VoxxArrive · Saudi Arabia onboarding topic
Iqama Residency Permits in Saudi Arabia: What Employers Must Know About Issuance, Biometrics and Renewal
Every non-Saudi employee working in the Kingdom must hold an Iqama, the employer-sponsored residency/work card administered jointly by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD, via the Qiwa platform) and the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat, under the Ministry of Interior). Issuance requires a medical exam plus fingerprint and photo biometric enrolment at a Jawazat center before the card is linked to the employee's Absher/Muqeem sponsor record - Absher and Muqeem are Jawazat's own digital service platforms, not separate regulatory bodies. Since the Labour Reform Initiative (Resolution No. 51848/1442) took effect on 14 March 2021, employers no longer control exit/re-entry travel or all job-to-job transfers, but the employer remains the legal sponsor (kafeel) responsible for obtaining and renewing the underlying work permit and Iqama. For standard employer-sponsored roles, work permits are renewed annually through Qiwa (renewable up to 180 days before expiry); domestic-worker Iqamas now have a separate flexible renewal option (3-24 months) via Absher, and from 1 July 2026 Qiwa will automatically deregister any worker whose work permit has stayed expired for more than three months, subject to a reported (not fully confirmed) exception.
Steps
- Authenticate the contract and secure a work permit via Qiwa - The employer registers the employment contract and obtains an MHRSD work permit through the Qiwa platform - this permit is a precondition for Iqama issuance or renewal and is now classified under a skill-based (High-Skill / Skilled / Basic) framework rolled out from July 2025.
- Process the entry/work visa - The employer applies for the employee's work visa tying the recruitment to the sponsoring establishment, coordinated through the Muqeem sponsor-facing portal ahead of the employee's arrival in the Kingdom.
- Complete the employee's medical exam on arrival - Within days of arrival the employee must pass a medical screening (including infectious-disease and TB checks) at an approved clinic, with results transmitted electronically to Jawazat.
- Attend biometric enrolment at Jawazat - The employee attends a Jawazat center (or authorized provider) for fingerprint and facial-photo capture; appointment scheduling is typically issued by SMS after the relevant fees are paid.
- Iqama issuance and sponsor linkage - Once biometrics and the medical clearance are verified, the Iqama is issued and electronically linked to the sponsoring employer's record in Absher/Muqeem; the physical card follows shortly after.
- Track and renew before expiry - For standard employer-sponsored roles, the employer must renew the work permit annually via Qiwa (within the 180-day pre-expiry window) and keep the employee's Iqama status current via Absher/Muqeem, since the employer bears financial and legal liability for any lapse. A separate flexible renewal option now lets employers renew domestic workers' Iqamas for periods ranging from three months to 24 months via Absher, rather than the fixed annual cycle.
Timeline
Reported industry timelines put the full sequence (medical exam, biometric enrolment, card issuance) at roughly 2-4 weeks from an employee's arrival to Iqama issuance, with the biometric-to-card step often completed within a few business days once enrolment is verified. For standard employer-sponsored roles, underlying work permits must be renewed annually and can be renewed up to 180 days before expiry through Qiwa; domestic-worker Iqamas can instead be renewed for flexible periods of three to 24 months via Absher. From 1 July 2026, permits left expired for more than three months trigger automatic removal of the worker from the employer's Qiwa establishment record, with a reported (KPMG-hedged, not independently confirmed as official codified policy) exception when the Iqama remains valid for at least a further 180 days and the employer was unable to renew the work permit during that period.
Cost & fees
Employers bear the Iqama-linked costs: MHRSD/Qiwa work-permit fees, Jawazat issuance/renewal charges, and a monthly expatriate levy whose rate is tied to the employer's Nitaqat (Saudization) classification (commonly cited as a lower rate when non-Saudi headcount does not exceed Saudi headcount, and a higher rate when it does). Separate companion/dependent Iqama fees apply for a sponsored worker's family members via Muqeem. Exact current SAR figures could not be confirmed against an official .gov.sa fee schedule this session - see unverified list.
Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- Jones Day - "Saudi Arabia Continues Modernization Measures by Introducing Significant Labor Reforms"
- KPMG GMS Flash Alert 2026-168 - "Saudi Arabia: Qiwa Platform to Remove Workers with Expired Work Permits from 1 July 2026"
- KPMG GMS Flash Alert 2026-194 - "Saudi Arabia - Flexible Iqama Renewal Option Introduced for Domestic Workers via Absher"
- Middle East Briefing - "Saudi Arabia Iqama and Visa Rules: What Changed in Q1 2026"
Frequently asked
Did the 2021 Labour Reform Initiative end the kafala sponsorship system for Iqama purposes?
No. The LRI (Resolution No. 51848/1442, effective 14 March 2021) removed the requirement for employer consent on job transfers after contract expiry or after a qualifying service period, and on exit/re-entry travel, but the employer remains the legal sponsor (kafeel) responsible for obtaining and renewing the worker's Iqama and work permit.
Which body actually issues the Iqama and captures biometrics?
The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat), under the Ministry of Interior, captures fingerprints and a facial photo and issues the Iqama; MHRSD's Qiwa platform issues the underlying work permit that is a precondition for that issuance. Absher and Muqeem are Jawazat's own digital platforms - used to hold the digital sponsor-linked record - rather than separate regulatory bodies.
How often must an employer renew a foreign employee's Iqama and work permit?
For standard employer-sponsored roles, the work permit underlying the Iqama must be renewed annually via Qiwa, and can be renewed up to 180 days before expiry. Domestic-worker Iqamas now have a separate flexible renewal window of three to 24 months via Absher rather than a fixed annual cycle. In all cases, the employee's residency status must be kept current in parallel through Absher/Muqeem; letting either lapse creates liability for the employer.
What happens if an employer lets a work permit or Iqama lapse?
The employer retains financial and legal responsibility for the worker during any lapse period. From 1 July 2026, Qiwa will automatically remove a worker from the employer's establishment records once their work permit has been expired for more than three months. KPMG reports - using its own hedged 'reportedly' language, not confirmed as official codified Qiwa policy - that an exception applies only when the Iqama itself remains valid for at least a further 180 days AND the employer was unable to renew the work permit during that period; simply having Iqama runway left is not, on its own, reported to be sufficient.