Qiwa Contract Expired: 60-Day Rule Explained (2026)

Short answer: when your Qiwa contract ends and is not renewed, Qiwa shows your status as “Disconnected from work” (منقطع عن العمل). You then have 60 days to do one of three things: sign a new contract with the same employer, transfer to a new employer through Qiwa, or leave Saudi Arabia on final exit. If you do nothing, on day 61 your status changes to “Absent from work” (متغيب عن العمل), you are removed from the company’s records and the Labour and Interior ministries are notified.

Last checked: November 2026. Qiwa’s own help pages could not be opened from our location, so this guide uses HRSD announcements and Saudi press reports of Qiwa’s rules (listed at the end).

How the 60 days work

Stage	Status in Qiwa	What you can do
Contract running	On the job (على رأس العمل)	Normal work, transfer with the usual rules
Contract ends, not renewed	Disconnected from work (منقطع عن العمل)	60 days to renew, transfer or exit
Day 61, nothing done	Absent from work (متغيب عن العمل)	Removed from employer records, MHRSD and Ministry of Interior notified. Transfer only under the regularisation rules (below)

The same 60-day clock is used when an employer files a work-discontinuation (absence) report. Qiwa’s rules, as reported by Saudi Gazette in July 2025, say an employer can file that report only if your Iqama has at least 60 days left and you have no active contract. If your situation is an absence report rather than an expired contract, read our huroob status guide.

Two more points from the same Qiwa update:

When a notice period ends (whether you resigned or the employer ended the contract), Qiwa now marks the contract “terminated” automatically.
Several firms tracking the rule (for example Envoy Global, September 2025) report that a transfer done inside the 60 days does not need your current employer’s consent.

Step 1: Check your status today

Log in to Qiwa as an individual. Stuck at login? See our Qiwa login guide.
Open your contracts and check the end date and status of your current contract. You can also download your Qiwa contract to see the exact dates.
Cross-check on the free HRSD worker inquiry (no login), explained in our huroob status guide. It shows على رأس العمل, منقطع عن العمل or متغيب عن العمل.
Write down the date the status changed. That is day 1 of your 60 days. Set a phone reminder for day 45.

Step 2: Choose one of the three options

Option A: Renew with your current employer

Your employer creates a new contract (or renewal) in Qiwa and you approve it in your Qiwa individual account. If you can’t see it, read Qiwa contract not showing. Check the salary, job title and dates before you approve.

Option B: Transfer to a new employer

The new employer starts the transfer request in Qiwa.
You accept it in your Qiwa account. See how to accept a Qiwa transfer request.
Do not stop and wait. Transfers can take days, so start well before day 60.

Qiwa’s normal transfer rules (such as time spent in the Kingdom and the new company’s Nitaqat band) still apply. See our job transfer rules.

Option C: Final exit

Ask your employer to issue the final exit visa and settle your dues. Before you fly, clear fines, loans, SIMs and any car registered on your Iqama. If the employer refuses or can’t be reached, call HRSD on 19911; Indian workers can also contact the Indian Embassy labour section (see final exit through the Indian Embassy).

Your money when a contract ends

End-of-service award: under the Labour Law you are entitled to it after 2 years with the same employer. Not renewing a contract is not the same as resigning, according to HRSD’s labour FAQ. Estimate it with our end of service calculator.
When it must be paid: the Indian Embassy’s summary of Saudi labour law says the employer must pay wages and dues within one week after the contract ends (two weeks if the worker ends it).
Ticket home: Article 40 makes the employer pay the return ticket at the end of the relationship.

If you already passed day 60 (“Absent from work”)

Don’t panic, but act. Since 18 September 2025, an HRSD initiative on Qiwa lets “absent” workers transfer legally to a new employer. It covers workers who became absent after a documented contract expired or ended, as well as after the 60-day grace period. The conditions HRSD published:

the new employer pays any outstanding work permit fees, and
you completed at least 12 continuous months in the Kingdom before the contract ended.

In November 2026, Qiwa again confirmed (as reported by Envoy Global) that absent workers with more than 12 months in Saudi Arabia can transfer if the new employer pays outstanding permit fees.

If you want to go home instead, see final exit through the Indian Embassy.

Common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely reason	Fix
Status still “on the job” after contract end date	Qiwa update not yet shown, or contract renewed automatically	Check the contract dates; ask HR whether it was renewed
New employer can’t send a transfer request	Their Nitaqat band, or you don’t meet a transfer condition	Ask them to check in Qiwa; read job transfer rules
Renewal contract not visible	Employer sent it to a wrong number or it expired	See contract not showing fixes
Employer says “just keep working, we’ll fix it later”	Risky: day 61 turns you “absent”	Ask for the renewal in Qiwa now, in writing
Day 61 passed	Status became “absent from work”	Use the regularisation transfer (12 months + new employer pays fees) or the Embassy exit route
Unpaid salary at contract end	Employer dispute	File through HRSD’s friendly settlement; see our salary delay complaint guide

FAQs

Does “Disconnected from work” mean I am huroob?

No. It is a warning stage. Huroob in the old sense is close to the “Absent from work” stage that starts after 60 days with no action.

Can I work for another company during the 60 days?

No. You may work only for the employer on your work permit. Use the 60 days to finish a transfer, renewal or exit.

Does my Iqama stay valid during the 60 days?

Your Iqama keeps its expiry date, but your work status is “disconnected”. If your Iqama expires during this time, renewal and transfer get harder, so act early.

Do I need my old employer’s permission to transfer in the 60 days?

Reports of the rule say no, as long as the transfer is completed inside the 60 days. Other transfer conditions still apply.

My contract ends next month. What should I do now?

Talk to HR now. If you are leaving, give notice in writing as your contract requires. If you are staying, ask for the renewal in Qiwa before the end date.

Sources: Saudi Gazette — Qiwa sets 60-day window (31 Jul 2025); Gulf News — 60 days to avoid being classified as absconders (31 Jul 2025, citing SPA); Envoy Global — 60-day grace period for expired contracts (Sep 2025) and transfer options for “absent” workers (Nov 2026); HRSD — Initiative to regularise absent workers (Oct 2025), Labour FAQ, Labour Law Article 40; Embassy of India — Guidelines for Indian workers going to Saudi Arabia (PDF, hosted by CGI Jeddah).