Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports has announced a major relief for expatriate families: residents can now renew their Iqama (residency permit) even if their family members are not present in the Kingdom.
The updated policy aims to ease the burden on expat households struggling with Iqama renewals due to family members being abroad — whether it’s children studying overseas, parents traveling for medical reasons, or attending to urgent matters back home.
According to the new rules, the physical presence of the head of the household in Saudi Arabia is now sufficient to process the Iqama renewal.
Previously, the requirement for all dependents to be inside the country led to delays, legal issues, and service disruptions if the permit expired while any family member was away.
This change ensures that expatriate families can retain their legal status and uninterrupted access to services, as long as the primary resident stays in the Kingdom and oversees the renewal process.