Maktab Amal Fee 2026: Work Permit Fee & Status Check

Short answer: the “Maktab Amal fee” is the work permit (رخصة العمل) fee of SAR 100 a year plus the expat levy (المقابل المالي) of SAR 800 a month (if expats outnumber Saudis in the company) or SAR 700 a month (if they don’t). The employer pays all of it under Article 40 of the Labour Law; it can’t be cut from your salary. Since 1 July 2026, Qiwa removes a worker from the company’s records if the work permit stays expired for more than 3 months, so check your permit status.

Last checked: November 2026.

What “Maktab Amal” means today

Maktab Amal (مكتب العمل) is the old name for the Labour Office of the Ministry of Human Resources (HRSD, earlier “MOL”). Work permits are now issued and renewed online through Qiwa, and HRSD’s service page lists the channel as Qiwa and payment through SADAD. People still say “Maktab Amal fee” for this permit cost.

Your work permit and your Iqama are two different things with two different expiry dates. The work permit is with HRSD (Qiwa); the Iqama is with Jawazat (Absher/Muqeem). The work permit must be valid before the Iqama can be issued or renewed.

How much is the work permit fee?

Item	Amount	Paid by	Where
Work permit fee	SAR 100 per year	Employer	Qiwa, paid via SADAD
Expat levy, if expats outnumber Saudis	SAR 800 per month (SAR 9,600 a year)	Employer	Collected with the work permit
Expat levy, if expats do not outnumber Saudis	SAR 700 per month (SAR 8,400 a year)	Employer	Collected with the work permit
Dependent fee (wife, children)	SAR 400 per person per month	You (not covered by Art. 40)	With Iqama renewal

The SAR 100 fee is on HRSD’s “Issue and Renew Work license” page. The SAR 700/800 levy rates are as published in Qoyod’s August 2026 cost report and in our Iqama fees guide. Some establishments get exemptions or reductions, and your employer sees the exact amount in Qiwa before paying.

By renewal period (private-sector permits can be renewed for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months):

Period	Work permit fee	Levy at SAR 800	Levy at SAR 700
3 months	SAR 25	SAR 2,400	SAR 2,100
6 months	SAR 50	SAR 4,800	SAR 4,200
9 months	SAR 75	SAR 7,200	SAR 6,300
12 months	SAR 100	SAR 9,600	SAR 8,400

Want the full renewal cost with your Iqama fee and family? Use our Iqama fee calculator.

Who pays: Article 40 in plain words

HRSD publishes Article 40 of the Labour Law. It says the employer bears:

the recruitment fees for a non-Saudi worker,
the Iqama and work permit fees and their renewal,
fines caused by the employer’s delay in renewing them,
profession change fees, exit/re-entry fees, and
the worker’s ticket home at the end of the contract.

The worker pays the trip home only if unfit for work or leaving without a legitimate reason. When you transfer, the new employer pays the transfer fees.

So if your company deducts “Maktab Amal” or “levy” money from your salary, that is against Article 40. Keep payslips and messages as proof and complain to HRSD on 19911 (see our salary complaint guide).

How to check your work permit status and expiry

Method 1: Qiwa individual account

Log in to Qiwa as an individual (help: Qiwa login guide).
Open your employment / work details and look for the work permit status and expiry date.

Menu names in Qiwa change often, and we couldn’t open Qiwa from our location to confirm the exact path. If you can’t find it, ask HR.

Method 2: HRSD worker inquiry (no login) The free HRSD inquiry page shows your work status (on the job, disconnected, absent). The steps are in our huroob status guide.

Method 3: Ask HR Employers can see every worker’s permit in their Qiwa business account through the “Inquire about an expatriate employee” service (border number, Iqama number, passport number, nationality).

Also check your Iqama expiry separately on Absher or the national portal: see check Iqama expiry date.

Renewal rules worth knowing

From HRSD’s “Issue and Renew Work license” service page:

A work permit must be issued within the first 90 days after the worker enters Saudi Arabia.
A permit can be renewed when 180 days or less remain before it expires.
Permits can’t be issued or renewed if the company is in the red Nitaqat zone.
After payment, the permit status updates in about one hour; Jawazat systems (Absher Business, Muqeem) update within 24 hours.
A work permit can’t be cancelled once issued or renewed.

The July 2026 rule: removal after 3 months expired

Starting 1 July 2026, Qiwa automatically removes a resident worker from the establishment’s records if the work permit has been expired for more than three months (Saudi Gazette, 28 June 2026, quoting Qiwa; KPMG flash alert, 7 July 2026).

Exception: you are not removed if your work permit and Iqama have different expiry dates and your Iqama is still valid for at least 180 days, even if the employer can’t renew the permit. If the Iqama has less than 180 days left, the employer must renew both.
Money: the employer stays liable for all fees owed for the time you worked without a valid permit, up to the removal date.

A separate grace period runs to 31 December 2026. HRSD extended the deadline to correct the status of workers whose permits expired more than 12 months ago, and workers whose permits were not issued within 6 months of joining a company (HRSD, 8 July 2026). HRSD says statutory procedures will apply after that date.

Note: a few news reports in July 2026 described the 3-month removal as postponed by this extension. HRSD’s notice itself only extends the grace period for the 12-month and 6-month cases, and KPMG reported the 3-month removal as in effect from 1 July. If your permit has expired, don’t rely on either reading: ask your employer to renew it now.

What removal means for you: official notices don’t say exactly what your Qiwa status becomes after removal. Check your status with the methods above, then renew through your employer, transfer (job transfer rules), or plan your exit.

Common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely reason	What to do
Work permit expired, Iqama still valid	Employer hasn’t paid the permit/levy	Ask HR to renew in Qiwa; it costs you nothing under Art. 40
Employer wants you to pay the levy	Against Article 40	Keep proof; complain to HRSD 19911
Permit can’t be renewed	Company in the red Nitaqat zone	Ask about transfer options; see job transfer rules
Paid, but Absher/Muqeem still shows old status	Systems update within 24 hours	Wait a day and check again
Iqama renewal blocked	Work permit not valid yet	Permit must be renewed first, then the Iqama in Muqeem
Removed from company records	Permit expired more than 3 months	Check status, talk to HR, consider transfer or exit

FAQs

Is the Maktab Amal fee the same as the Iqama fee?

No. The Iqama fee goes to Jawazat. The work permit fee and levy go to HRSD through Qiwa. Both are the employer’s cost for company workers.

Do domestic workers (house drivers, maids) pay this levy?

Domestic workers have separate rules and fees, so the company levy above does not apply in the same way. This page is for company (private-sector) workers.

Can my company renew my work permit early?

Yes, when 180 days or less are left before expiry, according to HRSD.

Can I pay my own work permit fee?

The fee is paid by the establishment in Qiwa. Article 40 puts the cost on the employer.

What happens if my permit expired while I was on vacation?

Ask your employer to renew it as soon as possible. After more than 3 months expired, Qiwa may remove you from the company’s records unless your Iqama has at least 180 days left.

Sources: HRSD — Issue and Renew Work license (SAR 100, Qiwa, SADAD, renewal rules), Labour Law Article 40, Inquire about an expatriate employee, Grace period extended to 31 Dec 2026 (8 Jul 2026); Saudi Gazette — Qiwa to remove workers with permits expired over 3 months (28 Jun 2026); KPMG — GMS Flash Alert 2026-168 (7 Jul 2026); Qoyod — Cost of running a small business in Saudi Arabia (Aug 2026, levy rates).