What is Absher?
Absher is the official e-government platform of the Saudi Ministry of Interior, available as a web portal at absher.sa and as a mobile application (Absher Afrad for individuals, Absher Business for employers). It gives Saudi citizens and expatriate residents a single point of access for hundreds of civil and residency-related services. For the vast majority of expatriates living in the Kingdom, holding an active Absher account is as essential as holding the Iqama itself, because most government transactions either start or complete on the platform.
What Absher handles
The platform covers a wide range of services for individual residents and their sponsors:
- Iqama management: residents and sponsors can initiate Iqama renewals, check the current status and expiry date, and track the progress of renewal applications.
- Exit and re-entry visas: a single-exit or multiple-exit re-entry visa can be requested through Absher, permitting a resident to leave and return to Saudi Arabia within the visa validity period.
- Final exit visa: when a resident is leaving the Kingdom permanently, the final exit is typically processed through Absher or coordinated by the sponsor through the companion Absher Business platform.
- Dependent management: workers who sponsor family members can add, update, or remove dependents and monitor dependent visa status.
- Traffic violations: residents can view and pay traffic fines linked to their identity record.
- Passport and document updates: a new passport number and expiry date can be updated in the system, a step required to keep the Iqama record accurate.
- Nafath authentication: Absher connects to the Nafath national identity service, making it the gateway for authenticating into many linked government platforms.
How to register and use Absher
- Visit absher.sa or download the Absher Afrad app from the official app store on your device.
- Select the registration option and enter your Iqama number (or national ID for Saudi nationals) along with your date of birth.
- An OTP is sent to the mobile number registered with the Ministry of Interior. If the number on record is incorrect or belongs to a previous SIM, you will need to update it at a Jawazat (Passports Directorate) office or an authorized service center before registration can proceed.
- Set a secure password and complete the identity verification steps to activate your account.
- Once active, browse the service categories to initiate the transaction you need.
Confirm current steps and any service-specific requirements on the official portal, as the interface and available services are updated periodically.
What expats use Absher for
Expatriates rely on Absher primarily to confirm their Iqama expiry date well before it lapses, to request exit re-entry visas before travelling outside the Kingdom, and to ensure dependent records reflect any changes such as a new passport or an updated visa. Newly arrived workers may use it to confirm their Iqama has been issued correctly after completing their entry medical examination. Employers' public relations officer (PRO) teams typically use the companion Absher Business platform to manage sponsored workers at scale, including bulk Iqama renewals and exit visa requests.
A common practical issue is an Absher account linked to an old SIM or phone number that the resident no longer holds. Because the platform requires OTP delivery to the registered number for sensitive actions, resolving a wrong number usually requires an in-person visit to a Jawazat office or an authorized service point, so it is worth verifying the registered number before an urgent transaction arises.