Iqama Profession Change: Process, Fee, and Restrictions

Your Iqama profession, called Mehna (مهنة), must match your actual daily job. Your employer initiates a change through Qiwa, and you approve it. A SAR 1,000 fee follows, paid by the employer, and several professions are restricted or reserved for Saudi nationals.

Why This Matters More Than It Used to?

This is not a cosmetic detail on your card. Enforcement has tightened noticeably.

Working as an accountant while your Iqama says “labourer” is now a specific violation. It is reported under the term Tastur (تستر), meaning concealment. Random inspections are checking exactly this mismatch.

Reporting indicates the consequences can include significant fines and deportation risk for a serious mismatch. Whatever the exact figure in your case, this is not a detail worth ignoring or postponing.

The Iqama Profession Change Process Step by Step

Your employer starts this, not you, though your approval is required partway through.

1. Your employer logs in to Qiwa and opens Manage Professions
2. They select your name and choose the new profession
3. You receive a request in Qiwa Individuals to accept it
4. The government fee is paid through SADAD
5. The change reflects on Muqeem and Absher
6. Your updated Iqama prints with the new profession

Reporting indicates you typically have around 10 days to respond to the request once it appears. Set a reminder rather than letting it sit unread.

The Real Fee of Iqama Profession Change

Multiple independent sources converge on the same figure, which gives confidence here.

The government fee for a profession change is SAR 1,000. A small number of sources report a slightly higher total, around SAR 1,015. That likely reflects a minor platform charge on top of the base fee.

This fee is paid by the employer, not the worker. That matches the pattern across every fee in this cluster governed by Article 40, set out in full in the Iqama guide for foreign workers.

A medical test is generally not required for most profession changes. That requirement applies to initial Iqama issuance, not this specific process.

Professions You Cannot Switch Into

Two categories of restriction apply, and both are worth knowing before requesting anything.

Saudized professions are off limits entirely. HR and security guard positions are common examples, reserved for Saudi nationals under Nitaqat-linked rules. No amount of qualification changes this.

Regulated professions need accreditation beyond a degree. Engineer requires registration with the Saudi Council of Engineers, and a medical title requires the relevant health authority. An attested degree alone does not satisfy either requirement.

The Document Chain for Skilled Professions

Where a certificate is required, the paperwork needs to be exact, not approximate.

Your degree needs formal attestation before submission. Documents in a language other than Arabic typically need certified translation. Low-quality or expired scans are also a common rejection reason.

Name consistency matters more than people expect. Your name must match exactly across your passport, degree certificate, and Iqama. Even a middle-name discrepancy can stall the request.

Pro Tip: Confirm every document in the chain before your employer submits the request, not after. A rejected application due to a translation error or scan quality issue means restarting the entire process from the beginning.

Domestic Workers and Driving-Related Professions

Two categories follow different rules from the general private-sector process.

Domestic workers generally cannot switch to a commercial profession without first completing a sponsorship transfer. The profession change and the transfer are separate processes that often need to happen in a specific order.

Driving-related professions typically require a valid Saudi driving licence. Without one, the system rejects the request outright regardless of other qualifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an Iqama profession change cost?

The government fee is SAR 1,000, paid by the employer rather than the worker. A small platform charge may bring the total slightly higher.

Can I request my own profession change without my employer?

No, only your employer can initiate the request through Qiwa. Your role is limited to approving it once the request appears in Qiwa Individuals.

What happens if my Iqama profession does not match my actual job?

This mismatch is treated as a specific violation called Tastur, enforced through random inspections. Reporting indicates serious consequences can follow, so correcting it promptly is worth prioritising.

Can any profession be changed to any other profession?

No, Saudized professions are reserved for Saudi nationals entirely. Regulated professions like engineering or medicine also need accreditation beyond an attested degree.

Final Thoughts

The fee and process here are the easy part. The document chain, and the restriction list, are where most requests actually get rejected or delayed. A profession change does not renew the Iqama itself, which the Iqama renewal guide covers separately.

Confirming your paperwork and eligibility before your employer submits anything saves a full restart later. That preparation matters more here than in almost any other process in this cluster.

Last verified: August 2026

Reviewed by: Roman Shah

Source: Qiwa platform; MHRSD; Saudi Council of Engineers registration requirements

Note: fees, restricted professions, and enforcement practices are subject to change. Confirm current requirements directly through Qiwa or MHRSD, and consult a licensed Saudi labour advisor for guidance specific to your situation.