Saudi Arabia simplifies ‘Iqama’ rules for foreign workers

Saudi Arabia has made it easier for foreign residents to report lost ‘Iqamas’, the official permit required for employment and identification, by transferring the service to the government’s digital ‘Muqeem portal’.

Millions of expatriates live and work in Saudi Arabia and are issued an Iqama. Earlier, reporting a lost Iqama involved visiting multiple government offices, making the process time-consuming.

However, following the launch of digital services by the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, procedures related to Iqama issuance, renewal and replacement have been streamlined.

According to Arab media reports, the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) in Saudi Arabia has introduced new guidelines to report the loss of an expatriate worker’s Iqama directly through the Muqeem portal.

In a post on its official X account, Jawazat said that the process can be completed online without the need to visit government offices.

To submit a report, users must log in to the Muqeem portal, access the applicant’s dashboard and enter the lost Iqama number in the designated field.

They should then select “Jawazat Services” followed by “Report loss of expat Iqama”, before submitting the application electronically.

Once the report has been filed, the required government procedures will be completed through the system within the prescribed timeframe. Updates on the application’s progress will be available through the company’s Muqeem portal.

It is to be noted that while the Absher platform provides separate services for individuals and businesses, employment-related matters for expatriate workers are handled through the Muqeem portal by their employers.

The individual section of Absher is primarily intended for heads of households to manage services related to their family members.