Saudi Arabia / Employee residence renewal
Iqama renewal.
Keep your team ready.
Check the prerequisites, arrange the payments and complete the renewal. A practical guide for employers renewing a private-sector employee’s residence.
Guidance checked 8 October 2026 · Official references & scope
01 / Clear the prerequisites
Check once. Avoid a blocked renewal.
Regular company-sponsored employment. Domestic workers, dependents’ own renewals and exceptional cases need their separate service checks.
Check the occupation, not every certificate. SCE applies to relevant engineering categories; driver cards apply to the relevant transport activity. These are not universal requirements for every employee. See professional references.
02 / From readiness to renewed residence
Four actions. One confirmed renewal.
A working sequence, not a status tracker. Insurance and professional-record updates can be prepared in parallel.
Clear the checks
Resolve eligibility, passport, insurance and relevant professional-record issues.
Employer + employeeRenew the work permit
If needed, choose the eligible period in Qiwa, pay and confirm the permit record updates.
Employer · QiwaPay residence charges
Check the employee number and period. Settle applicable dependent fees and outstanding charges.
Authorised payer · bankingComplete the renewal
Submit through Muqeem or Absher Business as applicable. Confirm the new Iqama expiry.
Employer · residence service
Work-permit planning periods
Choose from the periods available for the employee’s case. Confirm compatible work-permit validity and residence duration; insurance and membership dates remain separate.
MHRSD: quarterly-renewal guidance · PDF ↗ (opens in a new tab)Budget for the whole renewal.
Work permit / levy + residence fee + insurance + applicable professional and dependent charges. Use the actual bills; there is no single total for everyone.
Employer responsibility: Article 40 places employee work-permit and residence renewal fees, and fines resulting from the employer’s delay, on the employer. Keep dependent charges and separately agreed services itemised. Official cost responsibilities ↗ (opens in a new tab)
03 / The residence-fee payment
From your bank to the right payment.
DuVolks practical walkthrough, adapted from DV-GL-003. Bank menu labels can differ.
- 01 / Open
Online banking
Payments → Government payments
- 02 / Choose
Residents services
Select Renew Iqama.
- 03 / Enter
Employee & period
Enter the Iqama number and available renewal duration.
- 04 / Confirm
Review & pay
Check details and amount; retain the payment reference.
Return to Muqeem or Absher Business to complete the renewal. A bank payment alone does not extend the expiry date.
This walkthrough is for the residence fee. Follow the separate Qiwa bill for the work permit; dependent charges may have their own payment option. Never share banking passwords or OTPs.
04 / Close the loop
Check the result. Record the next dates.
After successful renewal
Keep the confirmation, not just the receipt.
- Check the employee’s new Iqama expiry in the official record.
- Retain the renewal confirmation and payment references securely.
- Track work permit, insurance and professional-registration expiries separately.
If renewal is blocked
Find the record that needs attention.
- Work permit not visible
- MHRSD allows up to 24 hours for payment status to reach passport systems. Check status before paying again.
- Insurance / professional record
- Check validity and the linked Iqama details with the insurer or professional body.
- Other portal message
- Resolve the named condition—passport, employee penalties, dependent status or an outstanding amount. Use official support if it persists.
Plan ahead of expiry. Allow time for prerequisite corrections. An instant portal service is not a promise that the whole renewal takes one day; starting a request does not extend validity.
Keep your people and records moving
A renewal coming up?
Tell us which record needs attention. DuVolks can coordinate the checks and follow-up within the agreed scope; the authority decides the renewal.
Official references & review scope Checked 8 October 2026
Targeted review: company-sponsored employee renewal, work-permit periods and Red Nitaqat restriction, residence prerequisites, dependent charges and employer cost duties. The banking sequence is DuVolks’ practical guidance, not a universal bank interface.
Check the actual employee case and current service conditions. Family-member age, separate-passport and biometric conditions can need additional action. SCE FAQ text was available in the search index; direct retrieval was unavailable. Driver-card guidance is activity-specific, not evidence of a universal Iqama-renewal block. Official links open in a new tab.