Legalising the parent company’s documents (commercial registration, articles of association, financial statements and powers of attorney) is the first step in setting up a foreign entity in the Kingdom. Since Saudi Arabia formally joined the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the Apostille Convention), the process has become faster and cheaper for international investors.
1. Apostille pathway for member countries
If your parent company is established in one of the Convention’s member countries (more than 120 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, EU countries, India, Turkey, China and South Korea):
- Procedure: The company only needs an Apostille from the competent authority in its home country (such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised notary).
- Advantage: There is no need to visit a Saudi embassy or consulate abroad, and no Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation is required inside the Kingdom; the apostille is legally recognised in Saudi Arabia once the document is translated into Arabic by a certified translator.
2. Consular legalisation pathway for non-member countries
For companies whose documents are issued in countries that have not joined the Convention (such as some Arab and Asian countries):
- Attestation by the chamber of commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the home country.
- Attestation by the Embassy or Consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the home country.
- Electronic attestation by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs inside the Kingdom through its e-attestation platform.
You can explore the approved registration route and requirements on the Invest Saudi platform, and we will help you identify the right legalisation path for your country.