Overview
Content last reviewed: July 2026
The MISA investment licence — issued by the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA, formerly SAGIA) — is the umbrella authorisation that allows a foreign individual or foreign company to own and operate a business in the Kingdom. It comes before everything else: without it, a foreign-owned entity cannot obtain its Commercial Registration, sign its Articles of Association, or open a corporate bank account. Under the updated Investment Law that took effect in February 2025, the regime has moved toward a streamlined investment-registration model that treats foreign and Saudi investors on an equal footing, with 100% foreign ownership permitted in most sectors outside a short list of excluded activities.
Applications are filed electronically through MISA's Invest Saudi e-services portal (استثمر في السعودية), and for complete, well-documented files the licence is frequently issued within a few business days — sometimes faster. The licence type must match your intended activity: services, industrial, trading, entrepreneur, professional, or Regional Headquarters (RHQ), each with its own conditions and document set. As Omnera One, we select the correct category for your business model, prepare and legalise the parent-company documents, file the application on your behalf, and then carry the company through every post-licence step — Articles of Association, Commercial Registration, national address, GOSI and Qiwa registration, and the corporate bank account — so you land in the Saudi market with a fully operational entity.
Activities covered
Service licence — the broadest category: IT, consulting, construction, logistics, hospitality, education, healthcare and most B2B services, generally with 100% foreign ownership.
Industrial licence — manufacturing and production projects, coordinated with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources for the industrial permit.
Trading licence — wholesale and retail, including 100% foreign-owned trading subject to higher capital and investment commitments set by MISA.
Entrepreneur licence — for startups, with relaxed financial-statement requirements when backed by an approved incubator, accelerator, or VC support letter.
Regional Headquarters (RHQ) licence — for multinationals directing MENA operations from the Kingdom, linked to tax incentives and eligibility for government tenders.
Professional and scientific/technical office licences — for regulated professions and foreign firms providing engineering, technical, or advisory expertise.
Who is it for?
Foreign companies (with an existing commercial registration abroad) expanding into Saudi Arabia as a wholly owned subsidiary or branch.
Foreign entrepreneurs and startup founders seeking the entrepreneur licence track, typically backed by a support letter from an approved Saudi incubator, accelerator, or venture fund.
Multinational groups establishing a Regional Headquarters (RHQ) — typically in Riyadh — to qualify for government contracts and the RHQ incentive package.
How we issue it for you
Structure and category selection
We map your business model to the correct MISA licence category (service, industrial, trading, entrepreneur, professional, or RHQ), confirm the activity is not on the excluded list, and identify any sector regulator whose prior approval is needed.
Document preparation and attestation
We collect the parent-company commercial registration, audited financials, and shareholder passports, then manage legalisation through the chamber of commerce, foreign ministry, and Saudi Embassy (or apostille) with certified Arabic translation.
Filing on the Invest Saudi portal
We create your investor account on MISA's Invest Saudi e-services portal, complete the application, upload the attested file, and follow up directly with the ministry until the licence — issued for clean files often within days — is in hand.
Company formation after the licence
With the MISA licence issued, we reserve the trade name, notarise the Articles of Association, obtain the Commercial Registration from the Ministry of Commerce, register the national address, and enrol the company with ZATCA, GOSI, and Qiwa.
Activation: bank account and GM residency
We support the corporate bank-account opening, then process the general manager's work visa and iqama through Qiwa, Muqeem, and Absher so the company can hire, invoice, and operate.
Requirements
Commercial registration of the parent company, legalised and attested up to the Saudi Embassy or by apostille, and translated into Arabic where required.
Audited financial statements for the most recent financial year, attested — with relaxations available on the entrepreneur track against an approved support letter.
Passport copies of the shareholders and the proposed general manager, plus a board resolution and power of attorney authorising the establishment.
The intended activity must fall outside the excluded-activities list, and some sectors require prior approval from the competent regulator before MISA issues the licence.
Cost & timeline
As of 2026, MISA registration (licence) issuance and renewal fees are suspended until further notice under the updated Investment Law reforms — so your main government costs are the Commercial Registration (approximately SAR 1,200 per year plus a publication fee), Chamber of Commerce membership, and document notarisation and attestation. Sector approvals, where required, are priced by the relevant regulator. Figures change as reforms continue, so we confirm the current fee position on misa.gov.sa before you pay anything; complete, fully attested files are typically approved within 3–10 business days. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted upfront.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — in most sectors. Services, industry, and even trading allow full foreign ownership, though trading and certain regulated activities carry higher capital or investment commitments. Only a short excluded-activities list remains closed or restricted, and we verify your specific activity against it before filing.
For a complete, properly attested file, MISA frequently issues the licence within a few business days — sometimes as fast as one to three. Files needing sector-regulator approvals or document corrections take longer, which is why we pre-audit every document before submission.
The updated Investment Law, in force since February 2025, replaced the old Foreign Investment Law with a unified regime: equal treatment for foreign and local investors, a simpler registration-style process through MISA, stronger investor protections, and a narrower excluded-activities list. Existing licence holders were transitioned into the new framework.
Generally no. The application is filed electronically on the Invest Saudi portal, and with a power of attorney we complete the licence, Articles of Association, and Commercial Registration on your behalf. Your presence usually becomes relevant later, mainly for bank-account procedures and the general manager's residency.
The licence is step one of full establishment. Next come trade-name reservation, the notarised Articles of Association, the Commercial Registration, chamber of commerce membership, the national address, registrations with ZATCA, GOSI, Qiwa and Mudad, the corporate bank account, and the general manager's visa and iqama — all of which we handle as one package.