nationals may apply for restoration of citizenship through the Ministry of Interior. Restoration requires a Royal Order and is fully discretionary. In practice, restoration is rare and depends heavily on the circumstances of the original loss, the applicant’s tribal and family connections, and political considerations.

Children who lost Saudi nationality through their father’s loss or denaturalization may apply independently upon reaching adulthood.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Saudi Arabia is not a party to the 1954 Convention on Statelessness or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Foundlings: A child of unknown parentage found in Saudi territory is deemed Saudi (Article 7 of the Nationality Law).
Bidoon: Saudi Arabia has an estimated 70,000—250,000 Bidoon (stateless residents), many from border tribes (particularly along the Yemeni, Iraqi, and Kuwaiti borders) whose ancestors were not registered during the formation of the modern Saudi state.
Children of Saudi mothers: The patrilineal-only rule creates a statelessness risk for children of Saudi women married to stateless or undocumented men.

Document Checklist

Sources

Saudi Nationality Law (Royal Decree No. M/54 of 2004). https://laws.boe.gov.sa/
Saudi Ministry of Interior — Absher Platform. https://www.absher.sa/
Premium Residency Center (Iqama Mumtaza). https://prc.gov.sa/
Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://www.mofa.gov.sa/
Human Rights Watch — Saudi Arabia: Bidoon and Statelessness. https://www.hrw.org/
Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Saudi Arabia. https://globalcit.eu/

Saudi Arabia.sa

Country Snapshot