When Does Your Child Get a Separate Passport & Iqama in Saudi Arabia? The Age-18 and Age-25 Rules

📌 The Short Answer

Saudi Jawazat has a clear, official rule on when a dependent (a child or sponsored family member) moves off the parent’s residency file:

• Age 18 — the dependent is separated onto their own record. They get their own residence (iqama) record instead of being listed on the parent’s, but they stay under the parent’s sponsorship until a transfer of services. Jawazat counts the age by the Gregorian calendar.
• Age 25 (male dependents) — transfer of sponsorship (kafala / naql khidmat) becomes mandatory. A male dependent can no longer remain under the father’s sponsorship and must move to their own employer’s sponsorship.

This was confirmed directly by Jawazat’s customer-service account (@CareAljawazat) on X:

“التعليمات تشترط الفصل عند بلوغ سن الـ 18 عام ونقل الخدمات عند بلوغ سن الـ 25 عام” “The regulations require separation at the age of 18, and transfer of services at the age of 25.”

It applies to all expat families living in the Kingdom — Indian, Pakistani, Egyptian, Filipino, and every other nationality — not to one community in particular.

🔑 What “Separation at 18” Actually Means

A lot of residents wrongly assume a child automatically stays on the parent’s iqama until they finish university or get a job. That is not how it works.

Once a dependent turns 18, Jawazat expects them to be on a separate file. In practice this matters for:

1. Iqama renewal — the separated dependent’s iqama is issued and renewed on its own record. Jawazat’s fee for issuing or renewing a resident’s dependent’s iqama after the legal age of 18 is SAR 500 (Jawazat fees), and for dependents over 21 Jawazat requires proof of study (an academic record) to renew.
2. Passport — many families use this moment to issue the child their own individual passport if they haven’t already (for Indian nationals, that’s done through the Embassy of India / Consulate General in Jeddah).
3. Studying vs working — a separated dependent who is still studying can often remain on a study-based dependent status; one who starts working must move to an employment iqama under their employer.

⚠️ Common mistake: Parents keep renewing the family’s iqamas without separating a child who has passed 18. Jawazat has confirmed that a “separate dependent” message can then appear when renewing the head of family’s iqama with dependents, and it has to be sorted out before the renewal goes through.

🧑‍💼 The Age-25 Rule (Male Dependents)

For male dependents, the rule goes one step further. At age 25, transferring sponsorship away from the father is mandatory — the dependent cannot continue under the parent’s kafala.

• If the son has a job, the employer initiates Naql Khidmat (transfer of services) to move him onto the company’s sponsorship.
• If he has no employer, he must either find one or regularize his status another legal way. Jawazat’s instructions require the transfer at 25, and the son must be inside Saudi Arabia for the transfer of services to be completed. Ask Jawazat if you think an exception applies to your case.

Female dependents are not subject to the same mandatory-transfer-at-25 rule. To renew a daughter’s iqama under her father, Jawazat requires proof that she is not married.

📱 How to Do the Separation on Absher

Jawazat provides the “Separate Dependent” (فصل تابع) service through Absher, and for many cases it can be done without visiting a Jawazat office.

Steps (Absher Individuals):

1. Log in to Absher Individuals → Family Members Services → Residents Services.
2. Select the dependent who has reached the eligible age and choose Separate Resident Dependent (فصل مقيم تابع). The dependent needs their own valid passport.
3. Review the details and confirm.
4. Submit and wait for the request to be processed.
5. If the request fails electronically, use Tawasul (also on Absher) to submit it to Jawazat directly — this avoids a physical office visit.

For the age-25 sponsorship transfer, the new employer starts the transfer of services (Naql Khidmat) on its side (Qiwa / Muqeem). The employee does not initiate this themselves.

💡 Once Separated: Setting Up Independent Finances

The moment a child is on their own file, families often use it as the point to set up the young adult’s own bank account and money line — for salary, savings, and sending money home.

If you’re helping a newly-independent family member open a bank account in the Kingdom, SNB Neo (Saudi National Bank’s digital account) is worth a look — it’s app-based, quick to open, and built for exactly this stage of life.

👉 Open SNB Neo here: snb-neo.onelink.me/vJWt/4l9iurx9 (referral link)

✅ Quick Checklist

• Child turning 18 → separate the dependent file via Absher (no office visit needed in most cases).
• Issue the child’s individual passport if not already done (through your embassy).
• Child turning 25 (male) → employer must transfer sponsorship (Naql Khidmat); staying under the father is not allowed.
• If Absher throws an error → use Tawasul to submit to Jawazat.
• Set up the young adult’s own bank account (e.g. SNB Neo) once independent.

🔗 Related Reads

• Iqama Renewal New Law 2026 — fees, tiers & quarterly payments
• Jawazat Tawasul on Absher — fix passport & iqama issues online
• How to Get a Newborn Baby Passport in Saudi Arabia
• How to Open a Bank Account in Saudi Arabia

Rule source: Jawazat customer service (@CareAljawazat), confirmed by Saudi press (Ajel, Okaz). Always verify your specific case on Absher or with Jawazat, as individual circumstances (study status, employment) can affect timing.