As part of its ongoing efforts to regulate the labor market and clarify rights and obligations, the General Organization for Social Insurance in Saudi Arabia has revealed details regarding the possibility of including domestic workers in the social insurance system. This clarification aims to remove any ambiguity surrounding the categories eligible for registration, thereby strengthening the social protection system in the Kingdom.
Conditions for registering domestic service workers
The Social Insurance Authority, through its official portal and frequently asked questions guide, clarified that the primary criterion for domestic workers to be subject to social insurance law is the place of work. The Authority stipulated that the workplace must not be located within a private residence .
Based on this criterion, it is clear that categories working in the vicinity of real estate but not inside private residential units, such as the property guard or gardener , are subject to the provisions of the Social Insurance Law, which guarantees them retirement and insurance rights against occupational risks, which represents an important step towards improving job stability for this category.
The importance of insurance coverage and its social impact
Social insurance systems are a cornerstone of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, aimed at enhancing quality of life and providing a social safety net for citizens and residents. Including categories such as property caretakers in the system helps protect them from the risks of disability, old age, and death, positively impacting the economic stability of beneficiary families and reducing future financial burdens.
Documents required for disbursing entitlements to heirs
In the event of the subscriber's death, the Authority has specified a set of necessary documents that family members must submit to ensure the disbursement of insurance benefits, as follows:
- Fill out the compensation procedures form available on the Authority's website.
- Submit the subscriber's death certificate or any certified official document that accurately specifies the date of death.
- An official certified document listing the heirs and beneficiaries, specifying their ages.
- The marriage contract of the widow (or widower) to the deceased subscriber.
- Proof of dependency for the applicant for disbursement (except for widows, sons and daughters).
- A document proving that children or siblings who are over 21 years of age are regularly attending school (renewed annually until age 26 or graduation).
- Certified medical reports proving the inability to earn a living in medical cases to be presented to the medical committee.
- Documents proving that the widow, father or grandfather has reached the age of sixty, or a certificate of inability to earn a living if the age is less than that.
- Bank account number (IBAN) for pension transfer.
- National identity card or family card for eligible heirs.
Optional Subscription System: Beneficiary Categories
In addition to mandatory enrollment, the Saudi social insurance system offers voluntary enrollment in the pensions branch for several categories of Saudis who are not employed by an employer subject to mandatory insurance. This system aims to broaden the scope of insurance protection to include:
- Self-employed professionals who have obtained practice licenses from the competent authorities.
- Self-employed craftsmen (such as carpenters, blacksmiths, plumbers).
- Saudis working outside the Kingdom without being affiliated with an employer inside it.
- Saudis working in foreign diplomatic and military missions within the Kingdom (not subject to the obligation).
- Former subscribers whose mandatory subscription has stopped and who wish to complete their subscription periods to ensure they receive a pension.
