Business Growth in Saudi Arabia
Understanding the GOSI System in Saudi Arabia
Learn how to register with GOSI, Saudi Arabia’s social insurance system, and maintain compliance for your business. AstroLabs handles GOSI setup, payroll integration, and certificate management to keep your operations fully compliant.
Get Compliant with the GOSI System in Saudi Arabia
Once your business is legally set up in Saudi Arabia, enrolling with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) is a mandatory next step. GOSI registration is a prerequisite for hiring employees, sponsoring work visas, and maintaining active access to key government portals, including Qiwa and Muqeem. Without it, your business cannot fully operate within Saudi Arabia's labor compliance framework.
How to Register with GOSI
Create an account
Visit the official GOSI portal (gosi.gov.sa) and set up a business account by providing your essential company details.
Submit required documents
Upload your company registration, tax ID, and employee details for both Saudi and non-Saudi staff.
Enroll your employees
Add each employee's personal details, including employment status, salary, and identification information.
Verify contributions
GOSI automatically calculates monthly contributions based on each employee's salary; these must be paid on time to maintain compliance.
Obtain your GOSI certificate
Once registered and contributions are in order, generate your certificate electronically through the portal. Note that it is valid for 30 days and must be renewed regularly.
Why the GOSI Certificate Matters
Required to sponsor employees and issue visas
Mandatory for monthly payroll compliance and access to The Wage Protection System (WPS)
Necessary for government bidding and public sector contracts
Without an active GOSI certificate, your business operations can face serious disruption
GOSI Contribution Rates at a Glance
GOSI contributions vary depending on employee nationality and the type of coverage. Here is how the current structure breaks down:
Annuities
Applicable to Saudi employees only. Both the employee and employer each contribute 9% of the monthly wage. Non-Saudi employees are not covered under this scheme, so no contributions apply.
Occupational Hazards
Applicable to all employees. For Saudi nationals, the employer covers the full 2% contribution — employees contribute nothing. The same 2% employer contribution applies for non-Saudi employees.
Unemployment Insurance (SANED)
Applicable to Saudi employees only. Both the employee and employer each contribute 0.75% of the monthly wage. Non-Saudi employees are exempt from this scheme.
Penalties for Late or Non-Payment of GOSI Contributions
Government payments delays
Businesses without a valid GOSI certificate risk having outstanding government payments frozen until compliance is restored.
Inability to issue the GOSI certificate
Companies that miss contribution payments cannot generate a valid GOSI certificate, blocking them from bidding on government contracts or completing vendor registrations with public entities.
2% financial penalty
Late payments on invoices may incur a 2% penalty on the outstanding amount.
Employee registration violations
Companies are liable to penalties for registering employees late with GOSI or for failing to promptly remove terminated employees from the system, unless valid supporting documents are provided.
AstroLabs Advantage
| Offering | AstroLabs | Corporate Services Companies offering PRO & GRO | Law Firms | In-House |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40+ on-ground local team of experts |  |  | | |
| Government portal management and compliance support | | | | |
| Full management of your company licenses and certificates | | | | |
| Management of registered employees across the employee journey, from hiring to ongoing management | | | | |
| Full suite of support: PRO, GRO, HRs support and access to a pool of Saudi talent | | | | |
| National Address Registration with varied coworking and private office locations | | | | |
| Seamlessly manage GRO services online using a digital platform | | | | |
| Corporate bank account opening | | | | |
| Access to a community of 700+ high-growth businesses in Saudi Arabia | | | | |
| Extended media and exposure support through press releases, social media coverage and articles | | | | |
| Opportunity-matchmaking with potential partners in governmental entities and corporates | | | | |
| Access to global and regional events such as BIBAN, LEAP, Seamless, etc | | | | |