GOSI registration is one of the first things a new employer in Saudi Arabia has to get right. The General Organization for Social Insurance covers your employees against occupational hazards and, for Saudi employees, provides annuities. Late or missing registration causes problems later with Qiwa, Nitaqat and your other establishment services. This guide explains who must register, what is covered, and how the monthly contributions work.
Who has to register with GOSI?
GOSI’s guidance is clear: private establishments employing one worker or more must be registered. The establishment is the legal entity through which you run your activity, so the registration follows your commercial registration. GOSI also asks employers to register the head office, and each branch or activity treated as a separate employer, within two weeks at the most of becoming subject to coverage.
Which employees are covered?
- Occupational Hazards Branch: mandatory for all workers, without distinction of sex, nationality or age. This covers your non-Saudi employees.
- Annuities Branch: applies to Saudi workers, provided they are under sixty when they first join the scheme.
- Saudi employees working abroad for an employer whose head office is in the Kingdom stay covered under the Annuities Branch while the work relationship exists.
How GOSI registration works in practice
- Make sure your commercial registration is active and your establishment file is open in Qiwa.
- Sign in to GOSI’s online services through the National Single Sign-On (Nafath) with the account authorised for the establishment.
- Register the establishment and complete its data.
- Register each employee as a contributor with the correct wage.
- Keep wages up to date and pay the monthly contributions on time.
If you document employment contracts on Qiwa, the Ministry of Human Resources says the contract data syncs automatically with GOSI once the contract is documented. That makes it important that the wage and occupation in the contract match what you register.
Contributions: what the employer pays
- Occupational hazards: 2% of the contributory wage, paid monthly by the employer only.
- Annuities (Saudi employees): shared between employer and employee at the rates shown in your GOSI account for each contributor.
- Contributory wage: the basic wage plus housing allowance.
Contributions are paid monthly through SADAD or the other approved channels, within the first fifteen days of the month after the one they relate to. Paying late adds penalties, so set a monthly reminder.
Common mistakes new employers make
- Hiring before the establishment is registered with GOSI and Qiwa.
- Registering a wage in GOSI that differs from the wage in the Qiwa contract.
- Forgetting to update the wage after a raise.
- Not registering a branch that operates as a separate employer.
- Missing the monthly payment window.
How Moaqeb can help
We help small and medium businesses with their online establishment procedures, including GOSI and Qiwa, within the permissions of the establishment account: preparing employee data, checking it matches across platforms, and guiding you through each step. Your Nafath login and payments stay with you. See our services, and if you also run premises, our guide to Balady license renewal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register with GOSI if I have only one employee?
Yes. GOSI states that private establishments employing one worker or more must be registered.
Are non-Saudi employees covered by GOSI?
Yes, under the Occupational Hazards Branch, which GOSI applies on a mandatory basis to all workers regardless of sex, nationality or age. The Annuities Branch applies to Saudi workers.
Who pays the occupational hazards contribution?
The employer. GOSI sets it at 2% of the contributory wage, paid monthly by the employer only.
When are contributions due?
Monthly, through SADAD or the other approved channels, within the first fifteen days of the month after the month they relate to.
