Saturday, November 8, 2008

Lost Iqama

This is a one of a kind bad experience for me here in KSA.Hear yeah !!!hear yeah!!!I lost my Iqama or my residence permit here in Saudi Arabia ,two months ago, days before Ramadan.I lost it together with my Philippine drivers license that are both kept on my Mundipharma wallet,

I wasn't robbed, i just lost it, so careless about my things.Iqama is very important here in Saudi Arabia to do all the transactions here.It took two months for me to get my new Iqama,it looks like an atm card.Since i am based here in Al-Khobar Eastern region of KSA, i was oblige to go to Riyadh, Central Region of KSA where our main office is located to process my new Iqama.For me to travel to Riyadh legally my sponsor sent to me my passport.

With the help of our company's liaison officer and my interpreter for arabic it is easy for me to processed it.Thank you Mr.Mubarak for all your help.I have to go personally at Jawazat or the Immigration and passport office so they can get my fingerprints and photograph.We are both so early to Jawazat and before lunch time we are done.Finally I got my new Iqama now, only two days old

These were the added information that I learned from that experience about Iqama.Normally the validity of iqama is for one year. If you lost your iqama, first you have to advertise in an Arabic language newspaper that you lost it then wait for 15 days for it to be found, hopefully. If not attach the advertisement and re apply for a new one to be issued based on the original one.


Important things to do regarding Iqama.


1. Keep a telephone number in your Iqama in case it gets lost or stolen so the 'finder' can contact you.

2. If you are a victim of pick-pocket, don't leave the crime scene and immediately call 999.

3. Call another friend who can communicate in Arabic to go to you.

4. If you will have no difficulty getting a letter from your sponsor and bringing your liaison officer to the Jawazat, better do it the "right' way and apply for a new Iqama and this is the one i did.




11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Huwhaaat???! Nawala ang iqama?! Baka may kumuha! Kasi naman nasa MDG wallet, alam mo namang hindi yun seiko wallet na maswerte!

Nebz said...

Hay, naku. ganyan din ang nangyari sa akin. ramadan din some five years ago. fortunately, me nakapulot na Indian National kaya naisoli sa akin. wala na ung pera pero okay lang. kaya ung portion ng ibabayad ko sana sa pagrerenew ng iqama e ibinigay ko dun sa nakapulot.

nakakadala talagang mawalan ng iqama sa saudi. lalo pa't papalapit sa araw ng bakasyon mo. naku, que hirap!

salamat po sa dalaw.

mightydacz said...

hi nebz good for u sinauli pa sakit sa ulo mawala talaga iqama. ei meow may senti naman ung mundi wallet sakin as souvenir sa launching ng career q sa nbc tent nyahahaha n ung drivers license q huhuhu

RJ said...

Narinig ko na rin tong Iqama kasi ang Auntie ko nag-work din sa Jeddah before. Nawala na rin minsan ang kanyang Iqama.

Huhmn, ang passport ang employer ang may hawak?!?! Ganun ba sa KSA or sa company nyo lang?

mightydacz said...

hi dr rj.yup sa lahat naman ng mga employer hawak nila passport kapalit ay ung iqama or residence permit.

Unknown said...

Sir, I also lost my iqama recently. kindly advise how long does it take for you to get the replacement iqama and how much did you pay for everything.

Anonymous said...

yes it's so difficult if u lost ur iqama in saudi like what i have xperienced. imagine more than 1 year na ako walang iqama til now kc nahulog wallet ko w/o my knowledge ang masaklap pa my employer is in riyadh but i am working 350km away from it, sa sister company ng employer ko. everyday na magdrive ako from house to office di maalis sa isip ko na baka my check-point at mahuli ako kc what i have with me is xerox copy only w/o even stamp on it. I tried many times to talk to our HR and liaison officers for the issuance of my new iqama pero nakakabwisit lagi na lang bukra as f they don't care, minsan gusto ko ng magpahuli sa pulis para asikasuhin ang iqama ko but i can't 'coz my family is with me. f alam ko lang magprocess ng iqama all by myself ginawa ko na . my tanong lang ako sa inyo pwede bang gawin ang iqama sa ibang lugar kahit sa riyadh inisyu ang aking iqama before? is it necessry to publish in the local newspaper na nawala ang iqama at mga magkano ang babayaran ?

mightydacz said...

to anonymous thanks for visiting my blog hope it help a liitle.Ask the help of your company's liason officer coz forms in applying iqama are all in arabic and you must go to jawasat center for finger printing it is now the saudi system for electronic purposes and for photograph for the id,

mightydacz said...

to anonymous-payment for new iqama is 1000 riyal

mightydacz said...

no need also to publish in newspaper

Anonymous said...

to whom u know that it is not necessary to publish in the local newspaper about the lost iqama? since when it was started? is that the new saudi rule now? this is mr. anonymous...tnx.