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How to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia from India

A nurse from India gets an SCFHS licence in 8 steps over about 6 months on the main route, with SAR 500 in published fees, and one thing is different from India: emigration clearance through eMigrate.

Checked 23 Oct 2026 · SCFHS ↗

What is different from India

If your passport is from India

Do I need emigration clearance?

Yes. Since 31 May 2015 Indian nurses need emigration clearance (eMigrate) for employment in the 18 ECR countries, whatever their passport endorsement.

Recruitment of nurses for overseas employment is restricted to state-run recruiting agencies (MEA names NORKA Roots and ODEPC in Kerala and the Overseas Manpower Corporation in Tamil Nadu; the current list of authorised agencies is to be verified).

ECR countries list: where Indian nurses need emigration clearance →

Your steps, in order

Nurse Specialist classification (bachelor's degree) · Saudi Commission for Health Specialties · ~6 months · 8 steps
  1. 1
    Valid registration as a nurse in your country of training or last practice
    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Bachelor's degree in nursing
    Source ↗
  3. 3
    At least one year of experience (non-Saudis), evidenced by a personnel-department letter with field, category and dates
    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Primary source verification of your qualification, home registration and experience (DataFlow)
    ~5 weeks · ~SAR 500 · who pays varies · Source ↗
  5. 5
    Pass the SCFHS Prometric exam
    who pays varies · Source ↗
  6. 6
    Certificate of good standing under six months old
    you pay · Source ↗
  7. 7
    Job offer and lawful residence (iqama); registration follows residence
    employer usually pays · Source ↗
  8. 8
    Emigration clearance through eMigrate, recruited only through a government agency (Indian nurses)
    you pay · Source ↗

The published fees leave out the visa or work permit, certificates from home and one step whose fee is not published.

Other routes

Emigration clearance through eMigrate applies on each of them too.

Every step on every route →

What to do next

Tell us about your training, your registration and your experience, and we show which of SCFHS's steps you have left, with each fee and how long it takes.

Sources

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