Saudi Arabia has proven itself for its healthcare and health sciences education with several top-quality schools of medicine. Moreover, the high demand for nurses in Saudi Arabia makes it a smart decision to pursue a nursing degree or work as a nurse in the country while accessing very attractive opportunities coming with this profession.
Foreign national nurses with the necessary skills and experience can have the opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia and benefit from its various advantages, such as a tax-free salary, yearly service awards, free medical coverage, and many more. If you’re looking to find a way to become a nurse in Saudi Arabia, this article will be of great help. Take your notes to discover the steps you should take to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia.
How to Become a Nurse in Saudi Arabia
If you’re determined to pursue your nursing career in Saudi Arabia, below we provide you with the essential steps to become one.
Step 1. Obtain a Relevant Nursing Degree
Firstly, whether you’re an international or Saudi resident, you must prove your academic qualifications to be able to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. An official degree from an accredited medical school or university must be provided to not only find a nursing job but also get a work permit in the country. For foreign nationals, if your nursing diploma and academic transcript are not in English or Arabic, you need to provide a certified translation of the proof of your degree.
Step 2. Find a Nursing Job in Saudi Arabia
One great advantage of working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia, if you’re an international resident, is that you can find employment in the country before getting your work visa or permit. So, at this stage, you need to browse the nurse positions in the country and apply for the best options according to your skills, experience, and preferences.
As stated earlier, multinational cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, or Mecca have more and better opportunities for international nurses who can communicate with the hospital staff and patients in English or Arabic. Also, the salary can increase greatly in prestigious hospitals in these cities. You can find nursing positions online or consult the respective hospitals or health centers at the location of your preference. Online recruitment platforms such as Glassdoor or CCM Recruitment can be of help to browse your options.
Step 3. Apply for the Saudi Arabia Work Visa
Once you apply for nursing positions and find employment, it’s time to start your work visa application to be eligible to work in Saudi Arabia. During the visa application process, you need to be careful and make sure you don’t miss out on any document or procedure. Otherwise, your application may fail.
The necessary documents for a Saudi Arabia work visa include a valid passport (for at least six months), Digital power of attorney from the Saudi employer, a visa referral note from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an original acceptance letter from a Saudi hospital, the copy of employment contract, the proof of the applicant’s academic qualifications, and so on.
You can apply for a Saudi Arabia work visa via the nearest embassy in your current location or travel agencies authorized by the Saudi government.
Step 4. Take the Prometric Exam
All healthcare practitioners, including nurses, must take the Prometric Exam to be qualified to operate in Saudi Arabia, and this exam can be taken once you enter the country. The legal procedure for the Prometric Exam is that applicants can take it three times at most if they fail, and if you pass the exam on your third attempt, you need to take the exam again in the following year once you start your employment.
FAQs: How to Become a Nurse in Saudi Arabia
What is the Working Condition Like for Nurses in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has one of the most admirable healthcare systems in the world, and especially during COVID-19, it has proved its advancements in the functioning of the healthcare system for not only its patients but also healthcare practitioners like nurses.
Saudi Arabia has great conditions for international nurses: tax-free salaries, high compensation, working in a multicultural environment, advanced technology in healthcare, a balanced workload, and such. Another important factor is that the language barrier is not necessarily experienced intensely since many Saudi residents and healthcare practitioners can speak in English, depending on the region of the country.
What is the Average Salary for Nurses in Saudi Arabia?
Nurses in Saudi Arabia can expect an average starting salary of SAR 7,500 ($2,000) per month without tax reduction, yet this amount can vary depending on the city in which the nurse is working. Cosmopolitan cities such as Riyadh have higher salaries for nurses, the average being SAR 10,000 ($2,650) per month without tax reduction, which is a fair amount when considering that the average cost of living in Riyadh is about SAR 5,500 ($1,500).
The cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam are highly and diversely populated; hence, there are more work opportunities for international nurses. The salary can increase with the number of years the nurse is working at the same facility, and on many occasions, international nurses are provided with accommodation.
Being a nurse in Saudi Arabia can have advantages from several points of view, from comfortable working conditions to attractive salaries or tax-free payments. Whether you are planning to complete a nursing degree or are already a graduated nurse with or without experience, you can consider Saudi Arabia as one of the most reasonable work-abroad options in your career.
We hope that you found this article on how to become a nurse in Saudi Arabia informative. Planning to study abroad? check out our KSA Study Guide and you can also sample these Available Programs for International Students to learn more about studying in Saudi Arabia.
