Saudi Arabia Iqama Renewal Policy 2025 announcement has grabbed the attention of expatriates in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who previously faced administrative challenges and obstacles in renewing their Iqama’s.
Iqama is a residence and work permit required for expatriates to live and work legally in the kingdom.
In previous policy, expats could not renew their Iqama due to the absence of a family member. But now, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passport (JAWAZAT) has announced a new policy to renew Iqama.
According to the policy, expats can renew their Iqama, even if the companion/dependents are currently not present in the country, as long as the head of the household is present in the country. As the directorate elaborated in his speech, the presence of the head of household inside the kingdom is sufficient for Iqama policy.
The policy reviews multiple real-life situations, such as children studying overseas, family emergencies that required travel, or a parent traveling for medical reasons. Due to these situations, if a family member was currently outside the country and his/her Iqama expired, it could result in delays and legal complications previously.
But under revised rules, dependents and family members can now continue their legal residency status and carry on with government and private sector services.
Moreover, the policy also allows the residents to extend their single or multiple exit and re-entry visas online while living outside the kingdom. This service is available on two government official websites: the “Absher” platform and the government’s “SADAD” payment system.
Meanwhile, the Sadia government has also announced a revised fee structure for various services which is as follows;
New Fee Structure:
⦁ Exit and Re-entry visa: SR 103.5 (Equivalent PKR 7,740)
⦁ Iqama Renewal: SR57.75 (Equivalent PKR 4,318)
⦁ Final Exit: SR 70 (Equivalent PKR 5,235)
⦁ Iqama Issuance: SR 51.75 (Equivalent PKR 3872)
⦁ Passport Information Update: SR 69 (Equivalent PKR 5,160)
This update is a huge convenience for expats and their dependents to simplify the procedures across Saudi Arabia through a digital platform.
