Saudi Skill Verification Program: How to Align Your CV Before You Apply (2026)

The Saudi skill verification program is one of the checks that stands between an offer and your first day at work in Saudi Arabia. If you are an electrician, plumber, welder, technician or another skilled tradesperson, you may need to pass a test before your visa is processed. If you are an engineer, accountant or other degree holder, your qualifications and experience may be verified instead.

Neither check reads your CV. But your CV is where your job title, dates and certificates first appear, and the employer uses those details when it files your occupation. When the CV, the documents and the visa occupation don't match, approvals slow down.

This guide is for expatriate workers in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, the Philippines, Nepal, Kenya and elsewhere. It explains how the program works as of October 2026 and how to align your CV with it. Rules, fees and covered occupations change, so confirm details with the official portals linked below.

What is the Saudi skill verification program?

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) runs a Professional Accreditation Program under Cabinet Decision No. 195. Its aim is to confirm that expatriate workers have the qualifications and skills their occupation requires before they enter the Saudi labor market. It works through two tracks:

	Skill verification (SVP)	Professional verification
Who it's for	Expatriate workers in notified skilled trades and technical occupations	Highly skilled expatriate workers holding a diploma or higher
What it checks	Practical and theoretical knowledge of the trade, through a test	That degrees are genuine (checked with the issuing institution) and that work experience is genuine (checked with the employer that issued the letter)
Where it happens	Accredited test centers, including in labor-sending countries	An electronic platform supervised by HRSD, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
What you bring	Passport, trade knowledge, practical skill	Degree certificates and experience letters

When HRSD completed the first phase of professional verification, it covered 128 countries, with plans to expand to 160, and the Saudi Press Agency later reported the expansion to 160 countries. The HRSD skills page describes the verification steps.

Who needs skill verification, and who needs professional verification?

As of October 2026:

• Skilled trades and technical roles. Pakistan's National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), the program's partner there, states that skill verification is "mandatory only for candidates going to KSA in occupations notified by Saudi Takamol." Takamol is the Saudi company that runs the assessments. NAVTTC lists more than a hundred approved trades for Pakistani candidates, covering mechanical, electrical, civil and construction, culinary and other trade groups.
• Highly skilled roles. Workers with a diploma or higher in highly skilled occupations go through professional verification of their certificates and experience.
• Licensed professions. Engineers, doctors, nurses and accountants may also need registration with their Saudi professional body, such as the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE), the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) or SOCPA for accountants.

Not sure which applies to you? Ask the employer's HR or the licensed recruitment agency handling your visa which occupation will be filed, then check whether that occupation is on the SVP list for your country.

How does the skill verification test work?

The steps below follow NAVTTC's published process for Pakistan as of October 2026. Other countries use the same SVP portal, though centers and fees differ:

1. Create a profile on the official SVP portal (svp-international.pacc.sa) using your passport details.
2. Choose your trade, the city and a test date.
3. Pay the test fee online. NAVTTC lists USD 85 per test from 9 September 2026.
4. Download your appointment slip. The system assigns a test center.
5. Take the assessment at the assigned center.
6. Get your result. NAVTTC says results are uploaded to the SVP portal within 24 hours. If you don't pass, you can book a new appointment.

Workers already inside Saudi Arabia are handled through the Kingdom's labor systems, including Qiwa, the HRSD labor services platform. Check with your employer.

Why does your CV need to match your verification?

Think of it as a chain. Each link has to name the same occupation:

1. Your CV states your job title, experience and certificates.
2. The employer makes an offer based on your CV.
3. The employer files a visa and work permit occupation.
4. That occupation decides whether you need skill verification, professional verification or a professional body's registration.
5. Your test trade, certificates and experience letters must support that occupation.

If your CV says "MEP Supervisor," your experience letters say "Electrician," and the trade you tested in is "Electrical Technician," someone has to stop and ask which one is right. Days or weeks can be lost on a question that a consistent CV would have prevented.

How do you align your CV before you apply?

Work through these steps before you send a single application:

1. Use your real, documented job title in your CV headline. Put the role you are targeting in the summary instead: "Electrician with 6 years in commercial fit-out, targeting MEP supervisor roles."
2. Use the standard trade or profession name. Verification is occupation-based. An accountant should read as "Accountant," not "Finance Professional"; a welder as "Welder (TIG/MIG)," not "Fabrication Specialist."
3. Copy degree details exactly from your certificate: name of the qualification, institution, country and year.
4. Match employers and dates to your experience letters. Professional verification checks experience with the employer that issued the letter.
5. Keep HR contact details for past employers. If an employer can't be reached to confirm your experience, verification can stall.
6. List your verification and registrations in a dedicated section, so recruiters see them immediately.
7. Spell your name the same way on your CV, passport, certificates and test registration.

For the rest of the Saudi format, including the personal details block, iqama status and photo, see our Saudi Arabia CV format. Applying from Pakistan? Our Pakistan CV format explains which local biodata details to drop for Gulf applications.

How do you show skill verification on your CV?

Give it a line in your licenses and certifications section:

Licenses and certifications Saudi Skill Verification Program: Electrician (passed, 2026) NEBOSH International General Certificate (2026) City & Guilds Electrical Installation Level 3

For degree holders, mention verification only once it is complete:

Education BSc Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan, 2019 (degree attested; professional verification completed) Professional registration: Saudi Council of Engineers (registration in progress)

Be precise. "In progress" is honest and useful; claiming a registration you don't hold will be caught during visa processing.

See the electrician resume example and the civil engineer resume example for full CVs in these trades.

Example: a costly mismatch and the fix

Before (headline): Project Engineer | 7 years | Infrastructure Degree: BSc Civil Engineering · Experience letters: "Civil Engineer" · Offer occupation: Civil Engineer

The candidate used the title he wanted next. The employer filed "Civil Engineer," verification ran on that occupation, and the recruiter paused to ask why the CV said something else.

After (headline): Civil Engineer | 7 years in road and bridge projects | Targeting project engineering roles in Riyadh

Same experience, same ambition, no conflict.

Common mistakes with the Saudi skill verification program

1. Inflated job titles that don't match your experience letters or test trade.
2. Paying an agent to "arrange" a pass. Tests happen at accredited centers; no one can sell you a result.
3. Testing in the wrong trade because it had an earlier date.
4. Experience letters with different dates from your CV.
5. Waiting for an offer to start attestation.
6. Leaving the SVP certificate off the CV, so recruiters don't know you've already passed.
7. Relying on old social media posts for fees and rules instead of the official portal.

Build it in EZProCV

EZProCV's ATS-friendly templates give you a clean single-column CV with a dedicated licenses and certifications section and optional Gulf fields for nationality, visa or iqama status, notice period and photo. You can import an existing CV in PDF or Word format, correct titles and dates to match your documents, and download a text-based PDF for free. New to CV writing? Our step-by-step guide to writing a resume covers the basics.

Sources

• HRSD: Professional verification first phase completed
• HRSD: Skills and training
• Saudi Press Agency: Professional verification expanded to 160 countries
• NAVTTC Pakistan: Takamol Skill Verification Program
• Qiwa: HRSD labor services platform

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Saudi skill verification test cost?
Fees are set per country and change. As of October 2026, Pakistan's NAVTTC lists USD 85 per test, effective 9 September 2026, paid online through the SVP portal. Other countries may differ. Check the official SVP portal or your country's partner agency before paying, and be wary of agents who quote a much higher price for 'arranging' the test.

What happens if I fail the skill verification test?
According to NAVTTC's guidance for Pakistan, an unsuccessful candidate can book a new appointment through the SVP portal. The page does not state a limit on attempts or a waiting period, so check the portal for the current rules. Use the result to identify the weaker parts of your trade and practice them before you rebook.

Do Saudi nationals or GCC citizens take the skill verification test?
No. The program is designed for expatriate workers coming to or working in Saudi Arabia in notified occupations. Saudi nationals follow separate training and certification routes. If you are a GCC citizen, check with your employer, because your work authorization in the Kingdom works differently from that of other expatriates.

Should I put my SVP certificate on my CV?
Yes. Add it to your licenses and certifications section with the trade name, the year and the words 'Saudi Skill Verification Program'. Recruiters filling Saudi trade roles look for it, because it shows you have already passed a step their visa process needs. Keep the trade name exactly as it appears on the certificate.

Is the skill verification program the same as SCE or SCFHS accreditation?
No. The Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) are professional bodies that register or license engineers and health practitioners. Skill verification tests skilled trades. Professional verification checks degrees and experience for highly skilled workers. A nurse or engineer may need professional registration as well as verification, so ask your employer which steps apply.