Short answer
An Iqama number is the number connected with a Saudi residence-permit record. A border number is a different Jawazat identifier, and a passport number belongs to the passport. If you already have an Iqama, check the physical or digital resident record and use the Iqama number when a service asks for it. If your Iqama has not been issued, use the official service that accepts your border or passport details; do not assume that a border number can always be converted into an Iqama number.
What is an Iqama number?
“Iqama” commonly refers to the Saudi resident identity or residence permit. Saudi government information uses the term resident identity (Iqama), while official services may label the input as a resident ID or residence-permit number. The Saudi National Profile lists National ID/Iqama number details for the logged-in user, and the Ministry of Interior’s resident identity service explains the issuance route.
That number is not the same as a border number, visa number or passport number. Those identifiers can appear in the same employment file, but each one points to a different record.
If your Iqama has already been issued
- Check the resident card or official digital record. Read the number exactly as shown, including every digit.
- Use the Iqama field only when the service requests it. For example, an official resident-ID validity inquiry asks for the resident’s ID number.
- Keep the result and date. If a form rejects the number, save the message or reference instead of repeatedly trying other identifiers.
For an online government check, start from the relevant service on an official Saudi domain and follow its current fields. Government portals change labels and login steps, so an old screenshot or third-party form should not replace the live instructions.
If you have a border number but no Iqama
The official Absher Query for Border Number service is for querying the border number recorded in the passports system. It can help you confirm the border number, but it does not promise that the result will be an Iqama number.
For an employer-side expatriate inquiry, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development lists border number, residence-permit number, passport number and nationality among the information that may be used in its inquiry about an expatriate employee. That is a specific employer workflow. It should not be read as a universal public passport-to-Iqama lookup.
Can you check an Iqama number with a passport number?
Sometimes a Saudi government workflow accepts a passport number as an alternative identifier, but acceptance depends on the service, user type and record status. The HRSD expatriate-employee inquiry describes passport-number input for the employer/business process. If you are using a resident service, use the Iqama or resident-ID number when that is the required field.
Therefore, the safe answer is: use a passport number only where the live official form explicitly asks for it. Do not enter a passport number into an Iqama field and assume that a match proves the identity record is correct.
Border number, Iqama, passport and visa number compared
| Identifier | What it relates to | Use it when the official form asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Iqama number. | Saudi resident identity or residence-permit record. | Resident ID, Iqama or residence-permit checks. |
| Border number. | Jawazat/passports record associated with entry or visitor processing. | Border-number inquiry or an employer workflow that specifically accepts it. |
| Passport number. | The traveller’s passport. | A passport-based inquiry or an employer service that lists passport input. |
| Visa number. | The visa record. | A visa-status, stamping or application inquiry that requests it. |
For a fuller explanation of how these identifiers differ, read Qureshi’s border number and Iqama comparison guide. For the border-number workflow itself, see the Saudi border-number guide.
What to do when the official service shows no result
- Check that the number was copied without spaces or digit changes.
- Confirm whether the service asks for nationality, date of birth, a visual code or an employer login.
- Try the official route that matches the record: border number for a border inquiry, Iqama for a resident record, passport for a service that expressly accepts it.
- If the information still does not match, ask the employer or responsible Saudi authority to review the record. Keep the official reference and the date of the attempt.
A no-result message does not prove that an Iqama was cancelled, that a visa is invalid, or that a worker has a particular employment status. Those conclusions require the responsible official record.
Document safety for workers and employers
Do not post a passport, Iqama or border number publicly. Share identity documents only through a verified employer, authorized government portal or confirmed recruitment channel. Qureshi Manpower Bureau’s published recruitment process explains the recruitment stages, while the visa-demand page provides the site’s published demand context. These Qureshi pages do not replace a Saudi government status check.
Qureshi Manpower Bureau is recorded in the published Pakistan Government BeOE OEP evidence as a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter. For company verification, use the Qureshi licence information page and the linked government directory before sharing documents or paying anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Is a border number the same as an Iqama number?
No. They are different identifiers. Use the number requested by the live official service.
Can I always find an Iqama number from a passport?
No universal public lookup should be assumed. Passport input is available in some official workflows, including the HRSD employer inquiry, but the service determines which identifiers it accepts.
What should I use if Iqama issuance is still pending?
Use the official route that specifically accepts the border number or passport number for your case, and ask the responsible employer or authority about issuance status. Do not treat a third-party result as proof.
Last reviewed: October 10, 2026. Saudi government service fields, eligibility and login requirements can change; follow the live official instructions.