How do I open a private clinic in Saudi Arabia?
A private clinic in Saudi Arabia needs a health facility licence from the Ministry of Health, issued in 2 stages on the Seha platform. For the preliminary approval, you choose the clinic's specialty and attach the property deed and the municipality's approval of the site. For the final licence, you add the commercial registration, a licensed technical supervisor and the minimum staff for the facility type, and the health affairs directorate inspects the clinic before it decides. To treat insured patients, the clinic also needs accreditation from the Council of Health Insurance.
Who licenses a private clinic in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Health. Its health facility licensing service runs on the Seha platform, and lets investors and existing facilities issue, renew, cancel and transfer the ownership of a health facility licence, and change its details.
Each doctor, nurse and other practitioner at the clinic needs their own professional classification and registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) before they start work. Our guide for foreign doctors explains that process: https://www.zavis.ai/guides/foreign-doctor-licence-saudi-arabia
The clinic also needs a municipal licence. The municipal licensing law published on Balady says that no activity may be carried out without a municipal licence and, where one applies, the licence of the government agency responsible for it.
What are the steps to license a clinic?
These steps follow the Ministry of Health's user manual for the licensing service on Seha.
1. Preliminary approval. Register on Seha, enter the owner's details, choose the clinic's specialty and attach the property deed and the municipality's approval that the site is suitable. The manual says Seha issues the initial approval to the investor at once.
2. Staff and technical supervisor. For the final licence, enter the minimum staff that the facility type requires, and a licensed health practitioner as the clinic's technical supervisor.
3. Documents. Attach the commercial registration and the educational certificate of the clinic's administrative director. The health affairs directorate for your region reviews them.
4. Inspection and final approval. Send the request for final approval. The directorate sets an inspection visit and decides on the application.
5. Insurance. To bill health insurers, apply to the Council of Health Insurance (CHI) for accreditation once you hold the final licence.
What does a foreign investor need?
The Ministry of Investment (MISA) runs the e-services for investor business licensing and company registration. We did not find an official page that says which clinic ownership structures need a MISA licence, so ask MISA before you sign a lease or hire staff.
How does a new clinic get paid by insurers?
Through accreditation by the Council of Health Insurance (CHI). CHI's service lets healthcare providers obtain accreditation to work in the health insurance system.
CHI lists these documents: the final licence from the Ministry of Health, a valid commercial registration, a ZATCA certificate, an ICD-10 certificate approved by the Saudi Health Council, and an accreditation certificate from the Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI).
CHI gives a service time of one working day after the documents are complete, and charges no fee for this service.
How much does a clinic licence cost, and how long is it valid?
The Ministry of Health pages and the Seha user manual that we read publish neither the licence fee nor how long the licence is valid. The minimum staff for each facility type is also not in them. Check these on Seha before you plan your budget.
The manual describes the renewal: the directorate makes an inspection visit, and after the visit report is accepted the facility pays the fee and prints the renewed licence. The directorate can also refuse the renewal with its reasons, or set another visit.
Sources
Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Licences e-services: health facility licensing on Seha. Page updated 11 May 2026, checked 21 October 2026. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/eservices/licences/pages/default.aspx
Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare Licensing Service user manual (Seha, in Arabic). Checked 21 October 2026. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/eServices/Documents/Healthcare-Licensing-Service-User-Manual.pdf
Balady, the municipal services platform. Municipal licensing procedures law (in Arabic). Checked 21 October 2026. https://balady.gov.sa/sites/default/files/2025-02/%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%20%D8%A5%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B5%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9.pdf
Ministry of Investment (MISA). Investor e-services. Checked 21 October 2026. https://investsaudi.sa/e-services/registering_investment
Council of Health Insurance (CHI). Accreditation service for healthcare providers in the health insurance system. Page updated 28 September 2026, checked 21 October 2026. https://www.chi.gov.sa/en/ServicesDirectory/Pages/NewRefundCCHIFTPA.aspx
Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). Mumaris Plus frequently asked questions. Checked 21 October 2026. https://scfhs.org.sa/en/mumaris-faq
Related Directory Pages
A private clinic in Saudi Arabia needs a health facility licence from the Ministry of Health, issued in 2 stages on the Seha platform. For the preliminary approval, you choose the clinic's specialty and attach the property deed and the municipality's approval of the site. For the final licence, you add the commercial registration, a licensed technical supervisor and the minimum staff for the facility type, and the health affairs directorate inspects the clinic before it decides. To treat insured patients, the clinic also needs accreditation from the Council of Health Insurance. This guide is published by Zavis (https://www.zavis.ai) and covers healthcare services in Saudi Arabia. Its sources are listed on this page. Last reviewed 2026-10-21.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues private clinic licences in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Health, through its health facility licensing service on the Seha platform. The same service handles renewal, cancellation and transfer of ownership. The clinic also needs a municipal licence, and each practitioner needs professional registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
What do I need for the preliminary approval?
On Seha, you choose the clinic's specialty and attach the property deed and the municipality's approval that the site is suitable. The Ministry of Health's user manual says the initial approval is issued to the investor at once.
Does a new clinic in Saudi Arabia have an inspection?
Yes. When you send the request for the final licence, the health affairs directorate sets an inspection visit and then decides. Renewals also include an inspection visit before the fee is paid and the licence is printed.
What staff does a clinic need for the final licence?
The minimum staff that the Ministry of Health requires for the facility type, and a licensed health practitioner as technical supervisor. Every practitioner needs professional registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties before starting work. The Seha manual does not list the numbers for each facility type.
How does a clinic get accredited by CHI to work with insurers?
Apply to the Council of Health Insurance with the final Ministry of Health licence, a valid commercial registration, a ZATCA certificate, a Saudi Health Council-approved ICD-10 certificate and CBAHI accreditation. CHI gives one working day after the documents are complete and charges no fee for the service.
How much does a clinic licence cost in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Health pages and Seha user manual we read do not publish the fee or the licence's validity. The manual shows that the fee is paid after the inspection report is accepted. Check the current fee on Seha.