On August 31, 2026, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh updated its guidance for employers, recruitment agencies, and workers regarding the recruitment documentation process for Indian nationals traveling to Saudi Arabia.
- Professional, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled categories must use the eMigrate portal for document registration.
- Hard copy submissions for these categories are no longer required.
- Domestic service workers follow a different attestation procedure through the Indian Passport Application Centre.
- Contact numbers and helpmates are available for technical support and approvals.
Under current protocols, professional, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled categories—including electricians, welders, technicians, construction workers, office staff, and helpers—must have their recruitment documents registered online via the eMigrate portal.
Hard copy submissions for these categories are no longer required. This digital shift aims to streamline paperwork for non-domestic roles. However, the Embassy emphasized that this update does not exempt workers from personal immigration and emigration requirements, such as valid passports, employment visas, contracts, medical records, and emigration clearance, which must be managed separately before departure.
Domestic service workers, including drivers, maids, guards, and cooks, remain subject to a different procedure. Employment documents for these categories require attestation through the Indian Passport Application Centre, located on the 2nd Floor of the Shamshia Building, near SABB Bank, opposite G Mart, Abdulaziz Road, Shara Washam, Batha Centre, Riyadh.
The center operates Sunday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For assistance with eMigrate approvals or rejections, the Embassy can be reached in Riyadh at 00966-11-4884144, extension 113. Technical support is available in India at 0091-11-26887772 or via email at
[email protected].
The Ministry of External Affairs advises workers to verify job categories, contract details, and employer credentials before departure.
For female domestic workers, additional safeguards remain in place, including a minimum age of 30, a minimum monthly wage of SR 1,500, and a bank guarantee of US$2,500 or the equivalent in Saudi Riyal.