What to do if Iqama is Lost or Stolen

“EXPATS” can only live in KSA if they have a Valid resident permit or Valid Iqama. This residence permit has some expiry date and works visa. 

Make sure to check Iqama expiry dates. You can also check your fellow expat’s Iqama Expiry. If the expiry date passed out, then “EXPAT” can be a severe problem. “EXPAT” should renew his “IQAMA” in the given time. Expired IQAMA” means the person is staying illegally in KSA. 

Government of KSA issues “IQAMA” depending upon the work contract and type of work of an “EXPAT.”

Let us consider that your Iqama is lost or it is stolen due to a bit of bad luck then “what should you do?”. 

To answer this question, I have written a few detailed steps to do when your “IQAMA” is lost to get the new “IQAMA” as soon as possible.

Revisit your day:

Yes thats right. You need to visit each and every place that you have visited on that day. Most people probably lost their IQAMA at some friend’s house or at any restaurant or in some gathering.

Suppose your iqama is lost in the previously mentioned places. If this is the matter, then there is a high chance that you can get your IQAMA back because at least some of the people in the gathering might know you. When they receive your IQAMA, they will inform you about it.

But if you didn’t find your IQAMA yet or it was in your wallet, and it’s stolen, then you are in a serious mess, and you have to move to the next step.

Iqama is Lost, Inform your Sponser:

Suppose your IQAMA is stolen, or you didn’t find it yet. In that case, the first and most crucial step is to inform your Sponsor or kafeel. Your sponser will make further arrangements and help you get your new IQAMA.

It is essential to inform your Sponsor first rather than report to the police. Your Sponsor is the only verification that you are a KSA residence. It will be a complicated and complex procedure if you don’t get your Sponsor into it.

File a Complaint about Iqama is lost:

There will be a guy in your company responsible for matters related to Law and Police. Take him and go to the Police station and report to the police that your iqama is lost.

The report should be written in Arabic and covering the detailed information concerning it.

For instance, how could you lose and where did you lose your Iqama and so on. Try to ask your sponsor to compose this report on organization letterhead certified by the Chamber of Commerce.

However, suppose you are a worker of the public area organization. In that case, there is no need to sign the report by the Chamber of Commerce.

Along with your support or Saudi PRO, hand over the composed report to the Passport office or police headquarters in the area where the Iqama was lost or taken. Do it within 24 hours from the hour of the occurrence.

If it gets late you may have to pay the fine for late affirmation of the loss of Iqama. Your support’s appearance is critical to grab their eye and keep away from delay and help you disclosing this situation as soon as possible.

Fees for Lost Iqama:

After reporting a complaint about stolen or lost IQAMA, your Kafeel or Sponsor have to pay some fees for the IQAMA lost and an additional fine if the duration of IQAMA was less than 1 year.

For the first time, you lost your IQAMA, you have to pay a fine of 1000 SAR. Just make sur eyou file report within 24 hours to avoid fines.

For the second time, you lost your IQAMA, you will have to pay a fine of a total of 2000 SAR. For the third time when you lost your IQAMA, you have to pay a fine or a total of 3000 SAR.

Suppose an expat is new to KSA and he lost his IQAMA under the 1st year of validity. In that case, it will produce an extra fine of 650 SAR. Still, if the expat lost his IQAMA when the IQAMA validity remaining period was 365 days or less than 365 days, then he would have to pay an extra 500 SAR along with the standard fine fee.

He can pay this fee or fine through any sort of banking or SADAD

Visit Jawazat Office:

After paying the fine fee and filing a report about lost IQAMA, you have to do the same Jawazat center process as you did in the police station.

Report to Jawazat center near you that you have “lost your Iqama” with your Sponsor’s assistance. The report should be written in Arabic and cover the detailed information concerning it, for instance, how you could lose and where you lose your Iqama.

Try to ask your Sponsor to compose this report on the paper, which has organization logo letterhead certified by the Chamber of Commerce.

However, suppose you are a worker of the public area organization. In that case, there is no need to sign the report by the Chamber of Commerce.

Moreover, After writing the report, your Kafeel or Sponsor has to submit the following documents along with the report to verify what is written in your letter or report.

• Old Iqama Copy
• Passport Copy
• Original Passport
• Passport Sized Photos
• Lost Iqama Form
• Copy of Police Report
• Fine submission Receipt

After writing the letter to the Jawazat center, submit all the above documents and the reports, and make sure that these documents are offered by your company’s individual who manages these issues inside your organization.

Getting New Iqama:

If everything goes alright, it may be possible that you will get the new IQAMA hard copy on the same day. However, or it may usually take up to 24 hours to 72 hours to get the new IQAMA.

If you didn’t get the IQAMA on the same day, you would have to carry a copy of the letter issued by your Sponsor that you have lost your IQAMA.

After submitting this, you will receive your new Iqama copy in a day or two.