After arrival in Saudi Arabia on Work/employment Visa or permanent family visa, the first thing you must do is getting your iqama(resident permit). Within 90 days validity period it is responsibility of your employer or sponsor to make iqama of your’s. Kafeel(Sponsor) must have to take care of all expenses regarding your iqama (Article 40.1 of labor law). You employer can handle all of your iqama procedure. If your iqama is not given to your hands within 90 days than this is totally a fault of you employer and he has to face penalty from Saudi Ministry.
Some Important point to know about Applying Iqama:
1.It is sponsor responsibility to get resident permit(iqama) before expat visa validity period is expires
2. Expat have his right to get Iqama from sponsor so, it is legal benefits for expat.
3. Penalty will impose on sponsor if he do not get expat iqama within 90 days of validity period.
4. Those having Azad Visa(Free Visa) have to pay for iqama himself or wait to find sponsor.
Procedure for Apply First Iqama:
1. Your sponsor ask you to go for medical test in approved medical centers of your specific area. Generally your kafeel take care of all documents but You must have to take original copy of passport before going to medical test. Although you have already been medically tested and approved from native country but Saudi ministries check you again.
You can see my detail article on medical test. Once you medical test is competed your report is handle to you within 2 days and sends towards Saudi Ministry of interior.
2. If you are a professional person such as engineer doctor or accountant than you have to register yourself to Saudi Council of Engineering, Saudi medical Council or Saudi organisation of certified public accountant.
3. After completion of two steps, you need to submit 2 passport size photographs and passport copy to your employer. Sponsor will apply your health insurance as it is necessary for first iqama.
4. All fees of iqama is kafeel/sponsor/employer responsibility but due to many expats complaint about this fee it is now abandoned.
5. After that you received your first iqama, make sure all information is written correctly both in English and Arabic languages. Name in passport and iqama is must be same. If your iqama is inaccurate, return it back and for rectification.