MOL Iqama Red Green Status Check (2026 Guide)

If you work in Saudi Arabia, you have probably heard someone ask whether a company is “red” or “green.” That colour can decide whether your Iqama is renewed on time, whether you can change profession, and whether you can move to a new employer.

This guide explains the MOL Iqama red green status check: what the colour means, how to check it free on the official portal, what each band allows and blocks, and what to do if your employer turns Red.

One point first: the colour is not about you. It is your employer’s rating.

Quick Answer

• The red or green status belongs to your employer (the establishment), not to your Iqama card. No colour is printed on it.
• The colour is the company’s Nitaqat band, set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), still widely called MOL (Ministry of Labor).
• You can check it free, with no login, on the official MHRSD Non-Saudi Employee Inquiry page using your Iqama number, border number, or passport number.
• The current bands are Platinum, High Green, Medium Green, Low Green, and Red. There is no Yellow band anymore. A Red employer cannot renew work permits, so Iqama renewals get blocked in practice.

What the MOL Iqama Red Green Status Actually Means

Nitaqat is Saudi Arabia’s Saudization program. It measures how many Saudi nationals a private-sector company employs against the target for its activity and size. MHRSD places every establishment into one of five bands based on that result.

People search for this check under many names: iqama red green check, iqama color check, company red or green, and “mosasa” status. Mosasa is a common spelling of the Arabic word for establishment. All point to the same thing: your employer’s Nitaqat classification.

Because the rating sits with the employer, nothing you do personally moves the colour. Your record can be perfect and you can still be affected, because renewals, profession changes, and transfers are filed by the employer through services that open or close with its band.

The colour is also different from three other checks expats mix it up with:

• Iqama expiry: when your residence permit runs out. Check it on Absher.
• Employment status: whether you are recorded as on duty or absent from work.
• Huroob: an absconding report filed by an employer, a separate and serious status.

This article covers the colour check, and shows where those other statuses appear.

How to Do the MOL Iqama Red Green Status Check

The official iqama red green check online is the MHRSD inquiry about an expatriate employee. It is public, free, and needs no Absher account — the iqama red green check without Absher most workers look for.

You need only one of these numbers:

• Iqama number, if your Iqama is already issued
• Border number, if you are a new arrival with no Iqama yet (the mol iqama check with border number route)
• Passport number plus nationality, if you only have your passport (the mol iqama check by passport number route)

Steps:

1. Open the official MHRSD Non-Saudi Employee Inquiry page on the es.hrsd.gov.sa portal. The page may open in Arabic; use its language option or your browser’s translate feature.
2. Choose the type of number you are going to enter: Iqama number, border number, or passport number.
3. Type the number carefully, with no spaces. Iqama numbers are normally ten digits.
4. If you chose the passport number, also select your nationality. A passport search without it can fail even when the number is correct.
5. Enter the captcha code exactly as shown.
6. Click Search.

That is the whole nitaqat status check. The result page shows your employment details, your employer’s name, your work permit information, your employment status, and the establishment’s Nitaqat band. That band is the answer to your iqama red green status check.

A note on older guides: some describe a form that asks for your date of birth. The current form works with the number, nationality for passport searches, and the captcha. Portals change, so if the page asks for an extra field, follow the official page rather than any guide, including this one.

Can You Check the Colour on Absher or Qiwa?

No, not on Absher. Absher and the Ministry of Interior handle personal residency services, such as Iqama expiry. They do not show your employer’s Nitaqat colour, which belongs to a different system run by MHRSD.

Qiwa is still worth opening for a different reason: your profile there holds your documented contract and mobility information, which you need if you plan a transfer. For the colour itself, use the MHRSD inquiry above.

The Five Nitaqat Bands Explained

The Saudization percentage needed for each band depends on the company’s activity and size, so no single percentage fits every employer. What stays the same is what each band means for labor services.

Band	What it means	What the employer can do
Platinum	Highest Saudization compliance	Full access to labor services: new visas, profession changes, work permit renewals, and receiving transfers, subject to each service’s rules
High Green	Strong compliance, above target	Same core services generally available
Medium Green	Meets the standard target	Same core services generally available
Low Green	Only just meets the minimum	Existing work permits can be renewed, but new expat visas and profession changes are restricted
Red	Below the required Saudization level	New visas, new work permits, work permit renewals, profession changes, and transfers into the company are all blocked

Platinum, High Green, and Medium Green

These are the safe bands. Your employer can renew your work permit and Iqama, apply for new visas, change professions, and receive transferring workers. Before accepting an offer, this is the range you want to see.

Low Green: Green, but Fragile

Low Green deserves its own warning, because the word Green makes people relax. A Low Green employer has only just cleared the minimum line. Your work permit can still be renewed, so your stay is not immediately at risk. But the company cannot bring in new expatriate workers or process profession changes.

Treat Low Green as one bad quarter away from Red. If a profession change matters to you, or you plan to move jobs, acting while the band is still Green is far easier than after it drops.

Red: What It Means for You

A Red result means the employer has fallen below its required Saudization level. Under the official Nitaqat rules, it cannot:

• Apply for new expatriate visas
• Issue new work permits or renew existing work permits
• Change a worker’s profession
• Receive expatriate workers transferring in from other employers
• Open a new establishment file or branch

The work permit point hits workers hardest. A valid work permit is normally part of Iqama renewal, so a Red employer usually cannot renew your Iqama either. Your Iqama does not become invalid the day your employer turns Red, but the next renewal, transfer in, or profession change will stop until the company fixes its standing.

Does the Yellow Band Still Exist?

No. Many older pages still list Yellow, and autocomplete still suggests “iqama red green yellow check,” but the Yellow band was abolished on 26 January 2020. Every establishment in Yellow at that time was moved into Red. If an old screenshot or article mentions Yellow, read it as Red under today’s rules.

You may also see a result that reads Excluded, shown in Arabic as مستبعد. This usually appears for very small establishments that sit outside the Nitaqat rating. There is no detailed official public explanation of how it affects each service, so if you see it, ask HR or call MHRSD on 19911 before a renewal or transfer.

If Your Employer Is Red: What You Can Do

Do not panic, but do not wait either:

1. Save the result. Screenshot the official inquiry result with the date visible. If a dispute ever reaches MHRSD, a dated result is worth far more than a memory.
2. Check your own dates separately: Iqama expiry and work permit expiry. The colour does not change them, and they decide how much time you have.
3. Ask HR, in writing, whether the band is current and what the company is doing to return to Green. Some Red results are temporary.
4. Read the employment status on the same result page. “On the Duty” means your status is normal. “Absent from Work” means a huroob report has been filed, a separate emergency that needs action the same day.
5. Review your Qiwa profile. Check your contract is documented there and review your mobility and notice position before you make any move.
6. Look at your transfer options early, while your Iqama is still valid. Options narrow sharply after expiry.

Can You Transfer to a New Employer Without Permission?

In defined cases, yes. Saudi labor mobility rules, applied through Qiwa, allow a transfer without the current employer’s consent in specific situations: the employer sitting in the Red band or otherwise failing its obligations, wages going unpaid, the contract not being documented, or the employer letting the Iqama or work permit lapse.

Two cautions matter. First, eligibility is personal: it depends on your contract, service period, and Qiwa record, so confirm your position in Qiwa before resigning from anything. Second, understand the direction of the Red restriction: the band blocks a Red company from receiving transfers in. It does not trap you inside it. Moving out is governed by the mobility rules, not the colour alone.

The receiving employer must also be in a band that allows transfers in, so check the new company’s colour with the same inquiry before accepting an offer. Never pay an agent who promises to change a colour for cash. Only the employer’s real compliance changes the band.

If renewal, wages, or your rights are already affected and HR will not act, contact MHRSD on 19911.

Why the Check Shows No Result

A blank result is common and usually has a simple cause:

• Wrong number: re-type the Iqama or border number with no spaces, and make sure you selected the right field for it.
• Border number used after Iqama issuance: once an Iqama exists, use the Iqama number instead.
• Nationality missing on a passport search: add your nationality and search again.
• Expired captcha: refresh the code and submit a fresh one.
• Expired Iqama: the inquiry may return nothing if it has lapsed. Check expiry on Absher first, then retry.
• Worker category not covered: the inquiry covers non-Saudi employees in MHRSD labor systems. Dependents and domestic workers are not rated under Nitaqat, so no colour exists for them.
• Portal problem: wait and try again later, or switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi. Never use a third-party page that asks you to upload your Iqama or passport.

How Often Should You Check?

Check every few months, and always before accepting a job offer, signing a contract renewal, or reaching your Iqama renewal date.

Bands move. MHRSD began a new three-year phase of the Developed Nitaqat program in 2026, with higher targets designed to add more than 340,000 Saudi jobs in the private sector. When targets rise, an employer comfortably Green last year can slip to Low Green or Red without hiring or firing anyone. A result from six months ago is a snapshot, not a promise.

Employers improve their bands by hiring Saudi nationals who count toward the ratio and keeping contracts, permits, and records current. If your employer says it is fixing a Red result, re-run the check in a few weeks and confirm the band changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I check my iqama red green status without Absher?

A: Yes. The MHRSD Non-Saudi Employee Inquiry is public and needs no Absher login or account. Enter your Iqama, border, or passport number, add your nationality for a passport search, complete the captcha, and the result shows your employer’s Nitaqat band.

Q: Does a Red employer mean my Iqama is cancelled or invalid?

A: No. The colour rates the employer, not you, and a Red result does not cancel your Iqama. The real risk is practical: a Red employer cannot renew work permits, and since a work permit is normally needed for Iqama renewal, your next renewal can be blocked until the company returns to Green or you transfer.

Q: Can I check the status with my passport number or border number?

A: Yes. New arrivals can search with their border number. Anyone can search with a passport number, but you must also select your nationality or the search can fail. Once your Iqama is issued, the Iqama number is the most reliable option.

Q: Can I transfer to another company if my employer is Red?

A: In defined cases, yes, and you may not need your current employer’s consent. Labor mobility rules applied through Qiwa cover situations such as a Red or non-compliant employer, unpaid wages, or an undocumented contract. Eligibility depends on your own contract and Qiwa record, so verify it there first, and check the new employer is in a band that can receive transfers.

Q: Is the Yellow Nitaqat category still valid?

A: No. Yellow was abolished on 26 January 2020 and all Yellow establishments moved to Red. The current bands are Platinum, High Green, Medium Green, Low Green, and Red only.

Q: Can domestic workers and dependents check an Iqama colour?

A: No. Domestic workers and dependents are not employed under a Nitaqat-rated establishment, so the inquiry returns no colour for them. It only works for non-Saudi employees in the MHRSD labor system under a private-sector employer.

Q: My result shows Excluded. Should I worry?

A: Not automatically. Excluded, shown as مستبعد, usually means the establishment is very small and sits outside the Nitaqat rating. There is no detailed official public explanation of how it affects each service, so before a renewal or transfer, confirm your position with HR or by calling MHRSD on 19911.