The Qiwa Platform is the Saudi government’s main digital platform for labor-system services. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) supervises it. Employers use Qiwa to document employment contracts, issue and renew work permits, transfer eligible workers, request visas and check their Nitaqat status. Employees use their own individual account to respond to the requests that employers send them, such as contracts and job offers.
To use Qiwa, first decide whether you act for an establishment (Qiwa Business) or for yourself as an employee (Qiwa Individuals). Then sign in on the official Qiwa site and open the service you need. This guide follows that order. It is for information only, it is not affiliated with Qiwa or HRSD, and it does not process any transaction. Complete every action on Qiwa itself, and check each service page for the latest conditions.
What Is the Qiwa Platform in Saudi Arabia?
HRSD describes Qiwa as the main digital platform for all services of the Saudi labor system. It is the unified interface for organizing and following up transactions between the parties to the system, including employees and government and private establishments. The transactions are automated and immediate, without paper.
The parts fit together like this:
- HRSD supervises the platform and sets the rules for each service.
- Employers use Qiwa to manage their workforce services and employment contracts.
- Employees use Qiwa to review employment information and respond to contract requests.
- Employment contracts are created, documented, approved and amended through Qiwa workflows.
- Nitaqat, the Saudization program, uses the contract data held on Qiwa.
Qiwa matters because many everyday labor tasks now happen there instead of at a ministry office.
Who Can Use the Qiwa Platform?
| User | What they do on Qiwa |
| Employers and business owners | Manage establishment services, contracts, transfers, work permits, visas and certificates |
| HR managers and authorized representatives | Do the same tasks on behalf of the establishment, within the access they are given |
| Saudi employees | Review employment information and respond to contract requests |
| Expatriate workers | Respond to contract requests and job offers, including transfer offers from a new employer |
Not every establishment qualifies for every service. Each service page lists its own conditions.
What Is the Difference Between Qiwa Business and Qiwa Individuals?
HRSD’s service pages describe an establishment side and an individual side. On the contract service, for example, the establishment creates the contract, and the employee approves it through the individual account, which the page calls “Qiwa Afrad.”
| Qiwa Business | Qiwa Individuals | |
| Who uses it | Establishments, through the owner or an authorized representative | Employees, including expatriate workers |
| Main purpose | Run workforce services for the establishment | See and answer requests that affect the employee |
| Examples | Create contracts, issue work permits, request transfers, check Nitaqat | Approve, reject or request changes to a contract, accept or reject a job offer |
| Responsibility | The establishment sends and manages requests | The employee reviews and responds |
The two journeys are separate, and the sign-in steps can differ. Do not assume the same login process applies to both.
What Services Does the Qiwa Platform Offer?
Employment Contract Management
HRSD’s Contract Management service lets establishments create and document employees’ contracts electronically. The employee can approve, reject or ask for an amendment through their individual account. If both parties agree, HRSD treats the contract as certified. The service is available to businesses and works through Qiwa and SMS alerts.
Employee Transfer Services
The Employee Transfer service lets a business owner hire non-Saudi employees who currently work for another employer in Saudi Arabia, or move existing non-Saudi employees between the owner’s own establishments. A separate Freedom of Movement route lets an eligible resident employee move to a new employer without the current employer’s approval. Both are explained below.
Work Permit Services
The work permit service lets establishments issue and renew permits for expatriate workers. HRSD says a work permit is one of the conditions for issuing or renewing regular residency in the Kingdom.
Profession Change Services
An establishment can ask to change the profession of a resident employee so it matches the work the employee does. It can also ask to correct a profession against the Unified Saudi Occupational Classification Guide.
Recruitment and Visa Services
Through Qiwa, eligible establishments can issue permanent visas, temporary visas and temporary work visas for Hajj and Umrah, according to HRSD’s service listings.
Saudization and Nitaqat Services
Qiwa includes a service to query an establishment’s classification and status, and a Nitaqat calculator that helps employers find their current or expected position. A separate service lets establishments issue and print a localization certificate.
Establishment Management and Certificates
Other establishment services include viewing and paying labor violations or appealing them, changing the establishment’s activity, issuing a Wage Protection certificate of compliance, and viewing certificates such as the nationalization certificate. Availability depends on the establishment.
How to Log in to the Qiwa Platform?
Use the official Qiwa site and the sign-in links on HRSD’s service pages. Then follow these steps:
- Open the official Qiwa sign-in page.
- Choose the account type that matches your role: establishment or individual.
- Follow the authentication steps shown on the live screen.
- Select the establishment, if you manage more than one, or your own profile.
- Open the service you need from the services list.
The authentication method is not the same for everyone. Some sign-in flows may use Nafath, and others may use different credentials. I could not open the live screen, so check the options shown there before you follow any third-party instructions.
How to Register or Access a Qiwa Business Account?
HRSD’s contract service tells establishments to sign up on Qiwa, select the establishment, and then choose the service. In practice, access depends on being linked to the establishment. That link normally goes through the owner or an authorized representative, and the live platform shows the current activation steps.
Before you start:
- Check that the establishment’s commercial registration and activity data are current.
- Ask the owner to confirm who is authorized to act for the establishment.
- Use the authorized account only for the establishment’s services.
If your establishment details are missing or wrong, fix them on the platform or through the relevant authority before you try to use other services. Our guide to the Saudi National Address explains how to keep an address record current.
How Employees Can Access Qiwa Individuals?
Employees reach their account from the same official sign-in page, using the individual option. From there you can:
- Review requests sent by your employer, such as an employment contract.
- Approve, reject or request changes to a contract.
- View and answer a job offer from a new employer.
HRSD’s contract service also uses SMS alerts, so keep your registered mobile number current. Expatriate workers can use Qiwa Individuals in the same way. HRSD also publishes a guide to services provided for expatriates that covers more individual services.
How to Create and Document an Employment Contract Through Qiwa?
For employers
- Sign up or sign in to Qiwa.
- Select the establishment, then select Contract Management and Documentation.
- Complete the establishment’s information.
- Enter the employee’s information.
- Fill in the contract data, such as job title, contract duration, working hours and financial obligations. Include basic salary, allowances and other agreed terms.
- Send the request to the employee.
For employees
- Check your SMS and your Qiwa Individuals account for the request.
- Read the contract terms, including job title, salary, allowances, working hours and duration.
- Approve the contract, reject it or request an amendment.
If both parties agree, the contract is certified and approved by HRSD. If the employee requests an amendment, the parties need to reach agreement before the contract is certified. The service pages I checked describe creating, documenting, approving and amending contracts. Check Qiwa for other contract actions, such as ending a contract.
How to Transfer an Employee Through Qiwa?
Qiwa has more than one transfer route, so check which applies.
Employee Transfer (employer-led)
- The business owner signs in to Qiwa.
- Open the Services tab and select Employee Transfer.
- Choose to bring in a non-Saudi employee from another employer, or to move an existing employee between the owner’s establishments.
- Choose the establishment the worker will move to.
HRSD describes this service as fully automated, with no documents or paperwork. Other steps, such as the worker’s response, depend on the transfer type.
Transfer of services (Freedom of Movement)
HRSD describes this as a service that lets a resident employee transfer to a new employer without the current employer’s approval, subject to the regulations and conditions. The service was released on 8 September 2026 and is listed as free. According to HRSD, the new employer submits a job offer through Qiwa, the worker accepts or rejects it, and the current employer is notified.
Not every employee or transfer qualifies. Do not assume a transfer can proceed without the current employer’s approval. Check the service page for the current conditions, and check your own case with HRSD if you are unsure.
How to Issue or Renew a Work Permit Through Qiwa?
The Issue and Renew Work license service works like this, according to HRSD:
- Visit the e-services page and sign in.
- Select the establishment, then choose the service.
- Enter your search data and add the expatriates who need a permit issued or renewed.
- Search, select the workers, and send the request. A review ticket shows the payment number.
- You receive the request details by text message.
- Pay the fees through local banks, using the payment number.
- After payment, check with the passport office about the residence permit.
A few points from the same page: HRSD lists the service fee as 100 SR, paid through Sadad. A work permit cannot be canceled after it is issued or renewed. The payment status updates in the passport systems within 24 hours. HRSD lists 19911 and info@hrsd.gov.sa as contact details on the page.
The 100 SR service fee is not the total cost of employing an expatriate. Other government charges, such as expatriate fees and residence fees, depend on the establishment and the permit period. Check the invoice on Qiwa before you pay.
Eligibility differs by establishment and worker, so do not assume that a permit will be issued or renewed.
How to Change an Expatriate Employee’s Profession Through Qiwa?
An establishment signs in to Qiwa, chooses the profession change service and follows the steps. HRSD describes the service as automated, with no documents needed, and as supported by artificial intelligence. HRSD’s Change expatriate Profession page lists conditions that include:
- The establishment’s status must be current.
- A resident’s profession cannot be changed to one restricted to Saudis.
- Engineering professions need a valid professional practice certificate from the Saudi Council of Engineers.
- The worker must not be awaiting a service transfer, and no profession change request may already be in progress.
- The worker must not have been issued a final exit visa.
The page also says a profession subject to localization decisions cannot be chosen. Qiwa has suspended changes for some professions, as Gulf News reported, so check the live service. Licensing rules for a regulated profession apply too.
How Qiwa Supports Saudization and the Nitaqat Program?
Saudization is the policy of increasing Saudi participation in the private-sector workforce. Nitaqat is the program that classifies establishments into ranges, such as Platinum, Green and Red, based on their Saudization performance. The range can affect which services an establishment can use, so check each service’s conditions.
HRSD announced an update to how Saudization rates are calculated. From 15 April 2026, the calculation is based on employment contracts documented electronically through Qiwa. HRSD says documenting Saudi employees’ contracts on Qiwa is a fundamental requirement for including them in the rates, and it urged establishments to complete their documentation. The update rests on Council of Ministers Resolution No. 195 dated 4/4/1443 AH, which mandates the ministry to regulate the contractual relationship between establishments and employees, including contract documentation.
To check where you stand, use Qiwa’s service to query the establishment’s classification, and the Nitaqat calculator to see your current or expected position.
What is Qiwa Platform Fees and Service Costs?
Costs depend on the service. The HRSD service pages’ list fees per service, and I did not find a platform subscription described on the pages I checked. Keep these items apart:
| Item | What the official pages show |
| Freedom of Movement transfer service | Listed as free |
| Work permit issue and renew service | Service fee of 100 SR, paid through Sadad |
| Contract management | The service page I checked lists no fee |
| Visa costs, expatriate fees and residence fees | Separate government charges. Not quoted here, because they vary |
This guide does not state any other fixed price. Always confirm the amount on the Qiwa invoice or service page before you pay, and do not pay third parties who promise to handle fees for you.
Common Qiwa Login and Service Problems
| Problem | Likely cause and what to try |
| Cannot log in | The sign-in method may differ by account type. Check the live screen, confirm your account type and mobile number, and contact support if it persists. |
| Wrong account type | Employees use the individual account. Establishment services need the establishment access. |
| Missing establishment information | The establishment may not be linked to your account, or its data may be out of date. Ask the owner or authorized representative. |
| Contract not appearing | The employer may not have sent it yet. Check SMS alerts and the individual account. |
| Contract approval problems | The employee may have asked for an amendment or rejected it. Both sides must agree before it is certified. |
| Employee transfer delays | The service conditions may not be met, or the worker may not have responded to the offer. |
| Work permit renewal issues | The payment may not have reached the passport systems yet. HRSD says this takes up to 24 hours. |
| Profession change restrictions | The profession may be restricted to Saudis, subject to localization decisions or need a professional license. |
| Nitaqat classification questions | Check whether all Saudi employees’ contracts are documented on Qiwa, since only documented contracts count since 15 April 2026. |
These are likely causes, not guaranteed fixes. HRSD lists 19911 and a live chat on its contact page for support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qiwa a government platform?
Yes. HRSD describes it as its main digital platform for labor-system services.
Who manages Qiwa?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development supervises it.
What is Qiwa Individuals?
The individual side, where employees review and answer requests such as contracts and job offers.
How do I document an employment contract on Qiwa?
Select the establishment, choose Contract Management and Documentation, complete the details and send the request to the employee.
Can an employee reject a Qiwa contract?
Yes. According to HRSD, the employee can approve, reject or request an amendment.
Can an employee transfer without current employer approval?
Only through the Freedom of Movement service, and only where its regulations and conditions are met. Do not assume it applies to every worker.
How can I renew a work permit on Qiwa?
Use the Issue and Renew Work license service, add the workers, send the request and pay through the payment number.
How can a business check its Nitaqat status?
Use the service to query the establishment’s classification, and the Nitaqat calculator for a current or expected position.
What should I do if I cannot access my Qiwa account?
Check your account type and mobile number, then contact HRSD support through its contact page.
Can expatriate workers use Qiwa?
Yes. They use the individual account to respond to contracts and job offers.
How can employers contact Qiwa support?
Use the contact details on HRSD’s service pages and its contact page, such as 19911 and live chat.
Final Thoughts
Choose the right account type first, keep your establishment and mobile details current, and read each service page before you submit a request. Document every Saudi employee’s contract on Qiwa, because it now decides who counts toward Saudization. Treat the Qiwa Platform as the place for official transactions, and check for rule changes before you act.
