Iqama Management

Iqama vs Work Permit vs Work Visa: What Employers Manage

Last updated 2 October 2026

The iqama vs work permit difference is one of authority and purpose. The iqama is a foreign worker’s residence permit, issued by Jawazat and managed by employers through Absher Business or Muqeem. The work permit authorises work for a specific establishment, is issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) through Qiwa and is required to issue or renew the iqama, while the work visa lets a recruited worker enter the Kingdom to take up the job, and each has its own authority, expiry date and fees.

The three terms, defined

Much of the confusion in the iqama vs work permit question comes from both documents belonging to the same employee and both being needed to keep that person working. They are issued by different authorities and expire on different dates.

Iqama

Absher Business calls it the resident identity (iqama). It is the document that records the worker’s legal residence, and it is issued by the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) at the Ministry of Interior. Employers issue and renew it online through Absher Business or Muqeem, the portal where an organisation reviews its resident workers’ data and completes their transactions (Muqeem).

To issue one, the worker must be in the Kingdom with a valid passport, and the employer must have paid the fees and any delay penalties. The worker also needs a medical examination at an accredited centre, health insurance, fingerprints and a photo on file. For some positions a valid work permit is required as well (Absher Business service guide). Renewal can be bought for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months, with a minimum of three months (Saudi Gazette, 2021).

Work permit

The work permit, also called the work licence, authorises an expatriate to work for an establishment. HRSD issues and renews it through the Qiwa work permit service and describes the service as a requirement for issuing or renewing the worker’s residence. The fee on the service page is SAR 100, paid through Sadad (HRSD service page). Under HRSD’s skill-classification guidelines, updated on 28 May 2025, each permit also carries a skill category of high-skilled, skilled or basic, which the establishment can see in its Qiwa account (HRSD guidelines). In the iqama vs work permit pairing, the permit is the document tied to the job and the establishment, and the iqama is the one tied to residence.

Work visa

The work visa Saudi Arabia employers request through Qiwa is the entry authorisation for a worker recruited from abroad. HRSD ties full access to services such as visa issuance, service transfers and profession changes to documenting employment contracts there. An establishment that documents at least 80 per cent of its employees’ contracts gets full access (HRSD, 2024). Visa details cannot be amended after issue. A visa with an error has to be cancelled and replaced (KPMG, June 2026).

Iqama vs work permit side by side

The difference between iqama and work permit is easiest to see in one table, with the work visa added for completeness.

Document	What it does	Authority and platform	Costs to record
Iqama	Records legal residence and identity	Jawazat, through Absher Business or Muqeem	Issuance or renewal fees, delay penalties, platform service fees
Work permit	Authorises work for the establishment, and is needed to issue or renew the iqama	HRSD, through Qiwa	Work permit fee and the monthly financial equivalent, often called the expat levy
Work visa	Allows a recruited worker to enter and take up the job	Requested through Qiwa (see the visa note above)	Visa fees and recruitment costs

Read across, the iqama vs work permit split is about who can act: Jawazat on residence, HRSD on work.

How the three connect for one new hire

For a new hire the iqama vs work permit order matters, and the work visa comes before both: visa first, work permit next, iqama last.

The employer requests the work visa on Qiwa and documents the employment contract there.
The worker enters the Kingdom on the visa.
The employer issues the work permit on Qiwa. HRSD runs a separate exceptional service for workers who entered the Kingdom more than 90 days earlier without a permit being issued, which indicates that the permit is expected within 90 days of arrival (HRSD service page).
After the medical examination, insurance and fees, the employer issues the iqama through Absher Business or Muqeem. Jawazat has been reported to fine an employer SAR 500 for issuing the iqama after 90 days from arrival (press summary, 2022).
From then on the iqama vs work permit renewals run on their own cycles, one on Absher Business or Muqeem and one on Qiwa.

Transactions that need both authorities

These are the cases where the iqama vs work permit split stops being theoretical. A transfer of services or a change of occupation involves HRSD first and Jawazat second. The Absher Business service guide lists the labour ministry’s approval as a condition for both, alongside a valid passport, no unpaid traffic violations and the worker not being recorded as absent from work.

Exit and re-entry visas and final exit visas sit with Jawazat. For a final exit visa, the iqama must have at least 30 days of validity left, and if it has less, it must be renewed first (Gulf News, January 2025). Renewing the iqama of someone who is leaving is a cost worth planning for.

Two groups outside this picture

Domestic workers have their own channel and are not covered here. Holders of Premium Residency are a different category again. KPMG reports that from June 2026 they need a dedicated work permit through Qiwa for SAR 100, where before they could work without one (KPMG alert). It is a useful reminder that, in the iqama vs work permit comparison, residence and permission to work are separate questions.

Why the iqama vs work permit split matters for your records

Three documents with three expiry dates, two authorities and different fees do not fit in one cell of a spreadsheet. A lapse in one can block the next, and the iqama vs work permit link is the clearest case. An unpaid work permit balance holds up a licence renewal, and a missing work permit holds up the iqama. Keep a separate field, expiry date and owner for each, and link them to the same employee. The guide to tracking iqama expiry shows which supporting dates to hold, and tracking cost per expatriate shows where the fees land.

Teams that run many cases across several entities may prefer visa and iqama case management software, so that each case shows its documents, approvals and next expiry in one view.

Who pays for each one?

The employer does, for both documents. On iqama vs work permit costs, Article 40 of the Saudi Labour Law places on the employer the fees for recruiting a non-Saudi worker and for issuing and renewing the residence permit and the work permit (Labor Law). HRSD’s guidance on employer costs adds fines resulting from delay, change of profession, exit and re-entry visas, transfer fees and the return ticket (HRSD).

This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current rules with a qualified adviser or with HRSD and Jawazat.

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