Canceling an Employee’s GOSI Registration: Steps for Employers

When an employee leaves, the employer must end that employee’s registration with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). This is the step many people search for as canceling a GOSI subscription. It is done online through GOSI’s services for employers, using the employee’s ID or iqama number, the last working day and the reason for leaving. Do it promptly and accurately: while the registration stays open, contributions keep being charged to your establishment, and a wrong date or reason can affect the employee’s entitlements.

What canceling a GOSI registration means

GOSI keeps a record for every contributor: the employer, the registered wage and the periods covered. Canceling the registration closes that record at your establishment from a set date. GOSI’s screens may describe this as ending the contributor’s engagement or excluding the contributor. It does not erase anything: the contribution periods already recorded stay on the employee’s file and count toward future entitlements.

The employer does this, not the employee. An employee cannot remove themselves from your establishment’s record, but they can view their own record through GOSI’s online services for individuals and ask GOSI to correct it if the data is wrong.

Coverage depends on nationality. Saudi employees are covered for pensions, occupational hazards and unemployment insurance (SANED), while non-Saudi employees are covered for occupational hazards. The steps to cancel are similar, but the reason for leaving matters more for a Saudi employee because it can affect what they may claim afterward.

When to cancel and why timing matters

Cancel the registration as soon as the employment ends, using the actual last working day. GOSI sets a period within which employers must report changes like this, and late reporting can lead to fines; the current period and fines are published by GOSI. Do not cancel early either. An employee who is still working, on leave or serving a notice period remains your contributor until the last day.

The usual cases are:

• A resignation that has been accepted and whose notice period has ended.
• Termination of the contract under the Labor Law.
• A fixed-term contract that ends and is not renewed.
• A transfer of a non-Saudi employee’s services to another employer.
• A non-Saudi employee’s final exit from the Kingdom.

In the case of death or a work injury, contact GOSI and follow its specific process, because other entitlements are involved.

What to have ready before you start

• The employee’s national ID or iqama number.
• The last working day, matching the resignation letter, the termination notice or the contract end date.
• The reason for leaving as it appears in GOSI’s list, and the document that proves it.
• The final wage, if it changed and was not updated with GOSI.
• Access to your establishment’s GOSI account through an authorized user with the right permissions.
• The final settlement and end-of-service award calculation, which are separate obligations under the Labor Law.

Step by step on GOSI’s online services

1. Log in to GOSI’s online services for employers with the account authorized for your establishment.
2. Open the list of contributors and select the employee.
3. Choose the service that ends the contributor’s engagement or excludes the contributor. The service name can change as the portal is updated, so look for the option that ends the employee’s registration.
4. Enter the last working day and select the reason for leaving.
5. Attach supporting documents if the system asks for them.
6. Review the details, submit, and save the request number or confirmation.
7. Check the contributor list afterward, and your next monthly bill, to confirm the employee no longer appears.

Some requests take effect at once, while others may go to GOSI for review, especially when the date is in the past or the reason needs proof. Follow the request status in the same account.

The link with Qiwa, Mudad and Muqeem

GOSI is one of several platforms that hold the same employee’s data. Government platforms share data, but do not assume that closing a record on one closes it on the others. Check each one:

• Qiwa: end the employee’s documented contract on Qiwa so it shows the real end date. If a non-Saudi employee is moving to another employer, the transfer of services runs through Qiwa, so coordinate dates to avoid a gap or an overlap.
• Mudad: remove the employee from the payroll you upload on Mudad after the final salary, so your wage-protection file does not show an employee without pay or an unexplained change.
• Muqeem: a non-Saudi employee’s final exit visa is issued through Muqeem, and the dates of the exit and of the GOSI cancellation should be consistent.
• Nitaqat: Saudization counts on Qiwa rely on GOSI registration data. A Saudi employee who has left but is still registered distorts your numbers, and one removed too early lowers them.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Wrong last working day: an early date costs the employee contribution time, and a late one charges you contributions that are not due. GOSI has services to correct contributor data; expect to provide supporting documents.
• Wrong reason: choosing resignation when the employer ended the contract, or the reverse, can affect a Saudi employee’s unemployment insurance claim and can lead to a complaint.
• Forgetting to cancel: contributions continue on your establishment, and the employee’s new employer may have trouble registering them.
• Canceling an employee on leave or serving notice: they are still your employee until the last day.
• Treating GOSI as the last step: the final settlement, end-of-service award, leave balance and certificate of service are still due under the Labor Law.
• Not keeping the file: keep the resignation or termination letter, the signed final settlement and the GOSI confirmation together.

Innovant can handle employee exits on GOSI, Qiwa and Mudad as part of its HR and payroll services, so your records stay consistent.

Frequently asked questions

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