Government expat employees exempted from dependents' fee

GDP Begins Collection of Fees on Dependents, Companions of Expatriates Working in the Private Sector

The dependents and companions' fees do not apply to foreign workers in the government sector, said the Directorate General of Passports in reply to a query on Twitter in this regard.
The Directorate had announced the details of the decision of the Council of Ministers regarding the fiscal balance program 2020, which includes the collection of fees in advance on all dependents and companions of foreigners working in the private sector as of July 1, 2017.
The necessary modifications were made to the residence system in the automated system to comply with the new amendments.
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GDP Begins Collection of Fees on Dependents, Companions of Expatriates Working in the Private Sector
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The General Directorate of Passports (GDP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the National Information Center, started implementing Cabinet decision approving the program of fiscal offset 2020, enforcing fees on all dependents and companions of expatriates working in the private sector, gradually and annually, beginning from July 1, 2017, through Government-run SADAD payment banking system, at all banking means, noting that all necessary adjustments have been made on automated Iqama system to cope with the new amendments.
The GDP explained the steps to receive fees on passport services provided for residents affected by the decision, as follows:
First: Issuing or renewing of "Resident Identity":
On applying for the issuance or renewal of a "resident ID" for an expatriate working in the private sector, affected by the decision, for a dependent and/or companion, starting from 1/7/2017, this requires the following:
a - Payment of fees as prescribed by the regulation through SADAD payment system for government payment system provided by all banking means.
b - Payment of fees for each companion or dependent of an expatriate worker at SR 100, per month, starting from the first of July 2017, SR 200, per month, on the first day of July 2018, in accordance with the validity of Resident ID, taking into consideration the overlap of it with dates occurred in the Cabinet decision on collecting fees.
Second: Issuance of exit and re-enty visa:
On applying for the issuance of an exit and re-entry visa for an expatriate worker included in the decision or a dependent and/or companion, after the date of application of the decision (1/7/2017), this requires the following:
a - Payment of the prescribed visa fees for the service (according to the required visa period) through payment systems for government payments provided through all banking means.
b - Payment of fees for each dependent and/or companion of an expatriate worker at (SR 100) per month, starting from the first day of July 2017 and SR 200 per month, starting from the first day of July 2018, in accordance with the validity period of the resident ID, and taking into consideration the overlap of the dates stated in the decision of the Cabinet upon receipt of the fees.
Third: Issuing a final exit visa:
a - On applying for the issuance of a final exit visa service for an expatriate worker affected by the decision, a dependent and/or a companion of him/her, after the date of application of the decision on 1/7/2017, this move requires payment of the fees owed to the expatriate worker as of the first day of the month of July 2017 until the date of application for implementation of issuance of the final exit visa, taking into account the overlap of the validity period with the dates stated in the decision of the Cabinet upon receipt of the fees.
b - In case the validity of the final exit visa exceeds the validity period of the Resident ID, the validity of the visa shall be added to the period/s due for payment of the fees.
The GDP said that in case of collecting of financial fees and implementing the services required for expatriates who are subject to the above-mentioned decision, the following points should be observed:
Targeted categories:
The dependents and companions of expatriates working in the private sector, according to the esteemed Cabinet's decision.
- Dependents are: wife, male sons under 18, and daughters
- Companions are: male sons above 18 years old, wife and/or wives (from two to four), father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, home workers and any expatriate whose name is registered in the system as sponsored by the expatriate worker, according to the Cabinet's decision.
- The Cabinet's decision includes any dependent or companion of a worker in the private sector, applicable on all nationalities.
- Those previously exempted from fees in the Iqama (residence permit) system, are to be exempted from the currently-imposed fees.
- Payments should take place in advance through SADAD bank system and are unrefundable.
- The decision is applicable on newly-born children with the fees to be levied retroactive from the date of registering a born child who will not be exempted from fees for the period during which his/her name was missed registering. However, this is effective from the date of imposing the decision on 1/7/2017.
- The fees will be levied annually in advance against any dependent or companion of an expatriate worker in the private sector at issuing or renewing an Iqama identity or when issuing an exit and re-entry visa or when issuing a final exit visa as per the following regulation:
1- SR100 monthly, effective from the first day of July 2017
2- SR200 monthly, effective from the first day of July 2018
3- SR300 monthly, effective from the first day of July 2019
4- SR400 monthly, effective from the first day of July 2020.
- The financial fee dues on expatriates referred in the Cabinet's decision, should be paid through SADAD government banking systems through all banking means
- For enquiries for the remaining period of an Iqama validity online, the concerned are advised to visit the end an expatriate identity, Abshir portal, Ministry of Interior (MOI) electronic service.