Starting from March 2020, it will be possible for Article 18 residence permit holders to renew their visa online.
Announcing this, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Residence Affairs, Major General Talal Marafi, said the new automated system will link companies and institutions allowing the renewal of expatriate residence permits online without the company mandoup (representative) or sponsor having to visit any of the six governorate residence affairs departments.
He further stated that each company will have its own password to enter the system and follow the steps to renew the residence for expats without any complications or security breach from hackers.
Currently certain employees of companies and institutions are being trained on the new system by the Ministry of Interior staff. The new system is expected to benefit one and half million expats in the private sector and its implementation comes following the success of the online renewal of Article 20 visas for domestic workers. The next step in automating the renewal process is to stamp the residence of dependents of expatriates.