Final Exit Visa in Saudi Arabia: Steps, Fees and Clearances

A final exit visa cancels your residency so you can leave Saudi Arabia permanently. Your employer (or, for family members, the head of the family) issues it online through Absher, Absher Business or Muqeem, and the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has said the electronic service is free. You then have up to 60 days to leave.

Who issues it

• Employees: your employer issues it from the Ministry of Interior platforms Absher Business or Muqeem.
• Dependants: the head of family issues it for wife, children and other dependants through Absher.
• After your contract ends: under the 2021 Labor Reform Initiative, expatriate workers can request a final exit after their contract ends without the employer's consent. The employer is notified electronically, and the worker bears the consequences of any breach. This was announced in November 2020; check Absher and Qiwa for the current screen.

If you are resigning, you can also end the contract yourself on Qiwa. HRSD lists a free "Termination of Contractual Relationship" service where you pick the contract, give the reason and set your last working date. Read how to change jobs first if you are moving to another employer instead of leaving.

Fee

Jawazat has said the final exit visa can be issued electronically through Absher, Absher Business and Muqeem at no charge, as reported by Gulf News. The one cost to avoid is the overstay penalty below.

Iqama and passport conditions

• Your iqama needs at least 30 days of validity. If it has less, your employer or head of family must renew it before applying (Jawazat statement as reported in January 2025). Check your date in the iqama renewal calculator and the iqama renewal guide.
• Passport: Gulf News reported in December 2023 that a final exit visa needs a passport valid for at least 60 days.

How long you have to leave

As of October 2026 the sources differ slightly:

• In January 2025 Jawazat said the visa runs 60 days if your iqama has 60 days or more left, and for the remaining iqama validity if it has 30 to 60 days left.
• A June 2026 KPMG alert, citing a Jawazat clarification of 20 June 2026, says the visa is valid for 60 days from issue regardless of iqama expiry.

Plan on up to 60 days, and book your flight against the expiry date shown in Absher, not against this guide.

If you miss the date: leaving after the visa expires carries a SAR 1,000 fine, and an expired visa can only be cancelled by the employer after the fine is paid and while the iqama is still valid (KPMG, Ajel English).

Steps

1. Settle the employment side. Agree your last working day and notice with your employer. See the notice period calculator and the end-of-service benefits guide.
2. Get your final pay in writing. Under Article 88 of the Labor Law, as published in the English translation, the employer settles wages and entitlements within one week of the end of the contract, or two weeks if the worker ended it. The translation predates the 2025 amendments, so confirm the current deadline with HRSD if it matters to you.
3. Renew the iqama if needed so it has 30 days or more left.
4. Ask your employer to issue the final exit visa in Absher Business or Muqeem, or issue it for your dependants yourself in Absher.
5. Check the visa in Absher for the expiry date, then book your flight.
6. Leave before it expires.

You can estimate timing and tasks with the final exit planner. If you only want to leave temporarily, you need an exit/re-entry visa instead: see the exit/re-entry visa guide.

Clearances to sort before you go

Nothing in the Jawazat statements we could read lists these as conditions for the visa, so treat them as practical advice rather than legal requirements:

• Government dues and fines. Check Absher for traffic fines and other dues so they do not follow you.
• Bank accounts and cards. Move your money, close or redirect direct debits and cards, and ask your bank whether you can keep the account or must close it in person. Rules differ by bank.
• Utilities and phone. Cancel electricity, water, internet and mobile contracts and pay the final bills.
• Rent. Agree the end date of your lease with your landlord and get the final settlement in writing.
• Car. Sell or transfer it, and cancel the insurance.
• Documents to carry. Keep copies of your contract, salary certificates, experience letter and end-of-service calculation.

Dependants

The head of family issues dependants' final exit visas in Absher. Do it in one sitting so family members leave on the same dates, and check that every dependant's visa shows the expiry you expect.

Cancelling a final exit visa

If your plans change, the employer or head of family can cancel the visa electronically while it is still valid (Jawazat, as reported in 2025). Ask them to do it before the expiry date; after that, the fine applies first. If you then stay, make sure your iqama is still valid and your employer has your contract in order on Qiwa.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked on 22 October 2026 against these pages. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the official page before you pay or apply.

• Gulf News: Saudi sets 30-day minimum iqama validity for final exit visas (Jawazat clarification, updated January 2025)
• KPMG Global Mobility Flash Alert, 26 June 2026: Saudi Arabia final exit visa rules
• KSA Expats: Jawazat on final exit visa and 30-day iqama validity (9 January 2025)
• Ajel English: final exit visa penalty and cancellation (August 2026)
• HRSD: Termination of Contractual Relationship (Qiwa service)
• Gulf News: exit/re-entry visa cancellation via Absher (December 2023)
• TBS News: Saudi labour reforms, final exit after contract end (November 2020)
• Labor Law English translation (Article 88, payment of dues)