Last updated: 9 November 2026
To check your border number (رقم الحدود), open absher.sa and use the free Query for Border Number service under Instant Absher Services, Visitors. No login is needed. Non-GCC visitors and new workers enter their visa number and visa issue date; GCC citizens enter their passport number or GCC ID. Your border number is a 10-digit number recorded in the Jawazat system when you enter Saudi Arabia, and you need it until your iqama is issued.
| You are | Enter on Absher | Login needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor or new worker (non-GCC) | Visa number + visa issue date (Hijri or Gregorian) | No |
| GCC citizen | Passport number or GCC ID + country | No |
| Pilgrim (Hajj or Umrah) | Passport number, GCC ID or visa number | No |
| Sponsor or resident with Absher | My Services, Inquiries, Passports, New Workers and Visitors | Yes |
What Is a Border Number?
A border number (رقم الحدود) is the 10-digit number the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) records for you when you enter Saudi Arabia as a visitor, pilgrim or new worker. It is your ID in government systems until you have an iqama, which comes with its own, different iqama number.
- Where you find it: Absher’s free Query for Border Number service shows it from your visa number and visa issue date. It is not the visa number on your visa, and not your passport number. Some passports also have it handwritten next to the entry stamp.
- Why you need it: your employer uses it to issue your work permit and then your iqama, and visitor services such as the Digital Visitor Card and the health insurance check ask for it.
- Who can look it up: you, on absher.sa with no login, or your sponsor through their own Absher account.
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Method 1: Query for Border Number on Absher (No Login)
This is the Absher service people mean when they search for a border number inquiry or a border number query. It is free, and Jawazat made it available so visitors do not have to go to a passport office for the number.
- Go to absher.sa (Individuals). Do not log in.
- Scroll to Instant Absher Services, open the Visitors tab and choose Query for Border Number, then Start Service.
- Pick your inquiry type: NON-GCC Citizens, GCC Citizens or For Pilgrim.
- Non-GCC: enter the Visa Number, select Hijri or Gregorian, then pick the Visa Issued Date.
- GCC: choose Passport Number or GCC ID, enter it and select your country. Pilgrims can also use the visa number.
- Type the 4-digit image code and click Inquire.
Most common mistake: entering the passport number in the Visa Number field. The visa number is printed on your visa sticker or e-visa document and is different from your passport number. Also check the calendar: if you pick Hijri but enter the Gregorian date, the query fails.
Method 2: Through an Absher Account (Sponsors and Residents)
If you have an Absher account, Jawazat says you can find the border number of new workers and visitors you sponsor under My Services, Inquiries, Passports, New Workers and Visitors. Family members who arrive on a visit visa or a new family visa can also be looked up with the public service above, using their visa number. No account yet? See our Absher registration guide.
Iqama Check by Passport Number: What Works
Many people search for an iqama check by passport number. Here is the honest answer: Absher has no public service that returns an iqama number from a passport number. These are the options that do exist:
- HRSD Expatriate Employee Inquiry: the public HRSD inquiry page lets you search by border number, iqama number, or passport number with nationality, plus an image code. It is the only public government form that accepts a passport number for a worker’s record.
- Your employer: HR can see your iqama number in Muqeem or Qiwa as soon as it is issued.
- Your Absher account: once the iqama is issued and you register, the iqama number and expiry date appear on your profile. To check validity later, see our iqama expiry check guide.
From Border Number to Iqama
The border number is the first step. Your employer uses it to issue your work permit in Qiwa, and the work permit is the first step to getting an iqama number. According to Qiwa, the employer must issue the work permit within 90 days of your arrival. If it does not, you become eligible for a direct transfer to a new employer without your current employer’s approval and without a notice period. Read more about the work permit (Maktab Amal) and iqama fees.
Other Services That Use Your Border Number
- Digital Visitor Card: Absher’s public service under Visitors takes your border number and date of birth.
- Health insurance check: CHI’s visitor and general insurance inquiries accept a passport, visa or border number. See our health insurance check guide.
- Visit visa extension: sponsors extend visits on Absher; see how to extend a visit visa.
- Work permit and iqama: employers enter the border number and date of birth in Qiwa and Muqeem.
Where Is the Border Number on My Passport?
Immigration officers used to write the border number by hand next to the entry stamp on the visa page, and some passports still show it. Many recent arrivals find nothing written, because entries are recorded digitally. If you cannot find it, use the Absher query above: the number is in the Jawazat system either way.
Border Number vs Iqama Number
| Border number (رقم الحدود) | Iqama number (رقم الإقامة) | |
|---|---|---|
| When you get it | When your entry is recorded by Jawazat | When your residence permit is issued |
| Digits | 10 | 10 |
| Changes? | Linked to your visa and entry | Stays the same when you renew your iqama |
| Used for | Work permit, iqama processing, visitor services, insurance checks | Banking, SIM cards, healthcare, Absher and most government services |
| Where to find it | Absher Query for Border Number, or your sponsor | Iqama card, Absher account, employer |
Applying for a visa first? See the Saudi visa check by passport number. Worried about your status with your employer? See the Huroob status check.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I check my border number online?
On absher.sa, without logging in: Instant Absher Services, Visitors, Query for Border Number, Start Service. Non-GCC visitors and workers enter their visa number and visa issue date; GCC citizens enter their passport number or GCC ID and country. Type the image code and click Inquire.
Can I check my border number by passport number?
Only if you are a GCC citizen or a pilgrim. For everyone else, Absher’s public border number query asks for the visa number and visa issue date, not the passport number. The visa number is printed on your visa or e-visa.
Can I check my iqama number by passport number?
Absher has no public service that shows an iqama number from a passport number. HRSD’s public Expatriate Employee Inquiry accepts a border, iqama or passport number with nationality, and your employer can see your iqama number in Muqeem or Qiwa. Once the iqama is issued, it is also shown in your Absher account.
How many digits is a border number?
Ten. Absher and HRSD forms accept a border number of up to 10 digits. It is a different number from your iqama number.
What if my border number does not show on Absher?
Check that you entered the visa number (not the passport number) and picked the right calendar (Hijri or Gregorian) for the visa issue date. Your entry must be recorded first. If it still fails, call Absher on 920020405 or ask your sponsor.
What is a border number in Saudi Arabia?
It is the 10-digit number Jawazat records for a foreigner who enters Saudi Arabia as a visitor, pilgrim or new worker. You use it until your iqama is issued, and you can find it free on Absher with the Query for Border Number service, using your visa number and visa issue date.
Sources: Absher Instant Services (Query for Border Number, Digital Visitor Card); Qiwa knowledge centre (work permits, employee transfer); HRSD Expatriate Employee Inquiry; Council of Health Insurance inquiry services.