How to Check Your Iqama Red Green Color Status
The Iqama is an essential residency permit for expatriates to live and work in Saudi Arabia. As part of its efforts to promote localization, Saudi Arabia introduced the Nitaqat system in 2011. This system classifies companies into different color categories—Platinum, Green (High, Medium, Low) and Red—based on their compliance with Saudization requirements, which mandate a minimum percentage of Saudi nationals in the workforce.
Companies in the Platinum and Green categories are considered compliant, while those in the Red category are non-compliant and face restrictions and penalties. Therefore, it is advisable to know your company’s Nitaqat color status. You can check this using your Iqama number or passport number. In this article, we explain how you can easily check your Nitaqat status (red-green color) on the MOL KSA website.
How to Check Your Iqama Red Green Color Status
To check your company’s Nitaqat color category, you need to visit the official MOL website. The website’s language is Arabic, so you will need to use a translation tool to translate the page to English if you are not comfortable with the Arabic language.
- Visit the MOL website’s non Saudi employee inquiry page at https://www.mol.gov.sa/services/inquiry/nonsaudiempinquiry.aspx
- First, you need to enter your ID number. You can provide your Iqama number, border number, or passport number. If you are searching with your passport number, you will need to select your nationality from the list of countries.
- Then, enter the image code for verification and press the green button to search.
- You will see the result just below the search form, and it will contain information about your company’s Nitaqat color, employer name, employment status, work permit number, and more.
Understanding the Iqama Colour Status
Your iqama color status shows your employer’s compliance with the Saudization program. So, it is important to understand the different colors and their meanings.
Platinum Category
- Can apply for new expatriate worker visas.
- Can change expatriate workers’ occupations.
- Can renew work permit of existing expatriate workers.
- Can transfer expatriate workers’ sponsorship to the entity from any other entity.
High Green Category
- Can apply for new expatriate worker visas.
- Can change expatriate workers’ occupations.
- Can renew work permit of existing expatriate workers.
- Can transfer expatriate workers’ sponsorship to the entity from any other entity.
Medium Green Category
- Can apply for new expatriate worker visas.
- Can change expatriate workers’ occupations.
- Can renew work permit of existing expatriate workers.
- Can transfer expatriate workers’ sponsorship to the entity from any other entity.
Low Green Range
- Cannot apply for new expatriate worker visas.
- Cannot change expatriate workers’ occupations.
- Can renew work permit of existing expatriate workers.
Red Category
- Cannot change expatriate workers’ occupations.
- Cannot transfer expatriate workers’ sponsorship to the entity.
- Cannot apply for new expatriate worker visas.
- Cannot issue work permit for new expatriate workers.
- Cannot renew work permit of existing expatriate workers.
Understanding your employer’s color category is good for expatriates working in Saudi Arabia, as it directly affects you in many ways, such as Iqama renewal and profession change. By following the simple steps we discussed above, you can easily find out which category of Nitaqat color your employer is currently in.