As part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts toward digital transformation and streamlining government procedures for citizens and residents, the Ministry of Interior's Civil Affairs Agency continues to update its electronic services through the "Absher" platform. The national identity card is the most important document for Saudi citizens, as its validity is linked to all financial, governmental, and service-related transactions.
Mandatory date for renewing national identity card
The Ministry of Interior's Civil Status Agency, in a recent statement, clarified the optimal time to begin the process of renewing national identity cards. The agency emphasized the necessity of submitting renewal applications within 180 days (6 months) preceding the expiry date of the current card.
This warning aims to prevent citizens from encountering problems related to government and banking services that are automatically linked to the validity of their ID cards, as well as to avoid paying fines for late renewal after expiration. The renewal process can be completed easily and conveniently online through the "Absher" platform, without needing to visit government offices except in specific stages.
Technical standards for a portrait
To ensure that renewal requests are accepted without rejection, the Civil Status Department has established a set of strict controls for the personal photograph that is uploaded or taken, which are standards that comply with international standards for official documents:
- The background should be completely white without any patterns.
- The photo should be recent, meaning it should not have been taken more than 6 months ago.
- The facial features are completely clear, with no exaggerated expressions or makeup that alters the features.
- Image quality and freedom from ink spots, holes, or any visual distortions.
- Take the picture straight up and facing the camera, avoiding the “red-eye” effect caused by light reflection.
Online name change service: A qualitative leap
In a related development, and in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 for automating services, the Civil Status Department has launched an online service for changing first names. This service enables citizens to amend their name or the name of a family member (under 18 years of age) according to specific regulations, thus eliminating the lengthy paperwork required for this procedure.
Terms and conditions for changing the name
To benefit from this service, the following conditions must be met:
- The new name must comply with the approved name registration regulations (such as the absence of titles or names that violate Islamic law).
- The new name must not be identical to the name of a living brother or sister.
- The consent of both parents is required if the change is for one of the minor children (under 18 years old), except in cases of death.
- There are no previous requests to change the name that are still being processed.
Duration and fees
This service is completely free for all citizens. Regarding speed, the agency explained that processing is immediate if the new name is already listed in the Civil Status records, while it takes approximately five working days if the name is not already known and requires review.
It is worth noting that the system allows the beneficiary to amend the first name a maximum of twice, provided that the second amendment is exclusively for returning to the previous name, in order to ensure the stability of civil data.
