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A lost residence permit in Saudi Arabia must be handled quickly because the Iqama is an official document used to confirm a resident’s identity and legal status inside the Kingdom. Waiting several days while searching may expose the resident to a reporting violation and delay the replacement process.
Saudi Ministry of Interior guidance requires the loss of a residence permit to be reported to the General Directorate of Passports within 24 hours. If there is no Passports office nearby, the incident should be reported to the nearest police station.
The physical search for the missing Iqama can continue at the same time. Where ريتيرنلي | RETURN-LY is activated at a partner location, the platform may support the recovery process, but it does not replace the official report, the sponsor’s role or the replacement procedure.
Begin with a short and organised search. Check your wallet, bags, vehicle, work desk, hotel room and the last counter where you presented the card.
Do not spend the entire reporting period contacting different locations. Once you are reasonably sure the Iqama is missing:
The official reporting deadline applies whether the residence permit was lost alone or inside a missing wallet or bag.
The official process for a lost residence permit in Saudi Arabia begins with notifying the competent authority within the required 24-hour period.
Ministry of Interior instructions state that a missing passport or residence permit must be reported to the Passports authority. Where no Passports office is available nearby, the report should be submitted to the nearest police station.
Prepare the information needed to explain the incident clearly:
Provide consistent information in every official request. Different dates or locations may lead to additional checks and delay the replacement.
The sponsor’s involvement depends on the resident’s category, but it is commonly required for employees, domestic workers and dependants.
Employers are responsible for obtaining residence permits for their employees, and the Muqeem platform includes organisational services for reporting a missing Iqama and issuing a replacement Iqama. This means that an employer or authorised company representative may need to complete part of the procedure for a sponsored worker.
The responsible party may differ according to the residence type:
Notify the human resources department, company owner or authorised Muqeem user immediately. The establishment may need to submit or complete the report and replacement request through its business account.
The individual employer or sponsor may need to manage the procedure through the service available for domestic workers.
A family sponsor or head of household may need to complete the procedure for a spouse or dependant registered under their residency file.
Certain investor and business categories may use a separate electronic route. The National Platform lists a Ministry of Investment service for company owners and workers seeking a replacement for a lost residence permit.
Do not assume that every resident can complete the entire process through an individual Absher account. Contact the sponsor or authorised representative first and follow the instructions displayed for your residency category.
To ensure your request is processed instantly, you can successfully register your report by Submit Claim via this direct link: https://claims.return-ly.com/new-claim
Reporting the loss does not automatically produce a new residence permit. The report documents the incident, while the replacement request is a separate administrative step.
For residents sponsored by a company, the authorised representative may use Muqeem services to report the missing Iqama and issue a replacement. The platform lists both functions under its organisational Passports services.
The exact route may vary according to whether the resident is:
The sponsor or authorised representative should open the appropriate government platform, select the resident’s record and follow the current instructions for reporting the loss and issuing a replacement.
Do not rely on screenshots from unofficial websites, because service names, requirements and payment steps may change. Use the official platform connected to your sponsor or residency category.
The official platform will display the exact requirements for the resident’s case. Preparing the following information can help the sponsor or authorised representative complete the request:
A photograph of the Iqama can help confirm its number, but it does not replace the original card or the official replacement procedure.
Yes. Failing to report the loss within 24 hours may result in penalties.
The Ministry of Interior’s Iqama violations guidance lists the following fines for failing to report a lost passport or residence permit within the maximum 24-hour period:
These penalties relate to failing to report the loss on time. They should not be confused with late-renewal penalties for an expired Iqama, which are treated as a different violation.
For that reason, do not wait until the missing card is found. Submit the official report within the required period and continue searching separately.
When theft is suspected, explain this clearly during the official report. Do not describe the incident as ordinary loss if a wallet was taken, a bag was opened or other valuables disappeared at the same time.
Preserve any available evidence, including:
Do not confront a suspected person or attempt to enter private premises. Provide the available details to the competent security authority and allow the official investigation to continue.
If bank cards or a mobile phone were taken with the Iqama, protect them through their separate channels. An Iqama report does not block a payment card, SIM or online account.
A photograph or saved copy may help you provide the Iqama number and explain your identity during the replacement process. However, it should not be treated as a guaranteed substitute for the physical residence permit in every situation.
Keep the report reference and any official electronic residency information available through your authorised government applications. When an authority, employer or service provider requests proof of status, follow the specific document instructions it provides.
Avoid sending the complete Iqama image through public messaging groups or social media. Share it only through an official or trusted channel when necessary.
The official report and the physical search should run in parallel. The best search route depends on where the Iqama was last seen.
Notify your manager, human resources department and workplace security. Check access-control areas, reception desks, meeting rooms and any counter where the Iqama may have been copied or verified.
Because the employer may also be involved in the replacement request, informing the company early supports both the search and the official procedure.
Contact the mall’s central customer-service or security desk. List the shops you visited in chronological order and use payment notifications to estimate where the card was last handled.
Do not publish the complete Iqama number in public posts. Describe the wallet or card holder first and keep some identifying details private for ownership verification.
Determine whether the Iqama was lost inside the aircraft or within the airport terminal.
Contact the airline when it may have been left in a seat pocket or another part of the aircraft. Contact airport lost and found when it disappeared near check-in, security, a lounge, restaurant or shop.
Provide the flight number, terminal, gate and approximate time. The airline and airport lost-and-found office have different responsibilities.
Check the room safe, luggage, bedding and reception desk. Give the hotel your room number, dates of stay and the last time you used the residence permit.
The RETURN-LY hotel workflow differs from the general partner-location process. Where the service is activated, the hotel employee records the found item, the system identifies the guest through room information and an automatic notification is sent. The guest does not submit a lost-item report, and no general matching process takes place.
Record the route, vehicle or trip number, boarding point, destination and travel time. Contact the operator as soon as possible because vehicles may move between routes or service facilities.
The transport provider may search within its network, but it cannot report or replace the Iqama on behalf of the competent authority or sponsor.
Where and when RETURN-LY is activated at a partner location, the resident can provide contact details and a description of the missing item, including its category, colour, date of loss and an optional image.
If an employee finds the Iqama at that location, the employee records it in the system. After the item is identified, RETURN-LY contacts the owner and explains the available collection or shipping options. The resident does not communicate directly with the employee who recorded the item.
RETURN-LY does not:
The platform’s role is limited to organising the search and recovery process at a location where the service has been activated. It must not be presented as a government service or nationwide lost-property authority.
Do not assume that the recovered card can automatically be used after a replacement request has been submitted or completed.
Inform the sponsor or authorised representative that the original card has been recovered. Ask them to check the current status of the loss report and replacement request through the relevant platform.
Do not carry or use two residence cards with uncertain status. Follow the General Directorate of Passports’ instructions regarding the recovered document.
If the card appears damaged, altered or separated from other missing belongings, keep it secure and notify the responsible authority.
The most serious mistake is continuing the physical search beyond the 24-hour reporting period. The card may still be recovered after the official report, but a delayed report can result in a violation.
Avoid:
When dealing with a lost residence permit in Saudi Arabia, report the incident within 24 hours, involve the responsible sponsor or employer and begin the replacement procedure while continuing the search through the relevant venue.
Yes, in many cases. Employees, domestic workers and dependants may need their employer, sponsor or head of household to submit or complete the report and replacement through the relevant business or sponsorship account. The requirement depends on the resident’s category.
The loss must be reported to the General Directorate of Passports within 24 hours. If there is no Passports office nearby, report it to the nearest police station.
Failure to report within 24 hours may result in a fine of SAR 1,000 for the first violation, SAR 2,000 for the second and SAR 3,000 for the third.
No. RETURN-LY may help organise the search at an activated partner location, but only the competent government authority and the relevant sponsor or representative can complete the official replacement process.