Last updated: 8 November 2026
The birth certificate Saudi Arabia issues for an expat baby comes from Civil Affairs. Register the birth in Absher within 30 days (My Services, Civil Affairs, Newborn Registration) or at a Civil Affairs appointment. Then get the certificate stamped by MOFA, apply for the passport at your embassy, add the baby to your insurance and request the iqama in Absher.
Our editor’s son was born in Riyadh in March 2026. This guide follows that real case, step by step, with our own screenshots and the official rules.
Quick Answer: Birth Certificate Saudi Arabia Steps for a Newborn Baby
| Step | Where | Deadline or timing | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Birth notification | Hospital sends it to the Ministry of Health | At birth | Free |
| 2. Birth certificate | Absher Newborn Registration, or Civil Affairs appointment | Online only within 30 days of birth | Registration free; delivery fee shown in Absher; fine if late |
| 3. MOFA ratification | MOFA e-service, then a branch visit | Pay within 3 hours; appointment within 14 days | SAR 30 per document (SADAD) |
| 4. Passport | Your embassy or consulate | India: register the birth within 1 year | Embassy fees |
| 5. Health insurance | HR or your insurer | Covered on the mother’s policy for up to 30 days | Premium for the baby |
| 6. Iqama | Absher Tawasul, Newborn Registration, then Jawazat to print | After the passport | Dependent fee SAR 400 a month |
| 7. Exit re-entry | Absher, Family Members | Before any trip | Normal exit re-entry fee |
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Step 1: The Hospital Birth Notification
The hospital records the birth notification in the Ministry of Health system, and Absher cannot register the baby until that record exists. Most hospitals do this electronically. If yours gives you a paper notification, book the Civil Affairs appointment in the same region as the hospital.
Based on real expat experience in KSA, the SMS from the Ministry of Interior can take one to two weeks. If nothing comes, ask the hospital’s birth registration desk to check the notice was sent. The online window closes 30 days after birth.
Step 2: Get the Birth Certificate in Saudi Arabia (Absher or Civil Affairs)
Route A: Online in Absher (within 30 days)
- Log in to Absher as the parent.
- Go to My Services, Civil Affairs, Newborn Registration.
- Select the newborn, check the details and press Confirm.
- Choose your national address for postal delivery and pay the delivery fee shown on screen.
- Keep the reference number. An SMS goes to the mobile linked to your Absher account, and the certificate is delivered to your home.
The Register Newborn Service accepts resident babies only within 30 days of birth. You need a registered national address before you start. If yours is missing or out of date, fix it first with our national address registration guide. Any unpaid Civil Affairs fines must also be cleared first.
To print a copy later, open My Services, Civil Affairs, Birth Certificate Services, View Birth Certificate and select the dependent.
Route B: Civil Affairs appointment
Use this route to collect the certificate in person, after 30 days, or with a paper notification. In Absher go to Appointments, Civil Affairs, Book New Appointment, tick Birth Registration (up to 5 services per booking), then choose the region, branch, date and time. Both parents’ iqamas are needed, and in our experience the certificate was printed on the spot.
The confirmation page lists the documents for Birth Registration. Absher also notes that a fine applies if 30 days have passed since the birth:
- The completed birth registration form
- The original iqamas of the father and mother, with copies
- The original passports of the father and mother, with copies
- The original hospital birth notification if it was issued on paper. In that case the appointment must be booked in the region where the notification was issued
- A copy of proof of marriage if the documents you bring do not already show it
The birth certificate Saudi Arabia issues for a non-Saudi child is in Arabic. Check every name and date as soon as you receive it.
Step 3: MOFA Ratification of the Birth Certificate
Most embassies ask for the birth certificate Saudi Arabia issues to carry a Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp: the Indian Embassy, NADRA (for a first NICOP) and the Philippine DFA all do. The stamp goes on the back.
- Open the MOFA ratification e-service and choose Add new ratification request.
- Choose the place (MOFA or a branch), your current city and the mechanism: By going to branch or By Saudi Post. Enter your name, iqama number, mobile and email.
- Under Add document, pick the category Civil identity document, the type Birth Certificate and the number of copies, then submit.
- The invoice page shows your request and invoice numbers. Book the appointment, then pay SAR 30 through SADAD within 3 hours, or the appointment is cancelled.
- Appointments are allowed up to 14 days from the request date. Riyadh slots run from 07:30 to 13:30. Take the original certificate and the printed request.
Step 4: Passport From Your Embassy
Being born in Saudi Arabia does not make the baby Saudi, so the passport comes from your own country. The iqama is issued on that passport, so do this before Step 6.
Pakistani parents: NICOP for newborn, then passport
We applied for the NICOP for our newborn first, and it was delivered to our home in about 7 to 15 days. NADRA’s policy lets a minor living abroad register through a NICOP, and the online application is on NADRA’s Pak-ID portal. With the NICOP in hand, go to the Pakistan Embassy passport office in Riyadh with the birth certificate, your marriage certificate and both parents’ passports. The child must come too, because the passport photo is taken at the counter. In the western region, use the consulate; see our Pakistan Consulate Jeddah guide for timings and booking. In our case the passport took about another 7 to 15 days.
Indian parents
The Embassy of India in Riyadh asks you to register the birth within one year. You need the online section 4(1) registration form, the passport application signed by both parents, Annexure D, the original Saudi certificate plus a MOFA-attested copy with an English translation, three photos, and both parents’ passports and iqamas. The newborn does not need to attend the passport application centre. Our Indian passport guide for Saudi Arabia lists the VFS steps and fees.
Bangladeshi and Filipino parents
Bangladeshi parents first register the birth with a Bangladesh mission, because a birth registration certificate is needed for a passport. The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh lists a passport service for newborns; ask it for the current document list.
Filipino parents file a Report of Birth at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General in Jeddah, with the Saudi certificate authenticated by Saudi MOFA, as the DFA Report of Birth list requires. After one year, a notarised Affidavit of Delayed Registration is added. The Jeddah checklist includes a passport application for the infant.
Step 5: Add the Baby to Your Health Insurance
Under Council of Health Insurance rules, a newborn is covered on the mother’s policy for up to 30 days from birth, then added to the policy backdated to the birth date. Give HR or the insurer the birth notification, certificate or ID. On the mother’s own valid policy, the insurer cannot ask for a medical disclosure form.
Our son was added on 13 April, 25 days after birth. Check that it worked with the health insurance check by iqama: the CHI result shows the baby as a dependant under supplementary cover.
Step 6: Iqama for Newborn in Absher
- Make sure the fees are already in your Absher balance (the Passports deposit). In our case, HR topped it up, and the Passports deposit showed a little over SAR 2,250 before we sent the request. The exact amount depends on your case, so check what Absher asks for.
- In Absher go to My Services, Passports, Tawasul, New Request.
- Choose Resident Services, then Newborn Registration, beneficiary type Dependent, and attach what the form asks for.
- Wait for the reply. Ours came back resolved with the note: added, visit Jawazat to print the iqama.
- Book a Passports appointment in Absher and collect the card. See our list of Jawazat offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
Absher also lists Add Newborn under Family Members, Services, Resident Services. We used Tawasul.
The baby is a dependant, so the monthly dependent fee of SAR 400 applies, as for a wife or any other child. Our iqama fees guide explains how it is charged. To see what a bigger family does to your monthly budget, try the cost of living calculator.
Step 7: Exit Re-Entry Before You Travel
The baby needs its own exit re-entry visa, issued by the head of the family in Absher like any other dependant. It can only be issued once the baby’s iqama record is in the system, so do not book flights before Step 6 is done. Fees and validity rules are in our exit re-entry visa guide.
Vaccinations and Sehhaty
The Ministry of Health’s national immunisation schedule starts at birth with BCG and hepatitis B. Further doses follow at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months, then at 4 to 6 years. In the Sehhaty app, open Health Profile, Vaccinations and the Children Vaccines tab to see each dose and print the report. Sehhaty also sends reminders for your child’s vaccination appointments (Vaccination Follow-up Service).
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Newborn not showing in Absher | The MOH notification is missing. Ask the hospital’s birth registration desk to send or resend it. |
| More than 30 days since birth | The online service closes for residents. Book a Civil Affairs Birth Registration appointment. Expect a late registration fine and check the amount under Civil Affairs fines in Absher. |
| Name spelt wrong in English | Use Change Translated Name under Family Members, Resident Services. Make the embassy passport match before the iqama is issued. |
| Error in the Arabic certificate | Book a Civil Affairs appointment and ask the branch to correct it before MOFA stamps it. |
| Father’s iqama expired | Renew it first. Both parents need valid iqamas and passports for Civil Affairs and Jawazat. |
| Tawasul request rejected | Read the reason in the Tawasul reply, fix it, then send a new request. |
Tips From Real Experience
- Move fast in the first month. Our son was born on 19 March and his certificate was dated 24 March. Insurance followed on 13 April and the Tawasul request on 14 April.
- Count your copies before MOFA. The ratification form has a count field, so add every certificate you will need for the embassy and NADRA in one request.
- Use one spelling everywhere. Decide the English spelling of the name before the passport. Fixing it later means changing the passport, the iqama and the insurance.
FAQ
How long does it take to get a birth certificate in Saudi Arabia?
Once the hospital notice is in the system, Absher registers the baby immediately and the certificate comes by post. At a Civil Affairs appointment it is printed the same day. Registration within 30 days is free apart from the delivery fee.
Does the birth certificate need MOFA attestation?
For the embassy, usually yes. The Indian Embassy, NADRA and the Philippine DFA all ask for the Saudi MOFA stamp. It costs SAR 30 per document.
Can my newborn travel before getting an iqama?
Plan on no. The exit re-entry visa is issued on the baby’s iqama record, so finish Step 6 first and then issue the visa in Absher.
Do I pay the dependent fee for a baby?
Yes. Children are dependants, and the dependent fee is SAR 400 a month per person. Check what is due with the iqama fee inquiry in Absher.
Sources: my.gov.sa Register Newborn Service (Ministry of Interior); Absher; MOFA ratification services (mofa.gov.sa); Ministry of Interior notice on dependents and companions fees; Council of Health Insurance, Ask CHI November 2023; Ministry of Health National Immunization Schedule and Sehhaty; Embassy of India Riyadh, Birth Registration and Passport for New Born; NADRA Registration Policy; DFA Office of Consular Affairs, Report of Birth.