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.

Iqama

I just renewed my IQAMA recently and the new one is with me now.So what is this IQAMA,why it is very important here in Saudi Arabia being an expat like me.Sorry no photograph of my iqama to be posted here for security purposes.

The first paperwork hurdle once in Saudi Arabia is your own Iqama term used for residence permit.Dont wait for HR personnel to ask you,present them with the documentation on day one once you are here in the Kingdom. You will need to do another medical- known as the iqama medical and results take three to four days.

Issue of Iqama takes two to five days, for the mean time the company will issue a letter together with the photocopy of your passport attached to it,because the emloyer will keep your passport for safety and for exchange for it is the iqama.The letter will serve as your temporary Iqama with a validity of one week until you received the Iqama.

The new iqama issued , it looks like an ATM or credit card with your picture,name in english and arabic characters,birthday,nationality, expiration date,name of the company.Unlike before its look like a mini passport green for Muslim and brown for non-Muslim.
IQAMA CHECKLIST

1. Get Iqama medical done
2. Prepare company letter
3. Copy of contract
4. Copy of medical results
5. passport
6. photographs

The iqama can be viewed as your residency card. The iqama indicates you are a legal resident in the Kingdom. With this document you can open a bank account, rent or buy a car, rent lodging and any other legal and/or business transactions.It is needed when you are going to buy a sim card for the mobile phone, prepaid or postpaid and for telephone line at home and for dsl connection for internet.Iqama is needed in buying tickets for bus,train and plane for local travel within the kingdom.

Without an iqama, one is very limited in what they are allowed to do. For example, one may come into the Kingdom on a visitors visa but that visa will not allow one to engage in many standard transactions of day to day life.

Make a photocopy of your iqama and have that with you at all times. Keep your original iqama in a safe place. Also be sure and note its expiration date.Validity of iqama is one year only.If your iqama expired you cannot perform any transactions in the bank like to deposit or to withdraw from your bank accounts! You will have no access to cash.Until you renewed it.Iqama is very important here in Saudi Arabia.