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.