Muqeem portal for employers: iqamas, exit visas and inquiries

Muqeem is the portal that lets Saudi establishments view their resident employees' data and complete Passports transactions online, such as issuing and renewing iqamas and final exit visas, without visiting the General Directorate of Passports. It is operated by Elm and works by subscription, with Basic, Advanced and Professional packages.

This guide is for business owners and HR staff who manage expatriate employees. It explains what Muqeem does, how it fits with Qiwa and Absher Business, the order of renewals that matters for iqamas and exit visas, and how to run a Muqeem inquiry. It is current as of October 2026 and is general information, not legal advice: check the official portals before you act, and speak to a licensed adviser for a specific case.

What is the Muqeem portal?

Muqeem is a digital platform for establishments. It lets businesses and their HR departments view the data of their resident (non-Saudi) employees and complete Passports transactions electronically, without going to the General Directorate of Passports [1]. Its listed services include issuing and renewing iqamas, issuing and cancelling visas, transfer services, occupation changes and iqama printing [1]. It is operated by Elm, which is the biller for Muqeem payments, and its official address is muqeem.sa [1].

Muqeem packages

As of October 2026, Muqeem's own site lists three packages, which it announced as its new package range [1]:

• Basic: Passports services and iqama printing for each resident one at a time, access to the Muqeem system and support, limited reports and a single user.
• Advanced: everything in Basic, plus bulk processing of Passports services for several residents in one batch, optional two-factor authentication (OTP) for the main user, a wider set of reports and a baseline of two users.
• Professional: everything in Advanced, plus API integration with the establishment's own systems, all 33 reports, digital templates for Passports transactions and a baseline of three users.

Package prices change, so take the current figures from the portal itself rather than from a guide.

Managing expatriates (إدارة الوافدين): which platform does what

Most confusion about Muqeem comes from the fact that expatriate management in Saudi Arabia is split between two ministries. The residence permit (iqama) and travel visas belong to the Passports, under the Ministry of Interior; the work permit belongs to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, through Qiwa [3]. The two are linked: a valid work permit is one of the conditions for issuing or renewing an iqama [3].

The order matters in practice. Renew the work permit in Qiwa first and pay it; the Ministry says the payment appears in the Passports systems within 24 hours [3]. Then renew the iqama in Muqeem. Starting with the iqama while the permit is unpaid means the renewal cannot meet its conditions.

Who pays

The Labor Law puts these costs on the employer. Article 40 says the employer bears the recruitment fees, the residence and work permit fees and their renewal, any occupation-change and exit-and-return fees, and the worker's return ticket when the relationship ends, unless the worker is unfit for the work or leaves without a legitimate reason [5]. Factor them into the cost of each hire; our guide to payroll calculation in Saudi Arabia shows how they sit next to salary and GOSI.

Iqama issue and renewal through Muqeem

An iqama is the resident identity card that a non-Saudi worker needs to live and work lawfully in the Kingdom. Through Muqeem the establishment issues, renews and prints iqamas electronically [1].

Issuing the first iqama. The Ministry gives 90 days for the first work permit in Qiwa [3], and the iqama depends on a valid permit, so start both as soon as the worker arrives. The Passports set the other requirements and fees for the first iqama; check them in Muqeem or Absher Business on the day the worker arrives.

Renewing. Before you renew, check that the work permit is valid and paid [3] and that the worker's passport is valid, then confirm the remaining conditions shown in Muqeem or Absher Business.

Late renewal. Renewing after the iqama has expired can bring a fine set by the Passports. The official pages we could open do not publish the amount, so check it in Muqeem or Absher Business before you pay, and set reminders well before each expiry date.

When the work permit and the iqama fall out of step

The Ministry's 2026 Nitaqat guide links the two dates: in the green and platinum bands, a work permit can be renewed provided no more than six months remain on the worker's iqama at renewal [6]. In short, plan the two renewals together, not one at a time.

Exit and re-entry and final exit visas

Establishments issue both kinds of visa electronically. Muqeem's services include [1]:

• issuing an exit and re-entry visa, for one resident or for a group of residents;
• extending an exit and re-entry visa for a resident who is outside the Kingdom;
• issuing a final exit visa, for one resident or a group, and a separate final exit service during the probation period.

The Passports set the conditions for each visa, such as the validity left on the passport and the iqama and any unpaid fees, and the system checks them when you apply. The practical point: do not let an iqama run down to its last weeks for a worker who is leaving. Check the current conditions in Muqeem or Absher Business well before the planned departure date.

Muqeem inquiry (مقيم استعلام): what you can check

A Muqeem inquiry can mean three different things, and each has its own place.

The Visa Validity service sits among the quick-access links on Muqeem's home and login pages, next to the services that verify Muqeem and visitor reports [1]. Inside the account, the reports on issued and active exit and re-entry visas show the status of each visa [1]. Public services change, so if the page asks you to log in, use your establishment account instead.

Common mistakes in expatriate management

• Starting the iqama before the work permit. The permit is a condition of the iqama [3].
• Missing the 90-day window for a new arrival's first work permit, on which the first iqama depends [3].
• Letting an iqama run low for a worker who is leaving, instead of planning the final exit visa early.
• Treating the two expiry dates separately. The Nitaqat renewal rules tie the work permit to the time left on the iqama [6].
• Charging the worker for iqama or permit fees. Article 40 puts them on the employer [5].

Most of these come down to dates kept in different places. An HR file that holds each worker's permit, iqama and passport dates in one record, with reminders, removes the guesswork; our guide to HR management for small businesses sets out a simple monthly routine.

A monthly Muqeem routine for HR teams

A short routine on the same day each month keeps most problems away. It needs no extra software, only the Muqeem account and the Qiwa account side by side.

1. Pull the list. Export your resident employees from Muqeem with their iqama expiry dates.
2. Add the permit dates. Next to each name, write the work permit expiry from Qiwa and the passport expiry.
3. Flag the next 90 days. Mark every worker with any of the three dates falling in the next three months.
4. Renew in order. For each flagged worker, renew and pay the work permit in Qiwa first, then renew the iqama in Muqeem once the payment shows.
5. Check travel plans. Ask managers who is leaving or travelling soon, and check the visa conditions in Muqeem early for each of them.
6. Review the package. Once a quarter, compare your transactions with your Muqeem package and points balance, and change package if the volume has moved.

Your next step

Log in to Muqeem, export the list of your resident employees and sort it by iqama expiry. Next to each name, add the work permit expiry from Qiwa and the passport expiry. Any worker whose two dates fall within six months of each other needs both renewals planned now. If you are choosing software to keep those dates for you, our guide to an HR system for Saudi companies lists what to ask for.