Commercial registration in Saudi Arabia: how a foreign company gets its CR
Commercial registration in Saudi Arabia is what brings your company into legal existence. A foreign-owned company obtains its CR from the Ministry of Commerce once its investment is registered with MISA, for SAR 1,200 in incorporation fees and SAR 500 for publication. Below: the order of steps, the documents, the official service times and what the April 2025 law changed.
- Incorporating a foreign-owned LLC
- SAR 1,200 + 500, excl. VAT1
- Ministry of Commerce service time
- 72 hours1
- Annual CR confirmation for an LLC
- SAR 1,200 a year2
In brief
- A Saudi commercial registration (CR) is issued by the Ministry of Commerce on the Saudi Business Center platform, after the foreign investment has been registered with the Ministry of Investment (MISA).
- For a foreign-owned LLC, the service 'Establishing a Company Under an Investment License' costs SAR 1,200 plus SAR 500 for publication, with 15% VAT on top: about SAR 1,955 in total (mc.gov.sa service page checked on 6 October 2026).
- The Ministry's published service time is 72 hours, provided the MISA investment certificate is still valid for at least 30 days; in practice, allow 4 to 8 weeks from the start of the file to the CR, documents included.
- Since the new Commercial Register Law took effect in April 2025, a CR no longer expires, but its data must be confirmed every year: SAR 1,200 for an LLC, or the CR is suspended after 90 days.
- The trade name is reserved before incorporation, for SAR 200 (Arabic name) or SAR 500 (English name), and it is refused if it resembles a registered trademark.
What is commercial registration in Saudi Arabia?
Commercial registration, or CR (السجل التجاري), is the official record of a business with the Ministry of Commerce. Without a CR, a company cannot sign contracts, open a bank account or issue invoices. Once the company is registered for VAT, its invoices must also follow ZATCA's e-invoicing rules.
Every CR carries a unified national number (الرقم الوطني الموحد) that identifies the company across government systems. Under the April 2025 law, one CR now covers all of a company's activities and establishments, and separate branch CRs are being phased out.
For a foreign investor, the CR is never step one. It requires the investment to be registered with MISA first, which replaced the old 'MISA license' (see MISA license and investment registration).
How to get a commercial registration in Saudi Arabia as a foreign company
The times below are the service times published by each authority, counted from a complete file. Preparing documents in your home country usually takes longer.
- 1
Register the investment with MISA
The Ministry of Investment checks the activity, then notifies its fees, set case by case. The investment certificate must still be valid for at least 30 days when you incorporate, or the Ministry of Commerce will reject the application.
- Qui
- Tasis prepares and files; authority: MISA
- Durée
- 10 working days (official)
- 2
Reserve the trade name
Up to five name proposals, in Arabic or English, on the Saudi Business Center. Fees: SAR 200 for an Arabic name, SAR 500 for an English name. A reservation lasts 60 days and can be extended for SAR 100.
- Qui
- Tasis; authority: Ministry of Commerce
- Durée
- Service time: 10 days
- 3
Draft and approve the articles of association
Capital, shareholdings, manager, powers, business purpose and head office. Each shareholder, or an attorney holding a power of attorney, approves the draft electronically on the platform.
- Qui
- Tasis drafts, you approve
- Durée
- 2 to 5 days (estimate)
- 4
File the incorporation request
Service 'Establishing a Company Under an Investment License': shareholder, manager, CR and articles data. The Ministry then issues the invoice: SAR 1,200 for an LLC, plus SAR 500 for publication and 15% VAT.
- Qui
- Tasis files; authority: Ministry of Commerce
- Durée
- Service time: 72 hours
- 5
Receive the CR and its unified national number
The electronic CR can be printed from the Saudi Business Center. The articles are published, and the unified national number becomes the company's identifier with ZATCA, GOSI, Qiwa and the bank.
- Qui
- Ministry of Commerce
- Durée
- Once payment clears
- 6
Complete the registrations that follow the CR
Chamber of commerce membership, national address, ZATCA, GOSI, Qiwa and Muqeem registrations, a Balady municipal licence if you receive the public, then the bank account. Full detail in our guide on how to start a business in Saudi Arabia.
- Qui
- Tasis, with each authority
- Durée
- 1 to 3 weeks (estimate)
How much does commercial registration cost in Saudi Arabia?
Ministry of Commerce government fees by company type, taken from its service pages on 6 October 2026. 15% VAT applies to the incorporation and publication fees.
Table 1
| Step | LLC | Joint stock or simplified joint stock company | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade name reservation | SAR 200 (Arabic) or 500 (English) | SAR 200 (Arabic) or 500 (English) | Before incorporation |
| Incorporation under an investment license | SAR 1,200 | SAR 1,600 | With the CR application |
| Publication of the articles | SAR 500 | SAR 500 | With the CR application |
| Total including 15% VAT | ≈ SAR 1,955 (≈ $521), plus the name | ≈ SAR 2,415 (≈ $644), plus the name | Once |
| Annual confirmation of CR data | SAR 1,200 | SAR 1,600 | Every year from year 2 |
Documents required for commercial registration in Saudi Arabia
Most documents are the ones MISA already asked for. Foreign documents are apostilled (Saudi Arabia has applied the Apostille Convention since 7 December 2022) or legalised, then translated into Arabic.
Foreign corporate shareholder
- Recent certificate of incorporation or registry extract of the parent company
- Articles of association of the parent company
- Board or shareholder resolution to set up the subsidiary and appoint the manager
- Power of attorney for the person signing on the platform
Individual shareholders and manager
- Valid passport, plus iqama for a resident
- Verified mobile number and email address
- Aged 18 or over; a government employee cannot be a shareholder
The Saudi project
- MISA investment certificate valid for at least 30 more days
- Reserved trade name
- Draft articles: capital, shares, management, activities, head office
- Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) or sector licence where the activity requires one
What changed in 2025: a CR with no expiry date, confirmed every year
How to check a commercial registration in Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Commerce runs a free 'query about commercial registration data' service that needs no account. You search by establishment name or by unified national number, and the registry data appears at once.
It is worth doing before you sign with a Saudi distributor or supplier. The same search shows, before you pick your own name, whether a company already trades under something close.
The most common reasons for rejection and delay
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner get a commercial registration in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. A foreign company or individual can own a Saudi company, often 100%, and obtain its CR. The investment must first be registered with MISA; the Ministry of Commerce then incorporates the company under that certificate.
How much does commercial registration cost in Saudi Arabia?
For a foreign-owned LLC: SAR 1,200 for incorporation and SAR 500 for publication, plus 15% VAT, about SAR 1,955, and SAR 200 or 500 to reserve the name. The SAR 500 figure often quoted online applies to a sole proprietorship, not to incorporating a company.
How long does commercial registration take in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Commerce publishes a 72-hour service time for incorporation once the file is complete. The MISA registration before it takes 10 working days. Including document preparation, most files take 4 to 8 weeks to reach the CR.
How do I renew my commercial registration in Saudi Arabia?
Since April 2025 a CR has no expiry date, so there is no renewal as such. Instead, you confirm its data every year on the anniversary date, for SAR 1,200 for an LLC. Without confirmation within 90 days, the CR is suspended.
How do I check a commercial registration in KSA?
Use the Ministry of Commerce's free 'query about commercial registration data' service, searching by name or unified national number. No account is needed and the result is immediate.
What is the difference between the CR and the MISA license?
The MISA certificate allows a foreign investor to invest in a given activity. The CR legally creates the company and gives it a unified national number. You need both, in that order, and both must stay valid.
What are the new commercial registration rules in Saudi Arabia?
The April 2025 Commercial Register Law removed CR expiry dates, introduced annual data confirmation with automatic suspension after 90 days, and moved companies to a single CR with a unified national number covering all branches. Trade names are now reserved for 60 days.
Notes and sources
- 1.Ministry of Commerce: Establishing a Company Under an Investment License (fees, time, conditions)
- 2.Ministry of Commerce: annual confirmation of a company's main CR data
- 3.Ministry of Commerce: trade name reservation
- 4.Ministry of Commerce: query about commercial registration data (free)
- 5.MISA: Investor Guide, 13th edition (02-2026)
- 6.Clyde & Co: regulations of the Commercial Registration Law and Trade Name Law (09-2025)
Information verified in October 2026. Amounts and timelines are observed ranges provided for information only. Government fees are set by Saudi authorities and may change: we confirm them in writing before you commit to anything.
See also
Is your commercial registration file ready?
Send us your proposed name, your shareholders and your target activity for commercial registration in Saudi Arabia: we check name availability, the MISA-then-CR sequence and the exact list of documents to apostille. A free 30-minute first call, and a reply within one working day.
- Free 30-minute first call
- Reply within one business day
- No commitment