Muqeem Portal Explained for Expats & Employers

If you employ non-Saudi staff in the Kingdom, or you're an expat wondering how your residency paperwork actually gets processed, the answer is usually مقيم (Muqeem). This is the employer-side Jawazat system that Saudi establishments use to manage the residency and visa affairs of their non-Saudi employees. In this guide, سعودي ليفنج breaks down what Muqeem does, who uses it, and the fees you can expect in 2026 — with a reminder to always confirm the latest figures on the relevant official Saudi portal.

What Muqeem is (and who uses it)

Muqeem is an employer-facing platform linked to the Jawazat (Passports Directorate). It lets Saudi establishments handle a wide range of residency services for their expatriate workforce without visiting a government office for every transaction. Core services include:

• Iqama (residency permit) issuance and renewal
• Exit/re-entry visas — single and multiple entry
• Final exit visas
• Managing dependent records
• Sponsorship transfers

Access is restricted to employers, GROs, and PROs using establishment credentials. As an individual expat, you normally won't log in to Muqeem yourself — you'll use أبشر (Absher) for your own personal services, while your employer handles staff-related transactions through Muqeem. The two systems work alongside each other and alongside the Jawazat.

How fees and payments work

Some Muqeem transactions generate SADAD bills that must be paid before the service is completed, and there is often a small service/processing fee on top of the base government fee. When budgeting, it helps to remember there are usually three layers: the base government fee, applicable levies (such as expat and municipal charges), and a modest processing fee.

For certain renewals, an additional service/processing fee of around SAR 51.75 may apply. Because fees and levies change, always verify totals on the official portal before paying.

Iqama issuance and renewal fees in 2026

Typical residency permit fees processed through Muqeem in 2026 are roughly as follows:

• Standard expatriate Iqama: about SAR 650 per year
• Iqama renewal: about SAR 650 plus applicable expat and municipal levies
• Dependent Iqama: about SAR 400 per year for each dependent
• Physical Iqama card via courier: around SAR 15 per parcel

An important deadline for employers: the Iqama must be issued within 90 days of the employee's arrival on a work visa. Missing this window can create complications, so it's worth tracking arrival dates carefully.

Exit and re-entry visas explained

When an expat employee needs to travel outside the Kingdom and return while their Iqama is still valid, the employer issues an exit/re-entry visa through Muqeem. These come in two forms — single-entry and multiple-entry — and the validity is tied to the requested period and the employee's Iqama expiry date.

The base fee schedule inside the Kingdom in 2026 is:

• Single exit/re-entry: SAR 200 for the first 2 months (60 days)
• Each additional month (single, inside KSA): SAR 100 up to the Iqama expiry
• Multiple exit/re-entry: SAR 500 for the first 3 months (90 days)
• Each additional month (multiple, inside KSA): an added per-month charge up to Iqama expiry

Because a visa's validity cannot extend beyond the Iqama's expiry date, employees planning long trips should make sure their Iqama has enough remaining validity first.

Final exit visas and sponsorship transfers

When an employee's contract ends and they are leaving the Kingdom permanently, the employer issues a final exit visa through Muqeem. Before this is processed, it's essential that any dues, dependents' records, and obligations are settled to avoid a rejected or delayed request. Muqeem also supports sponsorship transfers, allowing an employee to move to a new establishment through the proper channels.

Practical tips for employers and expats

• Keep employee arrival dates on file so the 90-day Iqama issuance deadline is never missed.
• Renew Iqamas and exit/re-entry visas well before expiry to avoid rushed processing.
• Confirm all SADAD bills are paid before assuming a transaction is complete.
• As an expat, if you need something processed, coordinate with your company's GRO or PRO — most staff services flow through them.
• Always cross-check current fees and rules on the official Saudi government portal, as levies and processing charges are updated periodically.

Used correctly, Muqeem makes residency and travel administration far smoother for both employers and their expat teams — turning what used to require repeated office visits into transactions that can be handled online.

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