The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the General Directorate of Passports (DGP) have announced the launch of an electronic health certificate system.

“The system links electronically both of MoH and DGP to share the electronic health certificate information for the purposes of iqama (work permit) issuance and renewal,” said Muhammed Al-Yumni, supervisor general of the IT department at the Ministry of Health, at a joint press conference with the General Directorate of Passports at the ministry in Riyadh.

"The system includes a special safe portal designed to be accessible by all designated 350 hospitals and health-care centers to issue iqama health certificates all over the Kingdom," Al-Yumni added.

"Thus there will be no need any more in the foreseeable future for the present paper health certificate system, as all needed health information will be made available to passport offices."

Al-Yumni highlighted the many other benefits of the system, including helping considerably in cracking down on forged health certificates used by some people to fulfill iqama issuance or renewal requirements. In addition, it will help both the ministry and passports directorate collate statistical data. It will help the directorate to act promptly in cases where serious diseases are detected among iqama applicants.

Maj. Khalid Al Saikhan, director general of IT at the General Directorate of Passports, said he was proud of this system — the result of a fruitful partnership between the ministry and directorate — and hoped it would ease procedures for residents to obtain iqamas.