How to Check and Renew Qiwa Work Permit (Krk): Requirements & Grace Periods

Q: Can an employee pay their own Qiwa work permit fee?

Under Article 40(1) of the Saudi Labor Law, the sponsoring employer is legally required to pay all work permit and Iqama renewal fees. Deducting these expenses from employee salaries is strictly prohibited.

Q: How long does it take for work permit payment to reflect in Muqeem?

Payment reflects across MHRSD and Muqeem within 5 to 15 minutes via automated National Information Center (NIC) integration.

Q: What happens if the employer does not renew the work permit after 90 days?

The expatriate worker becomes eligible for unilateral transfer to a new sponsor through Qiwa without requiring the current employer's approval.

Q: Can an employer renew a work permit for 3 months only?

Yes, MHRSD allows flexible quarterly (3-month), semi-annual (6-month), 9-month, and annual (12-month) renewals to optimize enterprise working capital.

Q: Does a red-status company prevent employees from renewing their work permits?

Yes. Red Nitaqat establishments cannot issue or renew work permits, triggering automatic transfer eligibility for their employees to compliant employers.

Direct Answer / Quick Summary:

In Saudi Arabia, an expatriate's Residency Permit (Iqama) cannot be renewed without an active, paid Work Permit (*Rukhsa Amal* / رخصة عمل) issued via Qiwa Business.

Issuance & Renewal Cycle: Employers can issue or renew work permits for 3, 6, 9, or 12 months* under MHRSD flexible cash flow regulations.

Statutory Cost Breakdown: The government work permit fee is SAR 100/year, plus the Expat Financial Levy (Al-Muqabil Al-Mali): SAR 800/month (SAR 9,600/year) if expats exceed Saudi headcount, or SAR 700/month (SAR 8,400/year) if expat headcount is equal to or less than Saudis. Total annual cost is either SAR 9,700 or SAR 8,500*.

SADAD Payment: The generated 14-digit payment number is settled through online banking under SADAD Biller Code 050 (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development)*.

90-Day Grace Period Protection: If an employer fails to renew an employee's work permit within 90 days of its expiration date, the employee becomes legally entitled to transfer to a new sponsor via Qiwa without the current employer's consent or approval*.

The Legal Mandate: Article 33 and the Work Permit Ecosystem

Under Article 33 of the Saudi Labor Law (Royal Decree No. M/51), no non-Saudi citizen may engage in commercial employment within the Kingdom without a valid work permit (Rukhsa Amal) issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD).

Historically managed through local labor offices and paper Khitab Rukhsa Amal (KRK) numbers, all work permit issuance, validation, and renewal services are now centralized exclusively within the Qiwa Platform.

Step 1Qiwa Business Portal

Qiwa Work Permit Generation

Employer audits Nitaqat tier and generates 3, 6, 9, or 12-month digital work permit

Step 2Instant Settlement

SADAD Biller 050 Settlement

Employer pays unified invoice (SAR 100 base fee + Expat Levy) via online corporate banking

Step 3Real-Time Sync

NIC & Jawazat Automatic Sync

National Information Center confirms payment within seconds; Muqeem portal unlocks

Step 4Completed

Iqama Card Renewal

Employer logs into Muqeem or Absher Business to print updated physical residency permit

Expat Levy (Muqabil Mali) & Work Permit Fee Structure

The total cost of a work permit depends directly on the establishment's Saudization ratio under the Nitaqat system. The statutory levy is calculated based on whether the number of non-Saudi workers exceeds or is equal to/less than Saudi national employees:

Work Permit Duration	Expat Count > Saudi Count (SAR 800/mo)	Expat Count ≤ Saudi Count (SAR 700/mo)	Base Work Permit Fee	Total Payable (Higher Tier)	Total Payable (Lower Tier)
3 Months (Quarterly)	SAR 2,400	SAR 2,100	SAR 25	SAR 2,425	SAR 2,125
6 Months (Semi-Annual)	SAR 4,800	SAR 4,200	SAR 50	SAR 4,850	SAR 4,250
9 Months (Three-Quarter)	SAR 7,200	SAR 6,300	SAR 75	SAR 7,275	SAR 6,375
12 Months (Full Annual)	SAR 9,600	SAR 8,400	SAR 100	SAR 9,700	SAR 8,500

Statutory Compliance Note

Micro-Enterprise Exemption (*Mansha'at Sagheera*):

Small enterprises with 9 employees or fewer where the Saudi owner is registered in GOSI as a full-time working manager are exempt from the Expat Levy for up to 2 to 4 expatriate workers, paying only the baseline SAR 100 annual work permit fee, subject to current MHRSD micro-business regulations.

Statutory Grace Periods & The 90-Day Unilateral Transfer Rule

Maintaining active work permit validity is the sole legal responsibility of the sponsoring employer. Expatriate workers are legally protected against employer negligence through strict statutory timelines:

Statutory Safeguards & Rights Protection

Mandatory protections enforced by MHRSD & Saudi Labor Law

30-Day Proactive Renewal WindowSponsoring establishments can initiate work permit renewal up to 30 days prior to the expiration date without penalty.

3-Day Iqama Renewal DeadlineOnce the work permit is paid and updated on Qiwa, the employer must renew the Iqama via Muqeem within 3 days of expiration to prevent Jawazat late fines.

90-Day Employer Negligence TriggerIf an employer fails to renew the work permit within 90 days following expiration, Qiwa automatically flags the employee as unrestricted for employer transfer.

Unilateral Transfer Without PermissionAn employee with an unrenewed work permit exceeding 90 days can accept a new job offer on Qiwa without current employer approval (Kafala transfer without Kafeel consent).

Exemption from Transfer FeesThe new employer is not liable for accumulated historical expat levy arrears incurred by the defaulting previous employer.

If an Iqama remains unrenewed due to work permit non-payment:

First Offense: SAR 500 fine imposed by the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat).

Second Offense: SAR 1,000 fine imposed.

Third Offense: Permanent deportation (Tarheel) risk for the expatriate and administrative sanctions on the company.

How to Check Qiwa Work Permit Status Online

Both employers and employees have distinct digital pathways to inspect work permit validity.

Method 1: Employee Individual Portal Verification (Qiwa Individual)

1Open https://qiwa.sa and log in using your Nafath National Single Sign-On.

2Select Individual Account (حساب أفراد).

3Navigate to My Profile (ملفي الشخصي) → Employment Information.

4Locate the Work Permit Status (*حالة رخصة العمل*) field.

5Review:

- Work Permit Number (*رقم رخصة العمل*): Unified national serial number.

- Issue Date & Expiration Date: Displayed in both Gregorian and Hijri formats.

- Status Indicator: Valid (سارية), Expired (منتهية), or Under Process (قيد الإجراء).

Method 2: Employer Qiwa Business Audit

1Log in to Qiwa Business (حساب أعمال) using Nafath credentials.

2Select the specific establishment CR.

3Go to Work & Employees (العمل والموظفون) → Work Permits Service (خدمة رخص العمل).

4Use the search filter by Iqama Number or Border Number.

5The dashboard presents a traffic-light status of all employees:

- Green: Valid for more than 30 days.

- Yellow: Expiring within 30 days (renewal actionable).

- Red: Expired (immediate liability and transfer risk).

Step-by-Step: How to Issue & Renew Work Permits in Qiwa Business

Only authorized Government Relations Officers (GRO), company owners, or designated HR managers on Qiwa Business can execute permit renewals:

Step 1: Select the Work Permit Management Service

1In the Qiwa Business dashboard, navigate to Services (الخدمات).

2Click on Issue / Renew Work Permits (إصدار وتجديد رخص العمل).

3The system conducts a pre-flight compliance check:

- Confirms the establishment's Nitaqat color is Medium Green, High Green, or Platinum (Red entities are blocked from issuing permits).

- Validates that the Commercial Registration (CR) and Balady municipal licenses are active.

Step 2: Select Employees and Renewal Duration

1Search and select the expatriate workers requiring renewal.

2Select the preferred duration for each candidate:

- 3 Months (ideal for short-term project workforce management)

- 6 Months

- 9 Months

- 12 Months

3The platform instantly tallies the exact financial calculation, separating the SAR 100 platform fee from the variable Muqabil Mali levy.

Step 3: Generate the SADAD Payment Number

1Click Submit Application (إرسال الطلب).

2Qiwa displays the confirmation summary and generates a unique 14-digit SADAD Payment Number (رقم سداد).

3Note the invoice expiration window (SADAD invoices in Qiwa typically expire in 14 days if unpaid, after which the application must be re-submitted).

How to Pay the Work Permit Invoice via SADAD

Work permit invoices cannot be paid at bank teller counters with cash; they must be settled through digital banking (Al Rajhi, SNB AlAhli, Riyad Bank, etc.):

Step 1Mobile App / Web

Access Banking Portal

Step 2Biller: 050

Select SADAD Biller

Navigate to SADAD Bills → Government Services → Biller Code 050 (MHRSD)

Step 3Review Total SAR

Enter Invoice Number

Input the 14-digit Qiwa SADAD number into the bill payment field

Step 4Instant Confirmation

Execute Payment

Confirm payment via SMS OTP; receipt is logged instantly across MHRSD systems

Mandatory Regulatory Requirement

SADAD Biller Identification:

Ensure you select Biller 050: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية).

Do not attempt to pay work permit invoices under Jawazat Biller 099; Biller 099 is reserved exclusively for the Ministry of Interior Iqama issuance fee (SAR 650/year).

Common Work Permit Renewal Errors & Troubleshooting

Error Code / Message	Root Cause	Mandatory Resolution
`ERR-WP-NITAQAT-RED`	Establishment has fallen into Red or Low Yellow Nitaqat tier.	Hire Saudi nationals to elevate Saudization ratio above the minimum sector threshold before re-attempting.
`ERR-WP-GOSI-SYNC`	Discrepancy between GOSI registered salary and active Qiwa contract.	Synchronize employee wage data in Mudad Wage Protection System (WPS) and ensure zero pending wage violations.
`ERR-WP-CR-EXPIRED`	Sponsoring company Commercial Registration is expired in MC portal.	Renew commercial registration with Ministry of Commerce; data syncs to Qiwa within 2 hours.
`SADAD Invoice Expired`	The 14-digit SADAD payment code was not paid within the 14-day validity window.	Cancel the pending request in Qiwa Business and re-generate a fresh SADAD bill number.
`Payment Made but Muqeem Blocked`	Iqama renewal fee (Biller 099 - SAR 650) has not been paid to Jawazat.	Pay the separate Jawazat Iqama renewal fee; work permit payment alone does not renew the Iqama card.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can an employee pay their own Qiwa work permit fee?

Under Article 40(1) of the Saudi Labor Law, the sponsoring employer is statutorily obligated to bear all fees related to the recruitment, work permit issuance (Rukhsa Amal), residency permit (Iqama), and their renewals. Deducting these costs from the worker's salary is strictly illegal.

How long does it take for work permit payment to reflect in Muqeem?

Payment reflection is automated through the National Information Center (NIC). In over 95% of cases, the payment reflects within 5 to 15 minutes. Once reflected, the employer can immediately complete the Iqama renewal on the Muqeem portal.

What happens if the employer does not renew the work permit after 90 days?

Under Qiwa's labor mobility guidelines, if an employee's work permit or Iqama has expired for more than 90 days, the employee gains the legal right to transfer sponsorship to any new company without requesting a release from their current employer.

Can an employer renew a work permit for 3 months only?

Yes. Under recent ministerial updates, employers can select quarterly (3-month), semi-annual (6-month), 9-month, or annual (12-month) renewal terms. This flexibility applies to both the work permit fee and the expat levy.

Does a red-status company prevent employees from renewing their work permits?

Yes. Establishments in the Red Nitaqat category cannot issue or renew work permits for expatriate staff. This regulatory block encourages workers to initiate an immediate non-consensual employer transfer to compliant Green or Platinum companies.