If you live and work in Saudi Arabia, your exit and re-entry visa decides whether you can come back after a trip home. If you are visiting family in the Kingdom, your visit visa decides how long you can legally stay. One wrong date can mean a refused boarding, an overstay fine, or a stressful call to your sponsor from the airport.
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The good news is that you do not need to visit a Jawazat office to confirm those dates. The Muqeem visa validity check lets you verify an exit and re-entry visa or a visit visa online in a few minutes.
This guide walks you through the exact check, step by step: what to enter, how the two verification options work, what every line of your result means, how to print it, and what to do if your visa has already expired. It also clears up the confusion between the public Muqeem check, the paid employer Muqeem account, Absher, and MOFA.
What Is the Muqeem Visa Validity Check?
Muqeem is an electronic service developed by Elm in cooperation with the General Directorate of Passports, known as Jawazat. Its dedicated Visa Validity Portal is at vv.muqeem.sa, and its own description is simple: a service for checking exit and re-entry visas and visit visas.
That is all the public portal does. It is not where you renew an Iqama, apply for a new visa, or check an embassy visa application. It answers one question quickly: is this visa still valid, and until when?
Residents use it before travelling, after a sponsor issues a new exit and re-entry visa, or while already outside Saudi Arabia to confirm they can still return. Visitors and their hosts use it to confirm a visit visa expiry date and how many days remain.
What You Need Before You Start
Have your documents in front of you before you start, and copy every number exactly as printed.
- Your Iqama number, if you are a resident checking an exit and re-entry visa
- Your visa number, if you have it from your visa printout or sponsor
- One cross-match detail: your passport number, date of birth, full name, Iqama expiry date, or visa expiry date
- For a visit visa, the border number given when the visitor entered Saudi Arabia is used in the visitor flow
You do not need your sponsor with you, or a Saudi mobile number for the cross-match itself. That makes the Muqeem visa validity check online especially helpful when you are already abroad and your Saudi SIM is not active.
Safety note: only enter these numbers on vv.muqeem.sa itself, never on a copycat site, social media page, or messaging app offering to check for you.
How to Do a Muqeem Visa Validity Check, Step by Step
Follow these steps in order. Portal wording can change slightly when it is updated, so treat the screen in front of you as final.
- Open your browser and go to the Visa Validity Portal at vv.muqeem.sa.
- Switch the language to English using the language option on the page if you prefer English.
- Choose the type of visa you want to check: exit and re-entry visa or visitor visa.
- Choose how you want to search, under the check using option: Iqama Number or Visa Number.
- Type the number you chose, exactly as shown on your document, with no spaces.
- Choose one cross-match option and enter that detail carefully. Passport number and date of birth are the options most people find easiest.
- Complete the security check shown on the page.
- Click Check and wait for the result screen to load.
There is no fee to view your validity result on the portal. Portal screens and sign-in requirements have changed more than once, so if the portal asks you to sign in or register first, follow the on-screen instructions on the official site itself. Do not pay a third-party website instead.
Muqeem Visa Validity Check by Iqama Number
This is the route most residents use. Select Iqama Number, enter your 10-digit Iqama number, then cross-match with one second detail. The passport number is usually the safest cross-match. If you recently renewed your passport, try your date of birth instead, as the record may still hold your old passport number until your sponsor updates it.
Muqeem Visa Validity Check by Visa Number
Select Visa Number to check against the number on your issued visa directly. You still need one cross-match detail, such as your passport number, date of birth, Iqama expiry date, or visa expiry date. This option is useful when a sponsor or family member is checking on your behalf with the visa printout in hand.
How to Check a Visit Visa on Muqeem
The same portal also handles the Muqeem visit visa validity check, which surprises many people who assume it is only for residents. To run it:
- Go to vv.muqeem.sa and select the visitor visa option.
- Enter the details the visitor form asks for. The visitor flow uses the border number, which is the number recorded when the visitor entered Saudi Arabia.
- Complete the security check and click Check.
- Read the visitor result carefully, especially the visa expiry date and the remaining duration.
A visitor result is worded differently from a resident result. Instead of a return before date, it shows a visa expiry date, the number of entries, the visa duration in days, how many days have been used, how many remain, and whether the visitor is permitted to enter. Do not mix the two up when you plan flights for visiting relatives.
How to Print Your Visa Validity Result
Many travellers ask about the Muqeem print visa validity option because airlines sometimes ask to see proof of your right to return.
- Run the check until your visa details appear on screen.
- Use the Print option on the result page if it is shown, or use your browser print function.
- Save the file as a PDF, or print a paper copy, and keep it with your passport.
- Keep a copy on your phone as well, so you can show it without an internet connection.
A printout is a backup, not the visa itself. Electronic exit and re-entry visas are verified at border control when your passport is scanned, so you do not need the paper copy to travel. It simply saves time if an airline agent abroad wants to see your dates quickly.
What Your Result Means
Read the result like this:
| Result field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Visa status | Whether the visa is currently valid or expired |
| Visa type | Single entry or multiple entry |
| Visa number | The official number of this visa |
| Visa duration | The total travel period the visa allows |
| Visa issuance date | The date the visa was issued |
| Return before | The last date you must re-enter Saudi Arabia, for exit and re-entry visas |
| Visa expiry date | The date the visa ends, used on visitor visa results |
| Inside / Outside Kingdom | Whether the system shows you as currently inside or outside Saudi Arabia |
Return before is the date that catches people out. It is not a suggestion, and it is not the same as your Iqama expiry. If it passes while you are outside Saudi Arabia, you cannot re-enter on that visa, even if your Iqama is still valid. Plan your return flight with a clear margin before it. Also check the visa type line: a single exit and re-entry visa is used once, so do not assume it covers a second trip.
Muqeem vs Absher vs MOFA: Which Check Do You Need?
These three names cause most of the confusion around a Saudi visa validity check.
| Your situation | Use this service |
|---|---|
| Check an exit and re-entry visa | Muqeem Visa Validity Portal, vv.muqeem.sa |
| Check a visit visa already issued for travel to Saudi Arabia | Muqeem Visa Validity Portal, vv.muqeem.sa |
| Check your own visas, Iqama services and final exit status as a resident | Absher, absher.sa, with your Absher account |
| Check a visa application submitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | MOFA visa portal, visa.mofa.gov.sa |
| Check a final exit visa | Absher or your sponsor, not the public Muqeem validity portal |
Absher needs your own account and a verification code sent to your registered mobile, which is why the Muqeem check is often easier from abroad. MOFA is different again: it tracks applications, using an application number and passport number. Older guides mention Enjazit for this, but that portal has been discontinued and its services moved to MOFA.
Public Muqeem Check vs Employer Muqeem Accounts
There are two things called Muqeem, and mixing them up wastes a lot of time.
The Visa Validity Portal at vv.muqeem.sa is the public checking service described in this guide. It is for verifying a visa.
The main Muqeem portal at muqeem.sa is for establishments. Its own description says it allows organisations to review their resident workers’ data and complete their passport transactions online. Employers use it, under paid annual subscription packages, to issue, extend and cancel visas, update passport details, and print reports for sponsored workers. Individual employees do not need to buy a Muqeem package to check their own visa.
So if your employer says a visa was issued or extended on Muqeem, that is the employer portal. Your job is simply to confirm the result yourself on the validity portal before you travel.
What If Your Visa Has Expired, or the Check Fails?
Start by checking the entry itself. Most failed checks are typing problems, not visa problems.
- Re-type both numbers slowly and check for one wrong digit
- Try a different cross-match detail, for example date of birth instead of passport number
- If your passport was renewed, remember the record may still show the old passport number
- Try again later if the portal is slow, and switch browser if the page will not load
If the result shows the visa as expired while you are outside Saudi Arabia, do not book a flight back on that visa. Contact your employer or sponsor straight away. Only the sponsor can arrange an extension where one is allowed, or a new entry visa, through the employer Muqeem portal or Absher Business. Jawazat lifted the old automatic three-year re-entry ban in January 2024, so an expired visa abroad no longer means that ban, but you still cannot return until your sponsor issues the correct new visa. Confirm your exact position with your sponsor before travelling.
If the visa expired while you were still inside Saudi Arabia and you never travelled, tell your sponsor promptly too, because an unused expired visa normally has to be cancelled and a fine can apply.
Why You Should Check Before Every Trip
A two-minute check a week before you fly is far cheaper than fixing a problem at a check-in desk. Confirm the visa is active, the return before date covers your planned return with room to spare, and the passport number matches the passport you will carry.
While you plan that trip, also think about what you will carry in both directions, and read up on the Saudi Arabia duty-free allowance rules so nothing you bring back through customs causes a second, avoidable problem after a smooth visa check.
Finally, save a screenshot or PDF of your result each time you check. Having your own dated copy makes any disagreement about what the portal showed much easier to resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I check my exit and re-entry visa without Absher?
A: Use the Muqeem Visa Validity Portal at vv.muqeem.sa. Choose the exit and re-entry visa, search using your Iqama number or visa number, cross-match with one detail such as your passport number or date of birth, complete the security check, and click Check. You will see your visa type, status and return before date, from inside or outside Saudi Arabia.
Q: Can I check my Saudi visa validity with just my passport number?
A: Not on its own. On Muqeem, the passport number is a cross-match detail, so you still need your Iqama number or visa number as the main search number. On the MOFA portal, a passport number is used together with an application number instead.
Q: How can I check my re-entry visa status from outside Saudi Arabia?
A: Open vv.muqeem.sa from any country and complete the same Iqama number or visa number check with one cross-match detail. You do not need your Absher verification code for the cross-match, which is why this route is recommended before you fly back.
Q: What is the difference between Muqeem and Absher?
A: Muqeem’s validity portal is a focused checking service for exit and re-entry visas and visit visas, while the main Muqeem portal serves employers. Absher is the broader individual portal where residents manage their own services, including Iqama services, dependent visas and final exit status, using a personal account and mobile verification.
Q: Can I check a final exit visa on Muqeem?
A: No. The public Muqeem validity portal covers exit and re-entry visas and visitor visas, not final exit visas. Check a final exit through your own Absher account, or ask your sponsor or employer to confirm its status.
Q: Why does Muqeem say my details do not match?
A: It usually means one detail does not match the Jawazat record exactly. Check both numbers digit by digit, then try a different cross-match option, such as date of birth instead of passport number. If you renewed your passport recently, your sponsor may need to update the record first.
Q: Can I travel after my exit and re-entry visa expires?
A: No. Once the return before date has passed, that visa no longer allows you to re-enter Saudi Arabia. Contact your sponsor immediately so they can arrange an extension where allowed or a new entry visa.