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I feel u can travel on your passport.there is no issue

Thanks!

No issue if you are flying domestic, just keep copy of iqama

Hi Susuwest
I know it’s been very old thread, but I would appreciate if you reply. Were you able to travel to Jeddah without  Iqama that time?
I am also in the same situation, planning to travel via air to Jeddah , have passport in hand but Iqama under transfer process with my employer.
TIA.

Ayesha 2018 wrote:

Hi Susuwest
I know it’s been very old thread, but I would appreciate if you reply. Were you able to travel to Jeddah without  Iqama that time?
I am also in the same situation, planning to travel via air to Jeddah , have passport in hand but Iqama under transfer process with my employer.
TIA.

Situation is changed now, travelling or even leaving house without residence permit is high risk.

Can you elaborate as to how it is high risk?  are you referring to the labor / immigration crackdowns on illegals or something else?

Iqama must be valid before any internal travel inside Saudi and for out and in Saudi travel you will need valid Iqama and passport

I know the rule.  My question was different and related to the comment made on "high risk".  As despite the rule, people were able to travel on their passports in the past without any issue.   I just came back from a domestic flight from Jeddah where I just had my passport with me and no issues.

It is called getting lucky and i hope lucks stays with you and others. As far as "high risk" is concerned, i am residing in this country since 30 years to have at least some understanding about the situation. Perhaps you may see the situation different may have a different opinion but deportation centers and the count of deported says it all.

I am not questioning your stay in the country and my situation is my accountability of course.   All I asked was to give more details around the high risk part i.e. what are the recent changes that have increased the risk such as the crackdown etc?

But my concern is, since our passport doesn’t say the validity of our visa( it shows only 90 days  which is expired already) and no other visa information,  what’s the proof other than our ID/Iqama to validate our legal stay?

Ayesha 2018 wrote:

But my concern is, since our passport doesn’t say the validity of our visa( it shows only 90 days  which is expired already) and no other visa information,  what’s the proof other than our ID/Iqama to validate our legal stay?

That is the point.  Usually in most countries, in domestic travel, you just need to prove identity not legality of stay.  For example, in schengen countries, as you travel between them, they check your identity before Boarding and not visas (once you have legally entered the schengen territory) unless they have suspicions.  However, per Saudi rules, you need to have a valid Iqama to travel.  Until the recent past, it wasn't a big deal and you could travel on passport.  Now, as people are saying, it is an issue.

This sometimes causes issues in international travel.  Once in a schengen country, I had problems boarding a flight back to Saudi as the visa which is stamped in the passport was obviously expired and the Iqama was in Arabic so they couldn't understand how I would enter Saudi. In the end, it was sorted but not before I missed the flight.  It's at times like these that I am thankful for other countries like UAE, Bahrain etc who stamp a residence sticker in the passport.