Muqeem Portal Explained for Expats & Employers

If you employ or sponsor expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia, the Muqeem portal (مقيم) is one of the most important digital tools you will use. It is the employer-side platform for managing resident permits (iqama) and a range of visa services for foreign staff. Individual expats usually handle their own related services through Absher, while companies rely on Muqeem to keep their workforce's residency and travel documents in order. This guide explains what Muqeem does, the key services it offers, and the fee structure to budget for in 2025–2026.

What Muqeem is and who uses it

Muqeem is an online platform used by Saudi employers and sponsors to manage iqama and visa services for expatriates. It is designed primarily for companies rather than individuals: businesses access it through corporate accounts linked to their Commercial Registration and the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat).

Core services that expats need day to day — such as exit-re-entry visas, validity checks, and some iqama actions — are mirrored in Absher for individuals. Think of it this way: Muqeem is the employer's control panel, while Absher is the personal one.

How Muqeem connects with other platforms

Muqeem does not work in isolation. It sits within Saudi Arabia's wider e-government ecosystem:

• Nafath — identity authentication for users is increasingly tied to national digital ID systems, so logging in and approving actions may route through Nafath.
• Qiwa — labour-contract management and some sponsorship changes for private-sector expats are handled through Qiwa, with Muqeem reflecting the final residency and visa status updates.
• Absher — many core services are mirrored here for individual expats.

Company service bundles may also be managed through approved e-government providers, so larger employers often integrate Muqeem into their HR workflows.

Key services for employers

Through Muqeem, employers and sponsors can typically:

• Issue and renew iqama for sponsored expatriate workers.
• Issue single and multiple exit-re-entry visas for expats.
• Check visa and iqama validity and status.
• Print, reprint, or replace iqama cards, and report a lost iqama.
• Update resident information, such as passport details, where permitted.

These services save employers repeated visits to government offices and let HR teams manage documentation for many employees from one dashboard.

Iqama issuance and renewal fees (2025–2026)

Iqama costs are made up of several layers. The figures below reflect the structure applied in 2025 and continuing into 2026, but always confirm the exact amounts on the official government portals before paying, as levies can change.

• Base iqama renewal (company/institution workers): 650 SAR paid by the employer.
• Base iqama fee for domestic workers: 600 SAR
• Processing fee per transaction: an additional 51.75 SAR introduced in 2025 and still applied in 2026.
• Pro-rated options: where enabled, partial-year renewals are available — for example roughly 325 SAR for six months or about 163 SAR for three months, based on the same 650 SAR annual rate.

Levies employers should budget for

Beyond the base iqama fees, two recurring levies significantly affect the total cost of sponsoring foreign workers and their families:

• Expat dependent levy: 400 SAR which works out to 4,800 SAR
• Employer work-permit levy: typically 700–800 SAR with the exact amount depending on your Saudization (Nitaqat) compliance level. Better-compliant companies generally pay less.

These are the charges that most affect an employer's annual workforce budget, so factor them in when planning headcount.

Exit-re-entry visas and validity checks

Exit-re-entry visas allow expat workers to travel abroad and return within a set validity period. Employers can issue single or multiple exit-re-entry visas through Muqeem, while individual expats can often request or track them via Absher. Fees and validity windows vary by visa type and duration, so confirm the current amounts on the official portal at the time of issuing.

It is good practice to run regular validity checks on both iqama and exit-re-entry visas to avoid workers becoming out of status — an expired iqama can lead to penalties for the employer and travel complications for the employee.

Practical tips

• Keep your Commercial Registration and Jawazat links active so account access is not interrupted.
• Renew iqamas well before expiry to avoid late penalties.
• Coordinate contract changes in Qiwa first, then verify the update reflects in Muqeem.
• Always confirm the latest fees and levies on the relevant official Saudi government portal before making payments.

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