Gulf country introduces fine for late resident id registration

Riyadh: The General Directorate of Passports in Saudi Arabia has announced that a fine of SR500 will be imposed on the expatriate who fails to obtain the resident ID in a maximum of 90 days after entering the kingdom. An expatriate must undergo a medical test to obtain a resident identification card in Saudi Arabia. The medical test is among the requirements for a foreigner to be issued a resident ID via the government platform Absher or Muqeem portal for his/her employer after also paying the related fees.

Saudi Arabia, a country of around 32.2 million people, is home to a large community of foreign workers. Foreigners make up around 13.4 million or 41.5 per cent of the kingdom’s overall population.

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Meanwhile, the authority has lifted the 3-year entry ban on expatriates who failed to return before the expiry of their visas. The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has instructed all departments to allow expatriates, who failed to return before the expiry of their exit and re-entry visa.

Now, expatriates who recently left Saudi Arabia on an exit-re-entry visa and were unable to return within the designated period can now re-enter the country with a new visa, without having to wait for three years.