How to Check Your Aqd Contract Registration in Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

• Aqd is your official Saudi employment contract — it must be registered on Qiwa for legal validity.
• Employees can check status through the Qiwa portal or Absher.
• Employers are legally required to register every contract on Qiwa within 90 days of hire.
• If the contract isn't appearing: polite reminder → written follow-up → formal escalation to HRSD.
• Missing registration risks: Iqama delays, no legal protection, blocked benefits, and potential deportation exposure for expats.

Starting a job in Saudi Arabia involves more than signing an offer letter. The official employment contract — the Aqd — must be registered on Qiwa, the kingdom's electronic employment platform, for the job to be legally recognised. Many expats and new hires assume HR will handle this automatically, but delays are common, and the consequences of a missing registration are real. This guide walks through how to verify your Aqd is properly registered, what to do if it is not, and the risks of waiting too long to act.

How to Check Aqd Contract Registration: Step by Step

Three platforms let you verify the registration status.

Qiwa Employee Portal

The official employment-services system. As an employee:

1. Go to Qiwa.sa and log in with your Absher credentials.
2. Navigate to Services → Employment Contracts.
3. Select View New/Pending Contracts.

If the registration is complete, you will see the full contract details — job title, salary, contract period, status. If it is pending or missing, the entry will either be marked as "Pending" or absent entirely.

In Islamic legal tradition, an employment contract represents the ijab (offer) of the employer and the qabul (acceptance) of the employee. Your signed digital acceptance on Qiwa is what formally completes the qabul and triggers registration.

Qiwa Employer Portal

If you manage HR or are an authorised employer representative, your view is different but equally important. Since April 2019, all Saudi employers have been required to generate, submit, and manage employment contracts electronically through Qiwa.

Employer process:

1. Log into the Qiwa employer portal.
2. Navigate to Contract Management.
3. Enter contract terms and employee details.
4. Send the contract to the employee for digital review and signature.
5. Finalise submission to register the contract.

Delays at any step create compliance risk and potential fines — making it important for HR to actively monitor progress.

Absher

Absher is the broader Saudi government services platform. It will not show the full Aqd, but it does reveal whether your employment has been tied to your Iqama:

1. Log into Absher.sa.
2. Go to My Services → Employment Details.
3. Review your current job title and registered employer.

Mismatched or missing details on Absher are a strong signal that the Aqd is not fully registered.

What to Do If Your Aqd Isn't Registered

A three-step escalation that resolves most missing-registration situations.

Step 1: Polite HR reminder around day 30

If the contract has not appeared on Qiwa within 30 days, follow up with HR. A short, professional message that documents the request:

Hi [HR Name], I wanted to check in regarding my employment contract — I haven't seen it appear on Qiwa yet. Please let me know if anything is required from my side to complete the registration. Thanks in advance.

Keep a copy of any reply.

Step 2: Written follow-up around day 30-60

If there's no movement after the first reminder, escalate in writing. Reference your earlier message, include screenshots from Qiwa or Absher showing the missing entry, and be explicit that this affects your legal employment status and Iqama eligibility.

Step 3: Formal escalation after day 60-90

If HR has not resolved the issue by day 90, take formal action:

• File a complaint directly through Qiwa
• Call the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) hotline at 19911

Saudi labour authorities take these complaints seriously. Under Saudi labour law penalties documented by Pinsent Masons, employers can face fines of up to SAR 5,000 per unregistered contract — meaningful leverage when escalation becomes necessary.

Risks of Delayed Aqd Contract Registration

Waiting too long to resolve a missing Aqd creates several specific risks.

Iqama or visa issuance delays

A registered contract is a prerequisite for issuing or renewing your Iqama. An unregistered Aqd can leave you in visa-overstay status, with associated fines and deportation exposure.

No legal protection in disputes

Without a registered contract, you have limited legal recourse if there are disputes over salary, termination, or benefits. The unregistered contract is effectively unenforceable.

Blocked access to benefits

Health insurance enrolment, bank loans, GOSI (Saudi social insurance) registration, and many other services require a valid registered Aqd. Missing registration locks you out of these systems.

Compounding paperwork problems

Many other administrative processes — dependents' visas, school enrolment for children, vehicle ownership — assume an active registered employment status. Delays here cascade.

Employer Responsibilities and the Aqd Registration System

Since April 2019, every Saudi private-sector employer must register employment contracts through Qiwa. The process is designed to mirror the traditional Islamic legal structure of offer and acceptance — formalised in a digital workflow.

The employer's process:

1. Authorised HR logs into Qiwa. Contract Management section.
2. Enter contract details accurately. Salary, job title, location, probation period, contract duration — every field must align with Saudi Labour Law and reflect the actual agreement.
3. Send to the employee for review and digital signature. This is the formal ijab; the employee's acceptance is the qabul.
4. Finalise the registration. Once accepted, the contract is automatically registered with HRSD and tied to the employee's Iqama.

Employers who skip or delay this process face risks beyond fines — including suspended services on Qiwa, frozen visa processing for new hires, and potential reputational damage if employees file complaints. Timely action benefits everyone.

The Bottom Line

Your Aqd is not paperwork — it is the legal anchor of your employment in Saudi Arabia. Check the registration status within the first 30 days of starting a job, follow up firmly if it has not appeared by day 60, and escalate formally if it remains unregistered by day 90. The employer's failure to register the contract has direct consequences for your Iqama, your benefits, and your legal protection. Acting early — politely but persistently — is the single most important administrative step a new hire in Saudi Arabia can take.

FAQs

How quickly must an employer register a new Aqd on Qiwa?

Saudi labour regulations require registration within 90 days of hire. In practice, most reputable employers complete it within the first 30 days.

Can I check my Aqd from outside Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Both Qiwa and Absher are accessible internationally with your credentials. International access lets new hires verify the registration before they arrive.

What happens if my employer refuses to register the contract?

File a formal complaint through Qiwa and call HRSD at 19911. Saudi authorities take these complaints seriously, and the employer may face per-contract fines.

Does Aqd registration affect my Iqama renewal?

Yes, directly. The Iqama is tied to active registered employment. Without a current registered Aqd, the Iqama cannot be issued or renewed — which puts your residency status at risk.

Can I work in Saudi Arabia legally without a registered Aqd?

Technically you are still in employment if you are physically working, but legally you have no enforceable contract and limited recourse in disputes. Working without registration also leaves you exposed to overstay risk if your Iqama lapses. Resolve registration as a priority.