Car Istimara in KSA | Everything You Need to Know
Driving in Saudi Arabia is easy, but you need to follow their rules and regulations. If you don’t you may pay a huge amount for a traffic violation. Istimara also known as the Car Registration card in Saudi Arabia, is mandatory while driving in the Kingdom. Today, you will learn what is it, its duration, how to apply for one, etc. So let’s get started…
What is car Istimara in KSA?
Istimara is an Arabic word that means your car/vehicle registration card. The government will this card (Istimara) to the car owner and it’s mandatory to have it while driving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In short, driving without it is a crime, and you may get huge penalties to pay if you don’t have one for your car.
For how long an Istimara card is valid?
Starting from the issuing date of the Istimara card, it’s valid for 3 years. Any car needs to renew it after 3 years in Saudi Arabia before its expiry date. However, the renewal fees are not that high, it’s only SAR 300. You can pay the SAR 300 online on Saudi Absher and initiate your car Istimara renewal process. Once done, you will get an SMS confirmation on your registered mobile number on Absher.
Requirements before applying for Istimara Online
Anyone in Saudi Arabia is eligible to get their vehicle registration card (Istimara) if they meet the following requirements:
- You can apply for your Istimara renewal with less than 6 months of validity on your card. Otherwise, you cannot.
- Car Fahas validity is mandatory as well as insurance.
- You should not have any traffic violations.
- You should pay traffic violation fees if there are any against your Iqama number.
- Check that you have a valid Iqama ID.
- You have an active Absher account.
How to Check Istimara Validity in KSA
You can easily check your car’s Istimara validity or its expiry date online on Absher. The procedure is simple, here is how to do it:
Login to your Absher account. Click Services, then Vehicle Services. Click the Renewal Registration Vehicle option, and you check the Istimara Expiry date in this section. Close the section once you check your car’s Isitmara validity or expiry date.
Istimara card validity after ownership transfer
Whenever you buy a used car in Saudi Arabia with an activated and legal Istimara card. Its validity won’t, and if it is near the expiry date, then you should renew it on time to avoid any penalties. In short, the validity of an Istimara won’t change after changing the ownership of a vehicle in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As the current owner of the vehicle, you are the responsible person for keeping your Istimara card valid.
