Riyadh Passport Directorate - Al Murabba (Head Office)

Disputes over the SAR 9,600 annual worker levy or the SAR 400-per-month dependant levy are handled in two tracks: the levy itself is a Ministry of Finance charge calculated by Muqeem from the worker's Iqama category, and disputes about the amount must be raised by the sponsor through Muqeem with a corrective SADAD invoice. Al Murabba intervenes only when the levy has been paid but Absher still blocks renewal, when the worker has departed mid-year and a pro-rated refund is sought, or when a dependant levy continues to charge after a dependant has been removed from the file. Bring the SADAD payment receipts, the Muqeem statement showing the dispute, the worker's Iqama and passport, and a Najiz-attested complaint. Refunds are credited to the sponsor's SADAD account within ten to fifteen working days once approved.

If a sponsor has filed a huroob (tagheeb) report on Absher you have 30 working days to dispute it at Al Murabba. Bring your passport, original Iqama if still issued, the Qiwa-authenticated employment contract, three months of Mudad-recorded salary-bank statements demonstrating regular wages were paid, and any documented correspondence proving you were attending work. The case is escalated to the Riyadh labour-immigration committee; if accepted, the huroob is withdrawn within five working days and your Iqama reinstated. If rejected, you have one further appeal at the regional Jawazat directorate before a deportation order takes effect. A sponsor-initiated huroob withdrawal is faster: the sponsor logs into Absher, files the withdrawal, and the system clears the flag within 24 hours without a counter visit.

Under the 2026 Absher amendment, sponsors who remain inside the Kingdom can renew Iqamas for dependants currently abroad provided the dependant's exit-re-entry visa was issued and valid when they left. The transaction is processed online without a counter visit and usually updates within 24 to 48 hours, mirroring the standard internal renewal rule. The sponsor pays the SAR 650 annual Iqama fee and SAR 400-per-month dependant levy via SADAD; medical insurance must remain active. Al Murabba only intervenes if the original exit-re-entry has lapsed, the dependant has been outside Saudi Arabia for more than six months breaking the link, or the family-file (mulhaq) record is out of date. In those cases the sponsor attends in person with the dependant's passport copy, the original exit-re-entry confirmation and updated medical-insurance certificate.

A final-exit visa (Khurooj Nihai) ends sponsorship and cancels the Iqama from the date of issue, not the date of departure. The sponsor files the request through Muqeem; the worker pays any outstanding Saher fines, expat-levy arrears and traffic violations via SADAD; the visa is then electronically linked to the passport. The worker must exit within 60 days or the visa lapses and the sponsor must re-issue it. Al Murabba handles disputed cases where the sponsor refuses to file: bring a Najiz-attested complaint, the Qiwa contract showing the basis of dispute, three months of Mudad payslips and the worker's passport. The Riyadh labour-immigration committee can compel issuance if a documented breach is proven. Final exit is free of charge, but settlement of all financial obligations is mandatory before the system permits issue.

Yes. Since early 2024 the General Directorate of Passports requires an Absher appointment for almost every transaction at the Riyadh head office. Walk-ins are only accepted for emergency travel bans and certain final-exit cases where the sponsor is on the premises. Book the slot through Absher Individuals under Passport Services, select Al Murabba branch, and choose a 30-minute window. The QR code on the confirmation must be shown at the gate. Counter staff will not serve customers who arrive without a confirmed slot for routine matters such as Iqama renewal or exit-re-entry escalation. Five daily prayer breaks of 20 to 30 minutes shape the counter rhythm: arriving five minutes before Dhuhr means waiting through the pause without losing the ticket, but tickets called when the break begins are typically held until prayer ends.

During Ramadan the Jawazat shortens its hours to 09:00 to 13:30 from Sunday to Thursday with no afternoon counter and the biometric-capture suite usually closing by 12:30 because each enrolment takes around ten minutes. In the last ten nights of Ramadan demand spikes as residents prepare for Eid travel, so book exit-re-entry visas at least five working days ahead. Hours for Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha are announced via the Ministry of Interior's X account roughly two weeks before each holiday; the office is typically closed for the official Eid days plus one buffer day. During Hajj season Al Murabba operates a parallel post-Hajj overstay desk to support Makkah and Madinah teams, and walk-ins are accepted for pilgrim regularisation referrals.

An exit-re-entry visa lets a resident leave Saudi Arabia and return on the same Iqama. A single exit visa costs SAR 200 for the first two months and SAR 100 for each additional month; a multiple exit visa costs SAR 500 for three months plus SAR 200 per extra month, capped at the remaining Iqama validity. The sponsor or PRO files the request through Muqeem or Absher, the employee pays via SADAD, and the visa is then linked to the passport electronically. If the resident overstays the validity, the Iqama is automatically cancelled and a re-entry ban of up to three years applies. Al Murabba handles cases where Absher rejects the application for sponsor-Nitaqat reasons or where the worker's medical-insurance lapse has frozen the request.

Yes. If a sponsor has filed a huroob report on Absher, you can lodge a dispute in person at Al Murabba within 30 working days. Bring your passport, original Iqama (if still issued), the original employment contract from Qiwa, recent Mudad-confirmed salary-bank statements showing regular wages were paid, and any WhatsApp or email correspondence proving you were attending work. The officer escalates the case to the labour-immigration committee. If accepted, the huroob is withdrawn and your Iqama is reinstated; if rejected, you have one further appeal at the regional Jawazat directorate before a deportation order takes effect.

Bring the baby's original Saudi birth certificate from the Civil Status Department, parents' passports and Iqamas, the family file mulhaq number from the original sponsorship, and an attested marriage certificate. The newborn must be added to the father's file within 90 days of birth; after that, the sponsor pays SAR 100 per month overstay fee. The newborn's Iqama is issued for the same expiry date as the father's residence permit; the SAR 400-per-month dependant levy is pro-rated. Medical insurance covering the infant is mandatory before the Iqama is printed.

Yes. Absher Individuals at absher.sa handles Iqama renewal, exit-re-entry visas, final-exit submissions, dependant travel permits and most fine payments. Muqeem at muqeem.sa is the sponsor-side mirror used by employers and PROs for batched filings. Tawakkalna shows a digital Iqama in your wallet, accepted at airports and government counters. Qiwa handles work-permit and contract authentication on the labour side. Al Murabba is reserved for cases the apps cannot finish: biometric capture, huroob disputes, sponsor-blocked exits, and dependant-file updates that require sighted original documents.

Most routine transactions for domestic workers (drivers, housemaids, gardeners) require either the sponsor's physical presence or a Najiz-attested electronic power of attorney (Wakeel). Final-exit, sponsorship-transfer and huroob-withdrawal cases always need the sponsor or an authorised representative because the worker's onward status depends on sponsor confirmation. Exit-re-entry visas and Iqama renewals can be filed by the worker alone if the sponsor has issued an Absher Wakeel. Without that authorisation, counter staff are required by Saudi labour law to refuse the transaction and refer the worker back to the sponsor or to the Musaned platform for protected escalation.

Under the 2026 Absher amendment, sponsors who remain inside the Kingdom can renew Iqamas for dependants currently abroad provided the dependant's exit-re-entry visa was issued before travel. The transaction is processed online without a counter visit and usually updates within 24 to 48 hours, mirroring the standard internal renewal rule. The sponsor pays the SAR 650 annual Iqama fee and SAR 400-per-month dependant levy via SADAD; medical insurance must remain active. The Al Murabba counter only intervenes if the original exit-re-entry has lapsed or the dependant has been outside Saudi Arabia for more than six months.

Wednesday and Thursday afternoons after 13:00 are the quietest weekday windows; Sunday and Monday between 08:00 and 11:00 are the busiest because PROs file batched files at week-start. Alternative routes include the Al Malaz branch on Salah Ad Din Al Ayyubi Road for eastern Riyadh residents (counter-served, 07:30 to 14:30 weekdays), the Sahara Mall self-service kiosk in north Riyadh (mall hours including evenings and weekends, walk-in only, narrower menu), and the Al Aziziyah SAPTCO terminal office in south Riyadh (open Saturday 10:00 to 18:00, walk-in). For routine renewals and exit-re-entry visas the Absher app removes the need to attend any branch in person.