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Professional Facility Guide

Required documents to open a physiotherapy center

Select a country to see the official documents, licenses, and facility standards needed to open a physiotherapy center.

25
Countries
16
Arab countries covered
2026-09
Last verified
🇸🇦

Saudi Arabia

Prepared facility-licensing dossier
Licensing authority
Ministry of Health (private health institutions) + municipality (Balady) + Civil Defence + SCFHS for staff
Legal form
Company with a Commercial Registration (CR); health activity must be listed on the CR
Typical timeline
3–9 months including fit-out and MOH inspection
Typical fees
CR + Balady + Civil Defence + MOH facility licence + SCFHS classification (per practitioner)
Area / layout
MOH private-institution standards for a physiotherapy / rehabilitation centre (rooms, corridors, WC, store)
Technical director
SCFHS-classified physiotherapist (specialist/consultant as required for the facility class); Saudization (Nitaqat) applies
Official & Useful Links
Ministry of Health — Saudi Arabia SCFHS Balady (municipal licences) Ministry of Commerce
Required documents checklist
  • Commercial Registration from the Ministry of Commerce with physiotherapy / rehabilitation activity
  • Municipal licence via Balady (رخصة بلدية) for the exact unit
  • Civil Defence safety certificate for the premises
  • Tenancy contract (or title) matching the CR address
  • MOH private health facility application (facility class: physiotherapy / rehab centre)
  • Approved architectural layout before major fit-out
  • Medical/technical director: SCFHS classification + professional registration
  • Staff list: every clinician must hold SCFHS classification and registration
  • Malpractice insurance (تأمين الأخطاء الطبية) for the facility and practitioners
  • Zakat, tax and VAT registrations as applicable
  • Saudization / Nitaqat certificate appropriate to the entity size
  • Equipment list aligned with MOH rehab-centre standards
  • Fire, infection-control and waste-management policies
Facility & equipment requirements
  • Do not operate or advertise before the MOH facility licence is issued
  • Layout must match the approved drawings at inspection (room names, dimensions, WC, store)
  • Connect to the health-information requirements that apply to your facility class (e.g. Sehhaty / HIS when mandated)
Staff licensing
  • No clinician may treat without a valid SCFHS professional registration for that year
  • DataFlow / primary-source verification is typical for non-Saudi practitioners before classification
  • Job titles on the CR, Balady, and MOH files must match the actual licensed activity
Licensing steps — in order
1

Issue CR with the correct health activity, then municipal + Civil Defence files for the unit

2

Submit MOH layout for approval before you commit to expensive fit-out

3

Classify and register the technical director and staff with SCFHS

4

Complete fit-out, policies, insurance, then request MOH inspection

5

Close inspection remarks and collect the facility licence; then you may open to patients

Important tip

The bottleneck is usually SCFHS classification of the director plus a layout that fails inspection. Get the drawing approved first; do not hire staff onto a licence you do not yet have.

Guidance only — not a licence. Confirm fees, area minima, and portal names with the official regulator before you apply or spend on fit-out.