RIYADH: In a major policy shift, Saudi Arabia has granted foreign workers a 60-day grace period to transfer employment or leave the country legally after the termination of their contract.
The new rule, which came into effect on July 31, 2025, will be enforced via the Qiwa platform, a digital system managed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Ministry of Interior.
Previously, employers could immediately report a worker as “absent from work” as soon as the employment contract ended. Now, this status can only be marked after 60 days, giving employees more time and flexibility to adjust their legal standing—provided their Iqama (residency permit) remains valid during the full grace period.
🔹 Key features of the new rule:
Employers must wait 60 days before reporting an employee as absent, only if the Iqama is valid for the entire period.
If the Iqama expires before 60 days, the employer cannot file an absence report.
The grace period is automated through the Qiwa platform, offering digital transparency for both employers and workers.
🔹 What foreign workers can do during the 60-day grace period:
Join a new employer via sponsorship transfer through Qiwa.
Return to their previous employer, if rehired.
Exit Saudi Arabia through legal immigration channels.
If no action is taken by the end of the 60-day window, the worker’s status will automatically update to “absent from work,” removing them from the employer’s records and notifying Saudi authorities.
The policy aims to improve transparency, reduce abuse of the “absence from work” system, and help foreign workers manage transitions more smoothly.
