The service provides an electronic framework for organizing employment arrangements between qualified establishments and eligible dependent residents, including the issuance of a permit covering the relevant workplace and contractual period.

Its purpose is to enable certain individuals already residing in the Kingdom as dependents to participate in the labour market under approved regulatory conditions.

However, holding a dependent residency permit does not automatically authorize the individual to take up employment without completing the relevant procedures.

Regarding participating establishments, the ministry specifies that the Ajeer Companions service applies to eligible organizations operating in the education and healthcare sectors.

Establishments must be classified within the low green category or above under the Nitaqat programme, in addition to satisfying the regulatory requirements applicable to their business activities.

The establishment must complete the appropriate contractual arrangements through the official Ajeer platform before the individual begins employment under the service.

The programme should therefore not be interpreted as a general authorization for expatriate dependents to work in every industry or for any employer.

Individual applicants must also satisfy specific requirements relating to residency validity, age, family relationships, and professional qualifications.

The ministry requires both the dependent and the principal expatriate resident to hold valid residence permits, while the dependent must be at least 18 years old.

The published family relationship categories include a husband, wife, or mahram, subject to the eligibility requirements established for the relevant application.

Where a position requires professional accreditation or licensing, the applicant must obtain the necessary authorization before performing the regulated duties.

The application process begins when an authorized establishment representative signs in to the Ajeer platform and opens the contracts section of the administrative dashboard.

The establishment then creates a new contract using the workforce contracting service, enters the individual’s information, and selects Ajeer Companions as the required permit category.

The contract information includes the agreed remuneration, applicable allowances where relevant, and other details necessary to document the proposed employment arrangement.

After reviewing the information and accepting the platform’s terms, the establishment submits the contract for the individual’s approval.

The individual must review and accept the proposed agreement before the establishment can proceed with the remaining permit issuance procedures.

If the selected profession requires additional documents or professional accreditation, the relevant attachments must be uploaded before completing the payment process.

Once the contract has been approved, the establishment accesses the payments section, generates an invoice for the required permit, and completes the transaction through the SADAD payment system.

Following successful payment, the permit is issued electronically and the invoice status is updated, allowing the establishment to complete the arrangements associated with the authorized employment.

Concerning fees, the ministry’s general Ajeer permit service page describes the government service as free of charge, while the dedicated Ajeer Companions page indicates that permit charges vary according to the requested duration.

The specialized service also explicitly includes an invoice and payment stage, so applicants and establishments should verify the amount displayed by the official system rather than assuming that every permit is issued without payment.

No single fixed charge covering all permit durations is published on the dedicated service page, making the transaction-specific invoice the appropriate reference for the amount payable.

The ministry’s general service information indicates a processing period of five working days, whereas the specialized Ajeer Companions page does not specify one uniform completion time for every application.

Applicants should verify the validity of both residence permits and confirm that the prospective establishment and professional position satisfy the published conditions before proceeding.

They should also avoid beginning work merely because a contract has been submitted or accepted, as the required permit procedures must first be completed.

The Ajeer platform provides customer support through 920011040 and its official digital support channels for questions concerning contracts, payments, and eligibility.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Ajeer platform remain the authoritative sources for checking the current requirements and permit charges.

Source: Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the official Ajeer platform.