Destination
United Kingdom Immigration and Visa Support from Saudi Arabia
The United Kingdom is among the most common destinations for people living in Saudi Arabia: for short visits, for university, for sponsored professional roles, and for joining family.
It is also a system that has changed substantially, and much of the information circulating about it is several years out of date.
Why people in Saudi Arabia consider the UK
English-language education and work environment. Established universities. A large existing community from most of the nationalities represented in the Kingdom. Direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. For many families, an existing connection through relatives already in the UK.
Routes we currently support
- Standard Visitor visa
- Tourism, family visits, business meetings, conferences, short courses
- Student visa
- Applicants with an offer from a licensed student sponsor
- Skilled Worker visa
- Applicants with a job offer from a licensed sponsor, in an eligible occupation, at or above the salary threshold
- Family routes
- Partners, children and other family members of a person settled or with status in the UK
Route and Who it suits
Do you need a visa, or a travel authorisation?
For short visits this depends on your passport.
Saudi nationals have been able to use the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for short visits since 22 February 2024. It is not a visa. It is a pre-travel permission linked to your passport.
Holders of many other passports, including several of the nationalities most represented among Saudi Arabia's expatriate population, remain visa nationals and must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling.
Applying for the wrong one wastes both the fee and the time. We confirm which applies to you before anything else.
Important terminology
The UK retired the “Tier” naming for most routes. The current terms are Student visa (not Tier 4) and Skilled Worker visa (not Tier 2). Using the old terms is usually a sign that the information you are reading is old.
How nationality, residence and application location interact
- Your passport
- Determines whether you need a visa, an ETA, or neither for a short visit, and which family and settlement rules apply to you.
- Your residence in Saudi Arabia
- Determines where you apply and which visa application centre serves you, and provides much of your supporting evidence: employment, salary, residence permit, and ties to your current country.
- Your residence permit (Iqama) validity
- Many applications are strengthened by permission to remain in Saudi Arabia that extends comfortably beyond your intended travel.
What Peregrine does on UK applications
Our role: consultation, eligibility review, route selection, document preparation, attestation and translation coordination, application form completion and review, appointment and biometric coordination, and refusal review.
What we do not do: we do not provide legal representation, we do not appear before tribunals, and we do not hold a UK regulatory registration unless one is published here with its number. If your case needs a regulated UK adviser or a solicitor, we will say so.
General document set
- Passport and Saudi residence permit (Iqama)
- Evidence of employment or study in Saudi Arabia
- Financial evidence in the format the route requires
- Accommodation and travel details
- Sponsor documents: a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies for students, or a Certificate of Sponsorship for Skilled Workers
- Qualification certificates and English language evidence, where required
- Tuberculosis test certificate, where required for your country of residence
- Relationship documents for family routes
Official sources
We check this page against the authorities below. Where you are making a decision, read the authority itself rather than any summary of it, including ours.
- GOV.UK: UK Visas and Immigration
- The UK visa application centre serving Saudi Arabia
Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Next review due 13 January 2027. Immigration and business rules change between reviews, so confirm the current position with the relevant authority before you act on it.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do Saudi residents need a UK visa?
It depends on the passport, not on residence in Saudi Arabia. Saudi nationals can generally use an ETA for short visits. Many expatriate residents need a Standard Visitor visa. We confirm this for you first.
How long does a UK visa take?
UK Visas and Immigration publishes current processing times, and they vary by route and season. We will point you to the published figure rather than quote our own.
Can I work on a Standard Visitor visa?
No. Permitted activities are limited, and working is not among them.
Do I need a job offer for a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes: from an employer holding a valid sponsor licence, for an eligible occupation, at or above the applicable salary requirement.
I was refused a UK visa before. Does that affect a new application?
It must be declared, and it will be considered. Non-disclosure is treated far more seriously than the original refusal.