How Many Visit Visa In Saudi Arabia

If you are clueless about having visit visa for Saudi Arabia then let us bring good news for you.  According to the latest update from MOI, foreign workers do not need visit visa for Saudi Arabia anymore. If you need any further information about this topic then continue reading this article as we are going to offer each and every detail about it.Saudi Arabia is leading destination among the countries in terms of receiving tourist, who come from all over the world. The Kingdom encompasses many wonders of nature and attractions for visitors, whether for business or pleasure purposes. www.visasgulf.org    

How Many Visit Visa In Saudi Arabia

It is easy to get a visit visa online in Saudi Arabia. Visa is an authorization given by the concerned ministry in Riyadh to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a limited period only. To qualify for getting visit visa online, applicant must fulfill certain criteria and complete online form with all his/her informationSaudi Arabia grants tourist visas on arrival to citizens of those countries which have diplomatic relations with the Kingdom. The 10-day tourist visa can be prolonged for a further, unspecified period. However, visitors are not permitted to leave the country before the expiration of their visa, otherwise they will be apprehended and penalized.

What is the MoFA family visit visa?

The family visit visa is a legal document provided by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) which enables beneficiaries to obtain visitation requests for their first-degree relatives namely parents, wife, and children.

Saudi family visit visa requirements

Only a legal Saudi resident or citizen who is an Iqama holder can apply for the MoFA family visit visa on behalf of the visitor. For this, the Iqama should be valid for at least 4 months. Book cheap flights to Saudi Arabia now

The Iqama holder has to initiate the MOFA family visit visa application process in Saudi Arabia. Please note that the Iqama holder’s dependents cannot apply for the visit visa application themselves, using their own Iqamas.

The following documents are required to apply for the MOFA family visit visa:

  • Copy of sponsor Iqama holder’s passport.
  • Valid International Passport (Minimum 6 months validity remaining) for the applicant.
  • Copy of the Iqama or residency permit for the sponsor
  • 4 passport-size photos.
  • Apostilled copy of the National ID card of the applicant.
  • Marriage certificate which you might need to apostille.

Who are eligible for a Saudi family visit visa?

A family visit visa can only be issued to the immediate family members. The following people are eligible for a family visit visa under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA):

  • Parents
  • Children
  • Father-in-law and mother-in-law
  • Husband or wife
  • Brothers or sisters and their families (wives/husbands and their children).

Saudi family visit visa application procedure

Please note that the details can either be filled up in English or in Arabic. To apply for a family visit visa in MOFA, follow the steps given below:

Fill up the application

  • Click on the Family Visit Visa Application for Residents link from the MOFA website
  • Click on the “Citizens and Residents” option under the Visa Platform.
  • Select the option ‘Resident’, and then click on ‘Apply’ under the ‘Family Visit Visa Application for Residents’ option.
  • Click on the ‘Login’ option to log into the MOFA website.
  • You will then be forwarded to the Login page. Select the option of ‘Username and Password’.
  • Enter your Absher account’s Username (Iqama Number) and Password and select ‘Sign In’.
  • Enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile number for your Absher account.
  • Click on ‘Tracking’ and you will now be successfully logged into the MOFA website.
  • Again, click on ‘Apply’ under the ‘Family Visit Visa Application for Residents’ option.
  • Your personal information will now be displayed on the screen. Scroll down to start filling up the Application form.
  • For the ‘Visit Objectives’ column, you will be required to type in ‘Family Visit Only’ in Arabic. Please use Google Translate or ask anyone knowing Arabic to help you out in case you are not fluent in the language.
  • In case, you have visited Saudi Arabia before, you will be required to fill in the ‘Entry Visa Number’ column by entering your Visa Number stamped on top of your passport. However, you can also choose to leave it in case of a first-time visit.

  • Then, under the ‘Wanted to Visit’ column click on ‘Add’.
  • Fill in all the Personal Information of the applicant, including their Nationality, Arabic Family Name, Arabic Grand Name, Arabic Father Name,  Arabic First Name, Birth Date, Birth Place, Gender, Occupation (must be typed in Arabic), Mobile, Email, Religion and Relation. Please note that all the applicant’s information provided must match accurately with their passport.
  • On the same page fill in the applicant’s Passport Information, including Passport Number, Passport Type, Passport Issue Date, Passport Expiry Date, and Passport Issue Place.
  • Again on the same page fill in the applicant’s Visa Information, including Coming Place (your nearest Saudi Embassy city in your country) and Number of Entries which is the type of family visit visa (Multiple Entry/Single Entry) you want to apply for.
  • Click on ‘Add’ after filling up all the required information correctly. The Applicant’s personal information will now be displayed on the screen under the ‘Wanted to Visit’ column.
  •  Double-check all the details correctly, and click on ‘Edit’ in case of any wrong information being provided.
  • In case you want to add more than one applicant click on the ‘Add’ button and follow the same process; otherwise, click on ‘Agreement Approval’ and select the ‘Save’ button to proceed.
  • The MOFA website will now generate the Applicant’s ‘Order Number’ and the ‘Request a Family Visa’ application form of the applicant will now be displayed on the screen.
  • Scroll down and make sure to re-check all the information provided.
  • Once completed, click on ‘Print’ to download and save the application form, or directly print the application for further processing.

Get an approval from the sponsor or the Chamber of Commerce

Once the Saudi legal resident/Iqama holder has printed out the MOFA family visit visa application form online they will be required to take it to the sponsor to sign and stamp the document.

The Saudi Chamber of Commerce can attest to the MOFA application form if required for Private Company workers. Chamber of commerce attestation is done online by the sponsor company or the sponsor themselves. On the other hand, government employees are required to submit the application form to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Please note that the employer of domestic workers can approve their visas through their Absher accounts. They are not required to submit the application form anywhere.

Send the completed form or visa number to the visitor

It usually takes a week or less for the approval status to be reflected in the MOFA portal after the application form is signed and stamped by the sponsor. You can check the status of the MOFA visa application by using the order number and the record number (Iqama number) of the applicant, from the MOFA website, under their ‘Enquiry’ column.

If the visa application has been granted, the MOFA website will display ‘Visa Document’ in place of the ‘Request a Family Visa’ application form. Additionally, the applicant’s ‘Order Number’ will now be changed to the applicant’s ‘Visa Document Number’.

You can now save the visa document and send the scanned copy of the completed, signed, and stamped application form to your family member applying for the MOFA Family Visit Visa outside Saudi Arabia.

Make sure that once you get the Family Visit Visa MOFA approval, you get the stamping done within 90 days from the date of approval.

Submit the documents to the Saudi Embassy or the visa agency

Your family members can contact an agent or personally submit the documents to their country’s Saudi Embassy or the Saudi Consulate. Depending on where they are, they might be able to get the visa along with their passport by mail or in person.

Saudi Arabia has a list of approved agencies all over the world to apply for a visa. If you cannot find an approved agency, write to the Saudi consulate in your country and ask them about it.

The Saudi Arabia family visit visa processing time is generally between 4 to 5 days. Although, a few factors such as a high volume of applications and the invitation approval may cause delays in processing your visa permit.

Saudi family visit visa extension

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Saudi Arabia provides two types of family visit visas:

  • The Single Entry Visit Visa. This type of family visit visa can receive 5 possible extensions of 30 days each (180 days in total).
  • The Multiple Entry Visit Visa – This type of family visit visa can receive 1 possible extension of 90 days each (180 days in total).

The fee for a Saudi family visit visa extension is SAR 100.

Saudi family visit visa fees

The cost of a single and multiple-entry for MoFA Saudi family visit visa is fixed at SR 200. This applies to all applicants including the ones from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Saudi family visit visa status check

You can check the MOFA family visit visa status from the MOFA website. Here are the steps you can take to check the validity of your Saudi family visit visa.

  • go to https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/
  • change the inquiry type to ‘issued invitation request’
  • provide your visa number and ID number (Iqama number).
  • enter the Captcha code correctly
  • click on ‘Enquiry’

Provided you’ve entered all the required information correctly, the next page will display all information concerning your Saudi family visit visa status.

Saudi family visit visa validity

The validity period of the MoFA Saudi family visit visa is as follows:

  • The Single Entry Visit Visa –  issued for a period of 30 days. This type of visa can receive 5 possible extensions of 30 days each (180 days in total).
  • The Multiple Entry Visit Visa – issued for a period of 90 days with up to 4 allowed re-entries.

Saudi family visit visa renewal

The single-entry family visit visa can be renewed up to 5 times. However, it is not possible to renew your multiple-entry Saudi family visit visa for the second time. You must adhere to the visa control system and depart from the Kingdom before the visa expires.

Those who wish to renew or extend their Saudi family visit visa can visit their nearest Jawazat office by taking an appointment online at the Absher platform:

  • Login to Absher platform.
  • Select “Passport Services” under e-services.
  • Choose “Visit Visa Extension”.
  • Enter the required information and attachments.
  • Pay the fees.
  • Submit your application.

The fee for a family visit visa extension is SAR 100. The overstay on behalf of the family visit visa in Saudi Arabia will result in a hefty fine, 25,000 Riyals per visitor.

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