Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Sep 05, 2025

Banks start updating government payments system for three-month renewal of iqamas

Banks start updating government payments system for three-month renewal of iqamas

Saudi banks have started updating their government payments system for the issuance and renewal of residency permits (iqamas), which are linked to work permits, for a minimum period of three months.
According to the recently updated government payments system, payments of iqama fee can be made on a quarterly or half- yearly basis.

This will facilitate completing the procedures of issuance and renewal of iqamas for the required period through the online platforms of Absher Business, Muqeem, and Qiwa under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

According to the recent amendments in the government payment system, banks will accept the payment of fee for the work permit by the employer for a minimum period of three months or its multiples of six months, nine months or a whole year.

However, employers will not be allowed to make payment for the issuance and renewal of iqama of domestic workers and the like on a quarterly basis because their iqamas do not involve work permits.The issuance and renewal of iqama is linked to work permit. Employers shall make payment of the expatriate fee (financial compensation) for the renewal of work permit and that is amounted to SR800 per month and SR9,600 in a year. Expatriates who have dependents shall have to pay SR400 per month for each dependent.

Small enterprises with nine or less workers including the full-time Saudi employer will be exempted from the payment of expatriate fee for two workers. The number of workers exempted from the payment of fee will be raised to four if the workers include one Saudi citizen in addition to the full time employer.

Ajlan Al-Ajlan, president of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, recently announced the start of implementing the government decision to allow issuance and renewal of iqama with splitting up of payment of fee, with a minimum period of three months.

He said that this decision is a big relief and support for the business sector, especially for small and medium enterprises and startups.

It is noteworthy that the Council of Ministers on Jan. 26 this year approved the issuance and renewal of residency permits (Iqamas) linked to work permits for a minimum period of three months. The move, however, exempted domestic workers and those employed in similar professions.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development had unveiled earlier its plan to allow the payment of expatriate fee for work permit on quarterly basis instead of the existing system of annual payment.

The fees (expatriate fee and dependent fee) for the renewal of work and residency permits can be split up and paid based on the duration of the issued and renewed permits. The expatriate fee and iqama renewal fees are to be paid by the current employer.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×