Work Permit Grace Period Extended to End of 2026

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) has extended the grace period for correcting expired work permits and related labor statuses until 31 December 2026, giving employers and expatriate workers more time to regularize their records.

The grace period covers foreign workers whose work permits have been expired for more than 12 months, as well as workers who were not issued a work permit within six months of joining an establishment. Employers can review, issue, renew, and correct statuses through the قوى platform, while workers can check their own residency and work status through أبشر — though the actual issuance and renewal of permits remains the employer's responsibility.

Automatic removal from records

Starting 1 July 2026, قوى will automatically remove a worker from an establishment's records if their work permit has been expired for more than three months and the status has not been regularized. Importantly, this automatic removal does not cancel any accumulated financial obligations owed by the employer.

Renewals can be processed in قوى up to 180 days before a permit expires. Employers are advised to renew both the iqama and the work permit when the iqama has less than 180 days remaining, to avoid exposure and automatic removal.

The base ministry fee for issuing or renewing a work permit is SAR 100, paid via Sadad. Under the current regime, the monthly work permit levy is SAR 800 standard iqama issuance or renewal is SAR 51.75 plus service fees, domestic worker iqama renewal is SAR 600, and the dependent fee is SAR 400

Establishments that fail to regularize workers' status by the end of 2026 face financial penalties and other statutory procedures. Employers and workers needing help — including cases where an employer is not cooperating — can contact HRSD on 19911 or visit a labor office.

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