At a glance
- Local name
- Iqama (Muqeem Card)
- Country
- Saudi Arabia
- Process steps
- 8
- Fee items
- 8
- Online portals
- 6
- FAQs
- 9
- Pitfalls covered
- 8
- Last verified
- 2026-06
What is Iqama (Muqeem Card) in KSA?
The Iqama is the residency card every non-Saudi worker and most of their dependents must carry inside the Kingdom. It is issued by the Ministry of Interior, printed under the Muqeem (residence) brand, and tied to a single sponsoring employer through the Qiwa contract system. In day-to-day use you will hear the card called an Iqama, a Muqeem card, or simply 'the residence' - they are the same document, and the number on the front is what banks, hospitals, traffic police, and SADAD all look up.
The single biggest change for 2026 is the move to a 5-year physical card. Effective January 2026, the printed Iqama (Muqeem card) is now valid for up to five years and is delivered by Wasil to your registered National Address, instead of being reprinted every renewal. The digital residency record itself still has to be renewed every 12 or 24 months, the levy still has to be paid, and Absher still shows the next expiry date - but you stop accumulating a stack of plastic cards each renewal cycle. Confirm the exact card-validity window for your case on Absher before assuming the new rule applies retroactively.
Renewals are filed by the sponsor through Muqeem, not by the resident through Absher. This is the part new arrivals trip over most often: you can pay your own traffic fines, check your own expiry date, and request your own exit/re-entry visa in Absher, but the act of renewing the Iqama itself is an employer action submitted on muqeem.sa. If your HR has not paid the work-permit levy, has not renewed your CCHI health insurance, has not cleared the dependent fee, or has any open labour-office hold on the establishment, the renewal will silently fail at Muqeem's pre-check screen and Absher will keep counting down to expiry.
Three failure modes account for almost every late renewal in 2026: a lapsed Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) policy that does not cover the full new period; unpaid dependent levy (SAR 400 per dependent per month) showing up as 'outstanding fees' on SADAD; and unpaid traffic or municipality fines linked to your Iqama number. Each of these blocks the renewal at Muqeem with a generic error that does not name the real cause - which is why the pre-check on Absher matters more than the renewal click itself.
Recent reforms have also reshaped what an Iqama means in practice. The Labour Reform Initiative (LRI) of 2021 gave workers the right to transfer sponsorship after a fixed-term contract ends without the old employer's consent in many cases, and the new skill-based work classification (High-Skilled, Skilled, Basic - active across 2025-2026) is now what determines salary bands and family-sponsorship eligibility. A delayed renewal no longer just means a fine; it can knock you out of a higher skill tier when re-issuance happens, which in turn affects whether your family can stay with you.
One Hijri-calendar gotcha worth knowing: Iqama expiry on the card and in Absher is stored in the Hijri date by default. The Gregorian conversion you see in apps can be one day off either side of the actual deadline used by Muqeem's renewal cut-off, which is why the MOI recommends submitting at least 3 days before the displayed expiry date. If you are renewing close to the line, treat the Hijri date as authoritative and confirm it inside the Absher portal, not in a third-party calendar.
What documents do I need for Iqama (Muqeem Card)?
Bring originals AND coloured photocopies of every item. Files are rejected at counter for a single missing page or unattested certificate.
Documents required
- ✓Valid passport with at least 6 months remaining before the new Iqama expiry date
- ✓Current Iqama card (even if already expired - it is needed to confirm Muqeem ID)
- ✓Active CCHI-registered health insurance policy covering the full renewal window (1 or 2 years)
- ✓Cleared traffic fines (Muroor / Mukhalafat) attached to the Iqama number, checked on Absher
- ✓Cleared municipal (Amana / Baladiya) fines if any are flagged against the residence address
- ✓Paid dependent fee through SADAD using the bill code 077 / Muqeem dependent levy, current to the renewal month
- ✓Paid work-permit levy (Maktab Amal) through SADAD by the sponsor for the full renewal period
- ✓National Address (Wasil) registration up to date so the new 5-year card can be delivered
- ✓Saudi mobile number registered in your own name (for Absher OTP and Muqeem confirmation SMS)
Eligibility
- →You are on a valid Saudi sponsorship (work, family-dependent, domestic, or premium residency)
- →Sponsoring establishment is in good Nitaqat standing - not flagged Red or under a labour-office freeze
- →All previous Iqama and dependent fees are paid up to the renewal date
- →Your Qiwa employment contract is active and matches the job title on the work permit
- →You have no unresolved 'Absent from Work' (formerly Huroob) flag on your Iqama record
- →Sponsor has paid the new Absher SAR 51.75 processing service fee that applies from January 2025 onwards
How much does Iqama (Muqeem Card) cost in KSA in 2026?
Government fees current to 2026-06. All payments via the relevant portal wallet or SADAD-equivalent rail; service-centre cash counters typically charge a small extra typing fee.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Iqama renewal (Maktab Amal annual fee, company sector) | 650 SAR | Per year, paid by the sponsor through SADAD. Domestic-worker Iqamas are SAR 600/year, dependents 18+ are SAR 500/year. |
| Absher processing service fee | 51.75 SAR | New per-transaction fee from January 2025; applies to renewal and new issuance. |
| Work permit levy (unbalanced Nitaqat) | 9,600 SAR | SAR 800/month when expat headcount exceeds Saudis. Industrial-licence holders may be exempt from December 2025 onwards - confirm with MHRSD before relying on this. |
| Work permit levy (balanced Nitaqat) | 8,400 SAR | SAR 700/month when expat headcount does not exceed Saudis on the establishment. |
| Dependent fee | 4,800 SAR | Per dependent per year (SAR 400/month), charged for every sponsored dependent regardless of age; new arrivals get a 90-day grace before the meter starts. Premium Residency holders are exempt for their dependents. |
| CCHI-registered health insurance | 800-2,500 SAR | Per person per year; depends on age, dependent type, and policy tier (C standard, B and A upgrades). Must cover the full renewal window. |
| Late renewal fine (1st offence) | 500 SAR | Per the Iqama late-renewal schedule on Absher; doubles for the 2nd offence. |
| Late renewal fine (2nd offence) | 1,000 SAR | 3rd offence keeps the SAR 1,000 fine plus risk of deportation. |
Rather not do this yourself?
Skip the Absher queue. The KSA desk files this end-to-end for a fixed fee, with email updates the whole way.
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How do I apply for Iqama (Muqeem Card) step by step?
The end-to-end flow for Iqama (Muqeem Card) in KSA. Total wall-clock time: Same day when the levy, dependent fee, CCHI policy, and Muroor fines are all clear; 1-3 days when any of them are pending. The new 5-year Muqeem card is delivered by Wasil over 5-10 working days after a fresh print is triggered..
- 1
Pre-check Iqama status and fines on Absher
Open absher.sa or the Absher Individuals app and go to Services > My Services > Iqama. Confirm the exact Hijri and Gregorian expiry dates. Then under Services > Traffic > Query Traffic Violations, settle every Muroor fine attached to the Iqama number. Open fines do not show up on Muqeem's renewal screen, but they block the submission. The MOI requires you to start at least 3 days before expiry.
📍 online - 2
Confirm CCHI health insurance covers the new period
Ask HR to send a copy of the CCHI policy schedule showing the policy number, plan tier (C is the legal minimum for most workers), and the validity window. If you are renewing for 2 years, the policy must be valid for 2 years - the Muqeem pre-check reads CCHI's national database in real time and rejects shorter coverage. Renewals fail here more often than at any other step.
⏱ 1-3 days if a new policy is being issued📍 either - 3
Clear the dependent fee on SADAD
Log into your bank app, choose SADAD payments, search for 'Muqeem dependent fee' or use bill code 077, and pay through the new renewal month. The fee is SAR 400 per dependent per month for every sponsored dependent regardless of age; pay 3, 6, or 12 months at once.
⏱ Same day📍 online - 4
Sponsor pays work-permit levy on SADAD
Your employer logs into the company bank account and pays the Maktab Amal levy through SADAD against the establishment's commercial-registration number. The rate is SAR 700/month (balanced) or SAR 800/month (unbalanced) under Nitaqat. Industrial-licence holders should confirm the December 2025 exemption with MHRSD - it is not yet visible on every SADAD screen.
⏱ Same day📍 online - 5
Sponsor submits renewal on Muqeem
HR or the company's GRO opens muqeem.sa, goes to Establishment Services > Iqama Renewal, picks the employee, and confirms the renewal period (1 or 2 years). Muqeem auto-pulls CCHI status, dependent-fee balance, and levy status. If any one of those is short, the screen shows 'Cannot complete renewal' with no breakdown - the GRO has to back-trace which piece failed.
⏱ Same day if pre-checks pass📍 online - 6
Pay the Absher processing service fee
From January 2025 every renewal carries a SAR 51.75 Absher service fee on top of the SAR 650 base. This is charged at submission and shows up as a separate line on the Muqeem receipt. Save the receipt - it is the only proof that the new fee was actually paid.
⏱ Instant📍 online - 7
Verify the new expiry date on Absher
Within minutes, the new Hijri and Gregorian expiry dates should appear on the Absher Individuals app under My Services > Iqama. If Absher still shows the old date after 30 minutes, ask HR to re-check the Muqeem transaction reference - sometimes the renewal posts to the wrong dependent record. Do not pay a second time; raise a Muqeem support ticket first.
⏱ Within 1 hour📍 online - 8
Wait for the new 5-year card if you need a fresh print
If your existing Muqeem card has expired or you are due a re-issue, the new 5-year physical card is dispatched by Wasil to your registered National Address. Delivery is usually 5-10 working days inside major cities. The digital Iqama on Absher is legally sufficient for hotels, traffic stops, and most government counters while you wait.
⏱ 5-10 working days for the physical card📍 either
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Which portal do I use for Iqama (Muqeem Card) in KSA?
These official portals handle Iqama (Muqeem Card) for KSA. Each page on Wathim has the login flow, common errors and sibling fallback when one is down.
Check expiry date, pay personal traffic fines, view the digital Iqama, and request exit/re-entry visas.
Portal guide →Sponsor-side platform where the renewal itself is actually filed, levy paid, and CCHI status read.
Portal guide →Holds the employment contract and skill-tier classification that the Iqama renewal is tied to.
Portal guide →Used only if a labour dispute or contract issue is blocking the renewal at the Qiwa contract step.
Portal guide →Login authenticator used for every Absher and Muqeem iqama renewal and address-update transaction.
Portal guide →Holds a digital iqama after renewal that is accepted as proof of identity nationwide.
Portal guide →💡 Most Iqama renewals are completely online through Muqeem and never need a typing centre. Maktabat Tasdeeq (typing offices) are still useful in three situations: when the sponsor is a small establishment without a dedicated GRO and needs help filing through Muqeem; when CCHI insurance needs to be re-issued quickly and the broker office sits inside the typing centre; and when a dependent's documents need to be re-typed in Arabic for an attestation that is blocking the renewal. Expect to pay SAR 50-150 in service fees on top of the government charges.
How do I renew Iqama (Muqeem Card) and what are the penalties?
Iqama is renewed annually by default, or every 2 years if the sponsor pays the work-permit levy upfront for both years. The MOI recommends starting the renewal at least 3 calendar days before the Hijri expiry shown on Absher; running into the last 24 hours often leaves no time to clear an unpaid municipal fine. The physical Muqeem card itself is now issued for up to 5 years from January 2026, but the residency record inside the card still has to be renewed at the 1- or 2-year mark on Muqeem.
Fines & penalties
- ⚠First late renewal: SAR 500 fine per Iqama (charged through SADAD before the renewal can be re-submitted)
- ⚠Second and subsequent late renewals: SAR 1,000 fine each, third strike adds deportation risk
- ⚠Unpaid dependent levy: blocks every exit/re-entry visa and the Iqama renewal itself; arrears compound at SAR 400 per dependent per month
- ⚠Lapsed CCHI insurance: Muqeem rejects the renewal and the employer faces a separate CCHI fine of up to SAR 1,000 for the uninsured days
- ⚠Expired Iqama beyond the grace window: services, banking, SIM activation, and rental contracts are all blocked at the National ID lookup step
- ⚠Unresolved 'Absent from Work' flag: 60-day grace from the filing date, then suspension, fines, and possible deportation with a 3-5 year re-entry ban
What goes wrong with Iqama (Muqeem Card) applications?
These failures repeat across every Iqama (Muqeem Card) case Wathim sees in KSA. Catch them before submitting to save a counter rejection.
- !Trying to renew through Absher Individuals instead of Muqeem - the option simply does not exist on the resident-facing portal, and many new arrivals waste a week looking for it
- !Assuming the Muqeem card delivered last year is still the right version - if your sponsor printed a 1-year card before January 2026, you still need the new 5-year card cut after your next renewal
- !Assuming a child under 18 is exempt from the dependent fee - the SAR 400/month levy applies to every sponsored dependent regardless of age, so budget for it from the first bill
- !Renewing for 2 years while holding a 1-year CCHI policy - Muqeem reads CCHI live and rejects the submission with a generic error that does not name the insurance
- !Letting Muroor traffic fines accumulate against the Iqama instead of the licence plate - they still block renewal even if the car has been sold
- !Ignoring the new Absher SAR 51.75 service fee in the budget - it is small per transaction but easy to forget when multiple dependents renew on the same day
- !Missing the Hijri vs Gregorian expiry difference and starting one day late - the Muqeem cut-off uses the Hijri date even when Absher displays Gregorian alongside it
- !Sponsoring company sitting in Nitaqat Red and blocking every renewal in the establishment until compliance is restored - an individual employee cannot fix this alone
Where can I file Iqama (Muqeem Card) in person in KSA?
Jawazat centres handle this directly.
Frequently asked questions about Iqama (Muqeem Card) in KSA
No. Iqama renewal is a sponsor action filed on Muqeem (muqeem.sa) by the employer or GRO, not on Absher Individuals. Through Absher you can check the expiry date, pay personal traffic fines, request exit/re-entry visas, and download the digital Iqama, but the renewal click itself is not available on the resident-facing portal. If your sponsor is unresponsive, the formal path is a complaint through HRSD/Musaned, not a self-renewal.
As of June 2026 the dependent levy is SAR 400 per sponsored dependent per month, or SAR 4,800 per year. It is paid by the expat sponsor (not the employer) through SADAD using bill code 077 or by searching 'Muqeem dependent fee' in your bank app. It applies to every sponsored dependent regardless of age, including children under 18, spouses, and parents. New arrivals get a 90-day grace before the meter starts on day 91. Premium Residency holders are exempt from the levy on their dependents.
From January 2026 the physical Muqeem card can be issued for up to 5 years of validity, dispatched by Wasil to your registered National Address. You do not get one retroactively - it is printed the next time your sponsor triggers a re-issuance after expiry, damage, or loss. The digital residency record inside Absher still has to be renewed every 1 or 2 years; the 5-year window only refers to how long the piece of plastic stays valid before re-printing. Confirm on the Absher card details screen which version you currently hold.
Within the first few days after expiry, government services, banking, hospital admissions, and SIM-card actions all start failing at the National ID lookup step. A SAR 500 late-renewal fine is automatically attached to the Iqama record after the first offence; SAR 1,000 from the second. If the establishment is in Nitaqat Red or you have unpaid salary for 3 or more months, you can file an employee-initiated transfer through Qiwa to a new sponsor without the current employer's consent, which is the LRI 2021 protection most workers do not realise they have.
Yes. CCHI registers every policy in a national database that Muqeem reads at submission. If you are renewing the Iqama for 2 years but the CCHI policy is only 1 year, the renewal is rejected with no specific error. The same applies if HR has switched providers mid-cycle and the new policy has not yet activated in CCHI's system - there is sometimes a 24-48 hour lag between issuance and visibility. Ask HR for the CCHI policy reference and validity window in writing before triggering the Muqeem submission.
It is the Absher processing service fee that the MOI introduced in January 2025 for digital transactions on the Absher platform. SAR 51.75 applies to new Iqama issuance and to each renewal; SAR 103.50 applies to an exit/re-entry visa extension. The final exit visa itself carries no government fee, and no processing-fee figure for final exits could be verified against Jawazat or Absher's own published schedule - some guides report one, so check the SADAD bill line before paying. The confirmed amounts are separate from the underlying government fees (like the SAR 650 Iqama renewal) and are shown as a distinct line on the SADAD receipt. They are not refundable if the transaction is later reversed.
Yes. The Ministry of Interior's national portal at my.gov.sa hosts a public 'Resident ID Expiry' query that requires only the Iqama number and an image-verification captcha, with no OTP. The HRSD portal at es.hrsd.gov.sa offers a similar lookup using Iqama, border, or passport number plus an OTP to a registered phone. For employer-side checks, Muqeem's visa-validity sub-portal at vv.muqeem.sa exposes the same data to HR teams using Iqama plus passport number. All three are free.
In December 2025 the Saudi Cabinet was reported to have permanently cancelled the work-permit levy (Maktab Amal) for companies holding a valid Industrial License - meaning SAR 0 instead of SAR 700-800 per month per worker. The reform has been widely cited in industry reports but has not yet been independently confirmed in the official MHRSD gazette as of June 2026. If you sponsor industrial-sector workers, confirm the exemption directly with MHRSD or Qiwa before assuming a zero-levy renewal will go through.
For a single private-sector worker without dependents, the annual employer cost runs around SAR 9,200 for Saudization-balanced establishments (SAR 700 per month levy plus SAR 650 iqama plus SAR 100 work permit plus the SAR 51.75 Absher Business fee) and around SAR 10,400 where expats exceed Saudis (SAR 800 per month levy). Our Saudi iqama cost calculator takes the levy tier, dependent count and validity term and returns the exact total. Industrial-licence holders are currently exempt from the levy.
