Saudi Arabia Sets June 30 Deadline to Renew Expired Work Permits

Saudi Arabia’s Qiwa platform has urged employers to renew expired work permits or transfer employee services before the June 30 deadline to avoid legal and financial consequences.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that, starting July 1, Qiwa will automatically remove workers from an employer’s records if their work permits have remained expired for more than three months.

Despite the automatic removal, employers will continue to bear responsibility for all outstanding work permit fees and financial obligations accumulated during the period the employee worked without a valid permit.

Qiwa clarified that workers will not be removed if their residency permit (Iqama) remains valid for at least 180 days, even if the work permit has expired.

However, employers must renew both the residency permit and the work permit if the remaining validity of the Iqama is less than 180 days.

The platform has advised employers to settle all pending fees and complete permit renewals or employee transfers before the deadline to ensure compliance with Saudi labour regulations and avoid enforcement action.