My iqama expired and my bank is freezing my account. What happens now?

Yes: under SAMA's rules a bank can freeze your account when your ID expires, but it must tell you the freezing date at least 30 days in advance.

What the rules say

• Account agreements must state the bank's right to freeze the account when the customer's ID expires, or when personal and financial details aren't updated.
• The bank must notify you of the freezing date at least 30 days beforehand.
• A joint account is frozen when either holder's ID expires.
• While an account is frozen because an ID expired, you can still close it in a single transaction.

What to do

1. Follow up the renewal with your employer's HR, or with your family sponsor if you're a dependant.
2. Once the iqama is renewed, update your ID details with the bank through its app or a branch so it can lift the freeze.
3. If the freeze stays after you've updated your details, use the bank's complaints channel and keep the reference number.

Official sources

• SAMA Rulebook: General Instructions for Freezing of Bank Accounts
• SAMA Rulebook: Account Freezing Rules

On Saudi Expats: the iqama renewal guide and the iqama renewal calculator.

Checked September 2026. How quickly a freeze is lifted depends on each bank's process.

Has this happened to you? Share your experience below: how long did your bank take to unfreeze the account?