family visit ksa

Family Visit Request   //

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  Service Description

  service beneficiaries,   conditions and requirements.

  • Complete the online form via  Visa services platform ​  and stamp it electronically and authenticate it from the Chamber of Commerce or from the employer.
  • Enter all the data in Arabic except if​ the visitors are not from Arab nationalities, in that case their names should match their passports.
  • For residents, they should have valid for residents.
  • The visitors should be of first degree relatives
  • Rresidents should have a work Iqamah not relative Iqamah.

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The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia

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Family Visit Visa

Requirements:

  • Original passport valid for no less than six (6) months, with at least two (2) successive empty visa pages.
  • To fill your online application and make a visa payment, please log on to  https://visa.mofa.gov.sa .  ( Guideline for Enjaz )  Health insurance must be purchased from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Options for local health insurance providers will appear upon processing your Enjaz form.
  • A visa referral note: indicating number and date of visa, issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs or either of its branches in Jeddah or Dammam.
  • Proof of relationship between applicant and inviting party in, along with proof of relationship between applicants themselves, if any.
  • Minors (under 18 years) travelling alone, or with one parent, must submit a notarized letter in Arabic or English signed by a parent or a legal guardian.
  • For non-U.S. citizens, copy of green card or document confirming legal residence in the U.S.  

You May Also Apply For the Visa by: 

  • Applying in person at the embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Via Mail to the Embassy's address: 601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington DC, 20037.
  • Through the Embassy's authorized travel agencies .

family visit ksa

The Complete Guide to the NEW Saudi Family Visit Visa

Recently, I invited my father to visit us in Saudi Arabia, but after asking people about it, I realized that the procedure to obtain a Family Visit Visa has changed so much that I had little idea how to apply for it. So, I decided to some research and went to speak to the experts at the local Saudi passport office in order to get acquainted.

family visit ksa

What is a Saudi Family Visit Visa? A visit visa is intended for immediate family members based outside Saudi Arabia allowing them to visit their loved ones who are normally resident in the kingdom. Two visit visa options are available; Single entry or Multiple entry. The first is for up to 30 days ONLY and is not renewable. The second is for up to 90 days ONLY. Then, the family visitor must leave and can reenter the kingdom for a further 3 months, up to 4 times.

The Saudi visa application system was recently upgraded and streamlined. This means that all visas including the Family Visit Visa are now processed online, from start to finish. 

The Application Process- 6 Main Steps

family visit ksa

The following shows the 6 main steps required to obtain the Family Visit Visa . These 6 steps are explained in a bit more detail in the article:

Opens in a new tab.

Step 2. Iqama Holder Takes the Form to Sponsor to Sign and Stamp and if needed to the local Chamber of Commerce

Step 5. Visitor Submits Passport & Documents To Local Agency Dealing With Saudi Embassy

Step 6. Visitor Collects Passport/Documents plus Issued Family Visit Visa From the Saudi Embassy             

How much does a Saudi Family Visit Visa cost?

family visit ksa

The application process for the Family Visit Visa involves both:

  • Sponsor -The Iqama Holder Normally Resident In Saudi Arabia. 
  • The Visiting Family Membe r ( s )- Normally Resident In The Home Country. 

The Iqama holder’s dependents cannot themselves apply for a visit visa application using their own Iqamas.  

What Are The Conditions For Use Of The Family Visit Visa?

NOTE : With a Single Entry Family Visit Visa, the visitor (s) can stay for up to 30 days in Saudi Arabia, but it must be used WITHIN 3 months of the issue date in the passport.

Note: For a Multiple Family Visit Visa, the visitor (s) can come and go to Saudi Arabia every three months up to 1 year. Family visitors must leave the kingdom on or before 3 months expires. It should be used WITHIN 1 year of the issue date in the passport.

Who is Eligible for the Family Visit Visa? 

The following are the eligible categories: 

First Line Relatives

  • Wife/Husband
  • Father/Mother
  • Father in Law/Mother in Law
  • Orphans (discretionary)
  • Brothers/Sisters of foreign wives/husbands married to Saudis

Who is NOT eligible for a Family Visit Visa?

The following categories are not eligible for a Family Visit Visa. 

Distant Relatives

  • Aunts/Uncles etc
  • Nieces/Nephews
  • Grandparents

family visit ksa

The Resident Iqama Holder Applies For Family Visit Visa at MOFA Online and Prints a Completed Form

Documents required BEFORE applying:

  • Resident Iqama Holder’s Valid Residency Permit i.e. the Iqama
  • The Iqama With At least 4 month’s Validity 
  • Copy of The Applicant (s) Passport-i.e. Visiting Family Member (s)
  • Valid Profession of Iqama Holder

The application procedure for the family visit visa begins at the gateway to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) portal. Click here for the MOFA homepage.

  • First, choose and click on E-Services
  • Click on Residents
  • Select Family Visit Visa
  • Read the Service Details
  • Click on Start The Service
  • Choose Individuals
  • Then, select Resident 
  • Click I Agree if you agree to visa terms and conditions
  • Enter Iqama Holder’s Residency Number (Iqama Number)
  • Select Single or Multiple Entry
  • Print the Form

Iqama Holder Takes the Completed Form to His/Her Sponsor to Sign and Stamp And If Needed to The Chamber of Commerce for Attestation

The sponsor then signs and stamps the document. If required for private company workers, the Saudi Chamber of Commerce can also attest it. Go there, pay 35 SR and get a printout.

Iqama Holder Checks His/Her MOFA Account To Confirm Acceptance And Sends Completed Form/Visa Number To Intending Visitor

  • Select Application
  • Enter Application Number
  • Enter Iqama Number
  • Enter Image Code
  • Click Enquire
  • Check Family Visit Visa Status

If yes, the Iqama holder sends a scanned copy of the completed, signed and stamped application form to the family member who is applying for the Family Visit Visa in his/her home country.

If it’s not ready, just wait. If it’s rejected, try again!

Iqama Holder/Visiting Family Member Registers, & Pays for Family Visit Visa at the Enjazat Website

family visit ksa

For this you need:

  • The Application Number
  • Intending Visitor Passport Number and Applicant’s Bio Data
  • MasterCard or Visa
  • Intending Visitor Passport Size Photo

Family Member Visitor Submits Documents To Local Visa Agency Dealing With The Local Saudi Embassy/Consulate

There will be a local Visa Agency in your country who charges you to submit your passport and documents to the Saudi Embassy to complete the process of issuing the Family Visit Visa.

In some cases, you can do it yourself to avoid the agency fee. Embassy staff may allow you to submit your passport and documents personally at the Saudi Embassy. It has worked before for some people! Try your luck!

A list of visa application agencies is with the Embassy perhaps even on their websites.

Documents Required For the Applicant:

  • Abshir Paper And Date Of Iqama Expiry
  • Print out of Family Visit Visa
  • Valid International Passport (Minimum 7 months validity remaining)
  • Copy Of Sponsor’s Passport With 6 months validity
  • Copy of Sponsor’s and Wife’s/Husband’s Passport
  • Copy of Sponsor’s AND/OR Wife/Husband’s Residency Permit, the Iqama
  • 4 passport size photos
  • Certified Sponsor’s Marriage Certificate IF Applicant (s) is an In-laws (Attested by MOFA + One Copy)
  • Certified Copy of Birth Certificate Of Son/ Daughter if Applicants (s) is an In-Laws (Attested by MOFA + One Copy) 
  • Original B Form (Attested By MOFA And One Copy)
  • Certified Copy of National ID Card of Applicant 
  • Family Book If Necessary
  • Certificate of Unmarried Female Above 18 years of Age (if required)

First, get your proof documents stamped and attested. Check how to do that in your country.

After compiling all the correct documents and checking your passport validity you can pay the agency fee and deposit your passport and documents at the Visa Agency.

The Saudi Embassy says the Family Visit Visa will be ready in up to 3 days under normal circumstances. Delays will involve requests for additional documents and/or checks

Visitor Collects Passport/Documents plus Issued Family Visit Visa From the Saudi Embassy 

family visit ksa

The local visa agency you are dealing with will arrange an appointment for you to come to collect your passport with issued Family Visit Visa and the documents. It can take up to 3 days or more depending on each individual case. They can also deliver it to you by post.       

Family Visit Visa renewals, Insurance, and Penalties for Overstaying

Can you extend a saudi single entry family visit visa.

No, it is only valid for 30 days. On or before the 30 days have expired your visitor must return to his/her home country and begin the whole Family Visit Visa application process from scratch. 

Can you extend a Multiple Entry Family Visit Visa?

No! For either the Single of Multiple Family Visit Visas , the visitor can only stay a total of 3 months after which they have to leave the kingdom.

However, multiple visit visa allows visitors to reenter Saudi Arabia using the same visa for up to 3 times, but not exceeding 1 year.

How do you check the status of your Family Visit Visa Insurance?

  • Application Reference Number (Family Visit Visa)
  • Sponsor’s Iqama Number 
  • Captcha Code

The status of the visit visa status will be shown to you.  

Do You Need Health Insurance For A Family Visit Visa?

Health Insurance is required for a Single and Multiple Entry Family Visit Visas. For the second , it can be extended. The cost of the visa insurance depends on age, sex and medical background of the applicant. Currently, the prices are between 30 SR and 100 SR.

Who Provides Health Insurance For A Saudi Family Visit Visa?

family visit ksa

There are a limited number of insurance companies authorized by the Ministry of the Interior to sell health insurance for the purposes of a Family Visit Visa .

They are:  

  • BUPA Arabia
  • Arabian Shield
  • AXA Cooperative
  • Allied Cooperative
  • Saudi United Cooperative

Compare insurance company offers before you buy the Family Visit Visa insurance to get the best offer.

What does a Family Visit Visa health insurance cover?

It is travel insurance that only covers treatment for emergency cases. You can use it in the case of emergencies, traffic accidents, repatriation after death, dental, dialysis, problems of pregnancy and injuries through accidents, etc. However, the costs of childbirth must be met by the family visit visa holder. 

Costs are covered for expenses up to a maximum of 100,00 SR. Policy limits are set in the contracts for cases of hospitalization, room, doctor and nursing services, and life support limited to 600 SR per day. Medication is NOT included in the policy. Conditions are given in each individual the insurance policy.  

Treatments Covered

Treatments not covered , how much does health insurance cost for a saudi family visit visa.

There is a criterion for insurance costs depending on the age, sex and medical background of the visitor applicant. Currently, the prices are between 30 SR and 100 SR.

How do you apply for the Saudi Family Visit Visa health insurance cover?

You apply online for travel insurance for the Family Visit Visa to any one of the Health Insurance providers on the list authorized by the Ministry of the Interior. Click on the following links to compare quotes for the Saudi Family Visit Visa. 

How Do You Register with Your Choice of Insurance Company ?

For complete details of how to apply for Health Insurance for the Family Visit Visa at your choice of insurance companies and for useful application tips click through to the following link.

  • Enter Your Personal Details
  • Enter Visitor Passport Holder Number
  • Enter Family Visit Visa Holder Number 
  • Enter the Border Number in Passport
  • Pay the Fee

Your Family Visit Visa Insurance will be issued to you! If later you wish to extend the coverage for a Multiple Entry Family Visit Visa you can log in again to the Insurance company website and click through to process the visit visa extension.  

How do you check for Medical Insurance Validity for a Saudi Family Visit Visa?

family visit ksa

This is how you do it.

  • Choose Inquire About Visitor Insurance
  • Then click Service Link
  • Enter Visitor Passport Number & Captcha Code

What happens if you overstay on a Family Visit Visa?

family visit ksa

Overstaying your  Family Visit Visa is a serious matter. If you fail to extend your  Family Visit Visa or if you remain in Saudi Arabia after your final extension has expired, the ministerial authorities will impose harsh penalties.

  • Imprisonment in Detention Centre
  • Deportation 
  • Pay expenses for repatriation
  • Possible Ban on reentering Saudi Arabia 

Overstaying your Family Visit Visa can easily be avoided by allowing time for delayed or canceled return flights out of the kingdom. Plan to leave the kingdom a few days before the expiration date of the Family Visit Visa. If this is not possible and you have to stay longer, then you should renew the Visit Visa as soon as possible. 

Related Questions

Does everyone need to have medical Insurance to visit Saudi Arabia? No, people coming for Hajj & Umrah, people on Diplomatic visas and Diplomatic mission do not need to apply for the mandatory visit visa health insurance. 

Salam Allekum! Hi there! Thanks for reading. Contact the Editor Mohammed Francis directly at [email protected] with any questions or queries.

Mohammed Francis

I am a UK national, a college teacher, father of 3, writer and blogger.

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Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia. A Complete Step by Step Guide

Saudi Arabia is home to many Expats. They came here from all over the world, and many of them are willing to9 bring their family on Family Visit Visa, and for that, there is a complete procedure in place. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, or any other country; you have to adhere to all the rules and regulations. This article will make sure all of your ambiguities regarding visit visas are clear regarding Family visit visa in Saudi Arabia.

Types of Family Visit Visa:

Saudi Arabia keeps changing rules regarding visas, and thus right now, there usually are two types of Family Visit Visa that are available in Saudi Arabia. 

  • 3 Months Single Entry Family Visit Visa
  • 1-year Multiple Entry Family Visit Visa.

The difference between them is evident in their names. 1-year Visit Visa has a validity of 1 year, and you will have to visit your home country at least once, whereas a single entry visit visa will let you in once, and you will have to renew it after every three months.

Fee for Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

A few years ago, there were different fees for each type of visa and each nationality. However, the Saudi Government has changed that. Now the Fee is Fixed at 300 Riyal for every kind and every ethnicity. You have to pay this amount once only.

Eligible Relationships for Family Visit Visa

Now since you know what type of visas are available and what their respective fees are. Now the question is whom you can invite on a visit visa in Saudi Arabia. The list of Eligible Relations include,

  • Mother 
  • Father in Law
  • Mother in Law
  • Your Children

These are the only Relations for which you can get Visit Visa. We are not Sure about Sister; therefore, we are not adding that to this list, but you can check with Jawazat or Chamber of Commerce to see if they offer Family Visit Visa for Sister. Also, don’t forget to check the eligibility of your iqama profession. We have compiled a list of all eligible professions . You can also Change iqama profession if you want.

Requirements for applying for Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

Although there are not many requirements that one should have to follow, there are three major requirements that you have to meet before applying for the Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia. These Requirements are:

  • Valid Iqama:  Your Iqama should be valid, and if you are not sure about the Iqama Expiry date, we got you covered in this post.  
  • Your Profession on Iqama should be acceptable. We have compiled a list of all eligible professions, so head over to that list and see if your domain is there or not. If not, then you won’t be allowed to bring the family on Visit Visa.
  • Chamber Fee:  You have to pay 35 Riyal Chamber Fee.

These are the requirement of Saudia for this type of Visa. The necessity of your home country may vary from these. There are separate requirements for a Tourist visa. You can look out for them on this official link of Saudia Airline

How to Apply for it in Saudi Arabia:

The Procedure is Simple. 

  • Head over to the Ministry of the foreign affairs website. https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/
  • Fill in the required details.
  • Apply and take a printout of the form that you will get after submission of the application
  • Remember the application number for future references.
  • Get the Print attested by the Chamber of commerce. You can certify it online. Just ask your sponsor for assistance.
  • After that, it may take 24 hours. In some cases, up to 3 to 7 business days for a visa to be issued. Just keep patience. 
  • Once the visa is approved, take a print out of that visa and send it to your home country for further proceedings.

For Stamping, it is recommended to hire a local agent that will take care of your proceedings. Provide him with following

  • Visa Number
  • Original passport of all those who are traveling
  • Copy of your Iqama
  • 4 Photographs in Passport size
  • Visa and insurance fee.

Final thoughts

This is the whole procedure. Your Country fellows will stamp your visa, and your passport will be ready in no time. I hope you find it useful therefore I will appreciate it if you can share it with your friends and family member. If I missed anything, comment down, and I will add that up in the article.

family visit ksa

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HOW TO CHECK VISA DOCUMENT VALIDITY BEFORE STAMPING

How to Apply for a Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

How to Apply for a Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

Living and working abroad can get lonely sometimes, especially when you miss your family and loved ones back home. Fortunately, Saudi Arabia  offers the family visit visa , which would enable your family to come and stay with you in the Kingdom.

ALSO READ:  How to Apply for Saudi Arabia Tourist Visa

Today, we’d like to share the general prerequisites, requirements, and procedure in applying for a family visit visa in Saudi Arabia. Note that this is different from a tourist visa , which the Kingdom introduced only recently. Keep on reading below to learn more!

How to Apply for a Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

Prerequisites

Requirements, additional information, guide to applying for a family visit visa in ksa.

The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) offers an e-service that allows residents to apply for visit visas for their families.

Before anything else, take note of these prerequisites or conditions:

  • You, as the resident, should have a valid residence permit.
  • You should also be holding a working visa (Iqama).
  • The applicant (visitor) should be your first-degree relative ( i.e. spouse, children, or parents).

Next, gather the following documents:

  • Copy of your passport
  • Your original valid Iqama
  • Copy of your family members’passports

Once you have gathered all the required documents, you can proceed to:

  • Fill out the online form  at the e-Visa Services page of the MOFA website.
  • Have it stamped and authenticated electronically through the Chamber of Commerce or your employer.
  • Enter all the required data in Arabic, except if the names of the applicants are from non-Arab countries. In this case, their names should match the ones written in their passports.

family visit visa

  • The service fee to apply for a family visit visa is SAR 200.
  • The service usually takes three (3) days of processing time.
  • If you have any questions, simply go to the nearest MOFA office. You can also send an email to [email protected] or call 00966114055000 / 00966114067777. Customer support hours are from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm.

DISCLAIMER: The above guide is presented for information-sharing purposes only. To know more about the requirements and procedure to apply for a family visit visa, please visit the Unified National Platform  of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

ALSO READ:  How to Check Your Saudi Visa Status Online

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HowSaudi

How to apply for Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

Applying for a family visit visa in Saudi Arabia may be daunting, but with the right knowledge and advice, the procedure becomes much easier. The application procedure for a family visit visa is now more simplified and may be completed fully online, thanks to advances in technology. In this tutorial, we will lead you through the online application process for a Family Visit Visa to Saudi Arabia in 2023, providing you with all of the required information and resources. Everything from comprehending prerequisites and documentation to navigating the online application form and following the status of your application will be covered.

KSA Family Visit Visa

Eligible Family Members

It is critical to understand which family members are eligible to be included in your application when applying for a Family Visit Visa in 2023. Immediate family members, such as Wife, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Father in Law, Mother in Law, Paternal Uncle, Maternal Uncle, and others close relatives may also qualify in some situations.

Eligible Occupations

Expats from all occupations, including workers and house drivers, can now apply for a Saudi family visit visa. To apply, you must have a valid Iqama with a minimum validity of three months, applicant passport details, and Nafath registration.

Steps to Apply

To apply for a family visit visa in Saudi Arabia, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to MOFA Website

Step 2: Fill out the Form

Step 3: Employer Approval through the Chamber of Commerce (COC) online

Step 4: Send the approved Visa for Stamping in your Home Country.

We will explain the steps in detail below:

Go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) website https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/Home/Index.

Choose "Services for Citizens and Residents" from the Home Screen.

Select "Resident" and then click the "Apply" button on the "Family Visit Visa Application for Residents" page.

Sign in using your Nafath account.

Family Visit Visa - KSA

Step 2: Fill out the Application Form

Follow these steps to complete the online visa application form for a family visit visa in Saudi Arabia:

The system will automatically retrieve your Personal & Company Information on the first page of the application. You must input the following information:

Saudi Visa Number ( enter the visa number as written on your work visa stamped on your passport upon entry into Saudi Arabia)

Select the "Add" option, a pop will open to enter your family member's details as follows:

Family Visit Visa - KSA

Personal Information

Nationality

Arabic First Name (First Name)

Arabic Father Name

Arabic Grand Name

Arabic Family Name (Last Name)

Birthdate (Enter as per Passport)

Birthplace (Enter as per Passport)

Gender (Enter as per Passport)

Mobile Number

Relation(Select Wife, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Father in Law, Mother in Law, Paternal Uncle, Maternal Uncle and others)

Passport Information (Enter these details as per the family member's passport)

Passport Number

Passport Type (Select Normal)

Passport Issue Date

Passport Expiry Date

Passport Issue Place

Visa Information

Coming Place (Select the City that has the Saudi Consulate or Embassy.. For example: for India, it is either Mumbai or New Delhi.) Do not confuse this with your departure city. Your departure can be from any city in any country.

Number of Entries:

Single Entry Visit Visa - (valid for 90 days with two possible 90-day extensions, for a total of 270 days)

Multiple-entry Visit Visa - (valid for 90 days, with a 30-day extension allowed through a Tawasul request)

Select the "Add" option again if you are inviting more than one family member.

Agreement Approval

Check the Agreement approval and click Save

Once you have completed the form, the MOFA website will provide you with a reference number . Keep this number since you will need it to verify the status of your visa later. You must also print the form for further processing.

After completing the application, take a print-out or a pdf and send it to your employer, you must have your employer sign and stamp it and attest it online through the Chamber of Commerce.

You will be able to check the status of COC through Reference Number

How to check the Status of a Family Visit Visa Online

Once your visa has been approved(max 3-4 days), you will need to submit it to the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in your home country for processing.

You can do this by contacting an agent in your city or through VFS.

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How to Get Mofa Family Visit Visa Saudi Arabia: 2021 Updates

MOFA FAMILY VISIT VISA REQUIREMENTS, FEES & APPLICATION PROCESS

By Deb Pati last updated on March 27, 2023

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This article has been written with direct inputs from Pakistani citizen Sahil Khan who has been working and living in Saudi Arabia since 2015. His wife and daughter got the Saudi Family Visit Visa and visited him in Saudi Arabia multiple times.

There are many types of Saudi visas . A family Visit Visa or Mofa Family Visit Visa can be issued to an immediate family member of the legal residents or citizens of KSA. This is specifically meant for family members to be able to visit KSA and stay or spend time with their family.

There are two types of Mofa Family Visit Visa.

Validity vs Duration of Saudi Visit Visas

I have been getting a lot of comments on this, so let me clarify. Not just the MOFA family visit visa, lots of visas in the world come with a validity period, and a duration.

You can exit and re-enter KSA as many times as you want till the time of Validity of your Visa stamped on your passport if it is a Multiple Entry Visa.

So for example, let’s say the visa is stamped on Jan. 2020. It has multiple entries and expires on 21-01-2022 .

In this case, the visa holder can enter any day before 21-01-2022. But the duration starts when you enter. So if you enter on 10-02-2020, then that’s when the count starts.

  • The multiple entry visa is valid for 1 year after it is stamped.
  • The single entry visa is valid for 90 days from the date of stamping.

Family Visit Visa MOFA Approval Validity

Once you get the Family Visit Visa MOFA Approval, you need to get the stamping done within 90 days from the date of approval.

Table of Contents

COVID Update: Stamping MOFA Family Visit Visa in Dubai for Indians

Update: Now the Saudi embassy in Delhi is stamping the visas . But if you already are in Dubai or already purchased the tickets, you can stamp it there.

To get the Family visit visa stamping in Dubai, you first and foremost need to get the visit visa approved.

Then check whether you need a visa for Dubai or not. If you are an Indian, go through the article on Dubai tourist visa from India to learn how to get a visa for Dubai. Since the quarantine requirement is for 14 days, get a 30-day UAE tourist visa, as arriving and departing dates are not counted in UAE.

No need for any residential ID.

Once you are in Dubai, you need to quarantine and do the PCR test as per the government requirements and then go for the Saudi visit visa stamping.

Check on the latest developments on this as this can change without any notice.

You need the following documents:

  • Online visa
  • Original Passport(Minimum Validity 6 Months) and old passports if any
  • Photographs(6×4 And Background Should Be White)
  • Sponsor’s passport copy
  • Sponsor’s Iqama copy- valid for at least 90 days
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Birth Certificate

Once done, buy a flight ticket from Dubai to Saudi Arabia and leave.

Who can Get MOFA Family Visit Visa for Saudi Arabia?

A family visit visa is issued to immediate family members only. So if you are a legal Saudi resident or citizen, only the following people are eligible for a family visit visa.

  • Father-in-law and mother-in-law
  • Husband or wife
  • Brothers/Sisters of foreign wives/husbands married to Saudis

This means the following family members can’t get a Mofa family visit visa.

  • Nieces/nephews
  • Grand parents

If you ask me, grand parents should be considered immediate family members, but I digress. Maybe some day, that will change.

This article is written from the point of view of a legal resident of Saudi Arabia. The process is same if you are a citizen. The only difference will be that you would be filling in everything in Arabic and you won’t need an Iqama.

Are All Professions Eligible for Saudi Family Visa?

One of the deciding factors in the KSA Family Visa is the profession of the Iqama holder in KSA.

And the profession that your Iqama says is the only one that matters, not what you have studied or what you did before coming to KSA or that you do something in your company that doesn’t go with your Iqama.

With help of some fellow expats, I have compiled an article that contains the complete list of professions that can sponsor KSA Family Visa , and the process to change your Iqama profession.

Please go through the article before commenting.

Can You Bring Wife’s Brother/Sister on Saudi Family Visit Visa

There has been a very recent announcement that now you can apply for a family visit visa for your brother, sister, brother-in-law and sister-in-law. So hopefully the option will soon be available online.

But it is not yet finalized. I will update the article when it is fully implemented.

Now, some expats swear that they have been able to apply under the “other” option and mentioned brother/sister there. But I can’t really assure you how true is that. So you can give that a shot or wait for the new rule to be implemented.

How to Apply Mofa Family Visit Visa?

A Saudi Family visit visa application is a process that involves separate processes for the family member living in Saudi Arabia and the applicant who is outside Saudi Arabia.

In order to get the family visit visa, an Iqama holder has to initiate the process in Saudi Arabia. The Iqama holder’s dependents cannot themselves apply for a visit visa application using their own  Iqamas.  

Various websites often open in Arabic. Try to see change the language to English by clicking on the option on the top left corner.

1. Apply For Family Visit Visa at MOFA Online

The resident Iqama holder has to submit an application for the family visit visa on behalf of the visitor. For this, the Iqama should be valid for at least 4 months.

In order to apply for Saudi family visit visa, the very first step would be to start the process on the official visa services platform .

On Visa Services Platform

Choose Individuals, and select your category. Note that if you select citizen, you would need to fill in the whole application in Arabic.

Select Resident and then click on the “Family Visit Visa Application for Residents”.

Mofa family visit visa online for Saudi Arabia

You will be forwarded to the application page. Click on “I agree”.

Enter Iqama Holder’s  Residency Number  (Iqama Number). You can apply for multiple visitors by adding different visitors in the same application

You need to fill in the personal details and visa details such as

  • Visa Type : Single or Multiple Entry
  • Border Number  (Handwritten Number on Passport Stamped Pages)
  • Sponsor Details: Address, City, Email and Mobile 
  • Visitor info: DOB, Passport number, Nationality, Religion
  • Relationship with Visitor

Make sure to write your email correctly and your mobile number using 00966 & mobile number.

2. Get Approval from Sponsor/The Chamber of Commerce

Once the Saudi legal resident/Iqama holder has printed out the   MOFA online  visit visa application form, he/she can take it to the sponsor to sign and stamp the document.

The Saudi Chamber of Commerce can also attest the MOFA application form if required for private company workers. Chamber of commerce attestation is done online by sponsor company or kafeel.

3. Send Completed Form/Visa Number to Visitor

Once signed and stamped by the sponsor, usually it takes a week or less for the status to be reflected in the MOFA portal. You can check the status of the MOFA visa application using the application number and your ID number.

If the visa application has been granted, you can send the scanned copy of the completed, signed, and stamped application form to your family member applying for the  Family Visit Visa  outside Saudi Arabia.

4. Register & Pay for Family Visit Visa at the Enjazat Website

Now is the time for your family member to create an account at the Enjazat website .

Once you create it, you will get an email to activate it. Make sure to check the Spam folder.

family visit ksa

On the   Enjazat Website  you would need to search for the application using the application number and your passport number.

You can pay using a Visa/Master credit card.

5. Submit Documents to Saudi Embassy/Visa Agency

Depending on where you are, you might be able to get the visa along with your passport by mail or in person. Usually, a family visit visa can take up to 3 days or more depending on each individual case.

Note that Saudi Arabia has a list of approved agencies all over the world to apply for a visa. Don’t get fooled by some neighbourhood agency and lose your hard-earned money. If you can’t find an approved agency, write to the Saudi consulate in your country and ask them about it.

Requirements for Saudi Family Visit Visa from the Applicant

  • Copy of sponsor Iqama holder’s passport
  • Valid International Passport (Minimum 7 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

If applying for in-laws

  • Apostilled marriage certificate for the sponsor
  • Apostilled copy of the birth certificate of son/daughter  
  • Family Book If Necessary

6. KSA Visit Visa Stamping

Visa stamping process can be different in different countries. You can get the visa stamped in your home country (which should be your first choice) or in another country.

KSA Visit Visa Stamping in Philippines

In Philippines, you would need to schedule appointment for visa stamping (VFS Tahseel). Make sure to check if they are asking for any extra documents.

Visit Visa Stamping in India

In India, the Saudi consulates of Delhi and Mumbai stamp the Saudi visit visa. Usually, Delhi consulate is said to be a little faster than Mumbai.

Saudi Family Visit Visa Stamping in Pakistan

Etimad is the official partner to process your application and get the visa stamped. Note that they usually take your original documents like marriage certificate along with your passport and give it back once the visa is stamped.

This is a sample Saudi visa for family visit.

Sample family visit visa for Saudi Arabia

How much Does a Saudi Family Visit Visa Cost?

The cost of Single Entry and Multiple Entry KSA Family Visit Visas  are fixed at 300SR.

How to Check Your Family Visit Visa Status Online?

Visit the MOFA SA website: https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/

Scroll down and enter the application number and ID number to inquire the status of your visa application.

family visit ksa

In the next page, you will be able to see whether it is approved. If it is under process or rejected, you will see a red line text in Arabic. Once the visa is approved, you will be able to see the following information on a new page.

You will see the visa duration, application details and visa number.

family visit ksa

Can You Extend Family Visit Visa for Saudi Arabia?

Yes, it is possible to extend Family visit visa for KSA.

A single-entry family visa can be extended 5 times, for a total stay in Saudi Arabia of 180 days. A multiple-entry visa can be extended for 90 days at a time. Note that you can get only 180 days at a time. After that, you need to leave the KSA and re-enter.

For Extension, after 90 days you must exit and re-entry KSA from any of the Borders or Home country before 2-3 days of Expiry of the current 90 days.

A lot of people leave for Bahrain or Dubai and return back before their visa expires on their passport.

For this, you need to apply through the Absher portal. But chances are there that the extension through the portal wouldn’t work or you will get error messages.

In that case, you need to visit one of the Jawazat offices in Dammam or Jeddah or the one closest to you, with the required documents such as

  • A copy of your passport bio page and Iqama
  • A copy of your wife/husband’s passport bio page and visa
  • A printout of the Saudi family visa extension application in Absher
  • Printout of the error messages in Absher

You would need to carry a copy of the Jawazat appointment. No need to have a same-day appointment. You just need an appointment to enter the building.

Can You Extend Family Visa in Saudi Arabia on Expired Iqama?

As per the General Directorate of Passports(Jawazat), the expiry of Iqama or residence permit does not prevent someone from extending the family visit visa of their relatives.

Extending Multiple Entry Saudi Visit Visa after 270 Days

It is possible to extend the multiple entry KSA visit visa after 270 days, which means after 3 extensions.

Grace Period for Family Visit Visa in KSA

You can get a grace period from the Tawasul or Jawazat. Usually, it is for 14 days or 30 days as per their desire. This is not an Extension.

And Grace Period means you Must have to leave KSA within that period of time. No further Extension.

Do You Need Health Insurance for KSA Family Visit Visa?

Whether it is a single entry or multiple entry Saudi family visit visa, you do need to have insurance. Now, you can’t get this insurance from wherever you want.

The ministry of the Interior authorizes a very limited number of insurance companies to sell health insurance for a  Family Visit Visa .

  • BUPA Arabia
  • Al Rajhi Insurance
  • Arabian Shield
  • AXA Cooperative
  • Allied Cooperative
  • Saudi United Cooperative

The insurance cost varies as per the sex, age and medical background of the visitor applicant. Right now, the prices are between 30 SR and 100 SR.

What Does a Family Insurance Cover?

The family insurance covers covers treatment for emergency cases. You can use it in the case of emergencies, traffic accidents, repatriation after death, dialysis, problems of pregnancy etc.

For cases of hospitalization, room, doctor and nursing services, and life support, the policy limi is set to 600 SR per day.

It doesn’t cover medication and drugs, and childbirth without complications.

How to Apply for Saudi Family Visit Visa Insurance?

Compare the policies of different insurance companies, and when you are ready with one, then enter the visa details and other relevant personal details of the applicant and pay the fees.

If later you want to extend the coverage for a Multiple Entry  Family Visit Visa , you can log in to the same Insurance company portal and extend it.

How to Check the Validity of the Family Visit Visa Policy?

Head over to the  CCHI website , to check the validity of your  Family Visit Visa  policy.

  • Choose Inquire About Visitor Insurance
  • Then click Service Link
  • Enter Visitor Passport Number & Captcha Code

KSA Family Visit Visa Rejection Reasons

A Saudi family visit visa might be rejected for various reasons such as

  • The applicant’s profession has no entitlement. Make sure that your job title appears on the MOFA list of professions that are entitled to get visas. If you are not, only your sponsor can change it.
  • Writing  Atheists  as your religion when filling in the application.
  • Making mistakes with application details.
  • Although not official, various professions such as house driver, normal workers etc. that are related to manual labor often get their visas rejected. If you have some certificates, you might be able to change your job title. It costs 1000 riyal to change profession.

MOFA Family Visit Visa F.A.Q.S

1. there is one single word ( name ) difference from passport name to visa issued paper. can i stamp my visa and come to ksa or will there be any issue.

The name on the visa and the passport should be exactly the same. You should apply for the visa once again. No need to cancel anything.

2. There is just one spelling mistake due to which my name on the marriage certificate and passport don’t match? Will it be ok?

No it won’t be ok. All the relevant documents including visa should have same name.

3. My name is spelled wrong in my daughter’s passport? My name is Khanzada and the passport says Khanzda. Will it affect the family visit visa?

Yes it will. Change it.

4. I applied for a family visit visa with a destination as Dubai for which the Visa document was issued. But my family didn’t travel. Do I need to cancel the visa to apply for a new destination?

No need to cancel. Just reapply.

6. Should my spouse have my name on the passport to apply for a visit visa?

Not really. Marriage certificate is good enough.

7. My husband is inviting my parents on a visit visa. What documents do we need to provide for proof of relationship?

Along with the Iqama and passport of the husband and other documents, in this case, copies of wife’s passport, Iqama and NIC as well.

8. There is an “occupation” part in the application which remains red and cannot be filled out. How can I proceed with my application?

The occupation should be filled in Arabic. For example, if your son is a student, you can simply translate ‘student’ to Arabic using Google translate and paste it there. If your wife is a housewife, simply translate, copy and paste.

9. Do I need to get Nikah Nama attested for Visit Visa?

There are contradicting accounts to this. There are people who were able to get the visit visa without any attestation, so it is definitely not a requirement. That being said, it is better to get it attested to eliminate any cause of rejection.

In Pakistan, you can get barcode attestation from MOFA. In Philippines,  you can apostille the marriage contract in DFA manila.

10. Do I need an unmarried certificate for my daughter who is older than 18?

Yes, you do. For example, if you are applying in Pakistan, then Etimad( the official partner for KSA visas in Pakistan) will ask you for a statement which is printed on stamp paper (50 RS).

Before Commenting

Before commenting go through the article well, and read the other comments. There is a big chance that your question has already been answered. See if your comment is something new and is helpful for others.

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About Deb Pati

Deb Pati is the founder of The Visa Project. He has lived and traveled in many countries. When he is not travelling, he is either working or writing.

Reader Interactions

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November 19, 2020 at 4:56 pm

Hello, To apply family visit visa, does the applicant is required to provide his degree or diploma verified copy?

Thanks, Zia

family visit ksa

November 22, 2020 at 2:20 pm

Hi Zia, No, there is no need for a degree or diploma verified copy. It is not one of the official requirements.

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December 18, 2020 at 6:38 am

Can I apply for my wife visit visit since I’m on vacation and staying in my home country?

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September 22, 2021 at 1:27 pm

Hi, my family was in saudi for multiple entry visit visa valid from feb 2021 to feb 2022. They reached saudi in feb 2021. In the month of may I extended their visit visa for 3 months ( till august 2021). But in the month of july we have to leave to India. In august their extended period got over and I have not renewed after that. Now I want to bring them, but unfortunately Iam not able to find their details in Absher. My question is 1. Should I renew their visit visa for coming to Saudi. If so what is the procedure. 2. Should I take insurance, because when I tried its showing ‘VISA IS ACTIVE BUT EXTENSION TO BE DONE 7 DAYS OR 3 DAYS AFTER EXIPRY’ 3. Can my family travel in same visit visa, and should I renew their visit visa and insurance after reaching Saudi.

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December 21, 2021 at 4:16 pm

Can I apply for my wife and children visit visas since I’m on vacation and staying in my home country?

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November 19, 2021 at 12:55 am

Dear sir, I want to bring my family on visit visa, my Iqama ‘General labour’ now saudi govt. Allow for all Iqama holders to get family vist visa but my company, told me your salary less then 3000sr you are not eligible for family vist visa as per company policy. Please guide me what I do to get stamping and chamber from my company. Thank you!

November 19, 2021 at 3:59 am

https://thevisaproject.com/experience/saudi-arabia/change-professions-for-family-visa-saudi-arabia/

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February 13, 2022 at 6:07 am

Hello, do we need to get our nikkahnama attested from mofa in saudia?

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July 26, 2022 at 12:47 pm

hello sir, may i ask for the requirements needed to apostille if i want to apply for a visit visa to KSA?

July 28, 2022 at 6:56 am

It would depend on the country you are applying from, but in general getting the documents like marriage certificate, educational qualification apostilled, is always a great idea.

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January 9, 2021 at 7:08 am

For saudi Visa stamping in Dubai do we have to do any kind of document attestation????

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February 12, 2021 at 1:58 pm

Hello, does the visa request approved by Mofa have an expiration date, once the family visit visa is approved ? Do we need to apply or to submit immediately to saudi embassy for visa’s stamping?

February 26, 2021 at 2:25 pm

You need to get it stamped within 12 months usually.

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April 23, 2021 at 3:49 am

Is there a way to change Family Visit Visa to Iqama?

My Brother in law is here on Family Visit Visa. A local company in Riyadh is willing to give Job and Iqama. His age is 26.

His father is also having Iqama and working here.

In current situation it’s difficult to travel to India for the Work Visa stamping and doing the medical etc.

Any alternate option from Dubai or other country?

April 24, 2021 at 8:46 am

Hi Zohaib, While I have sometimes come across people who claim that they have been able to change from family visa to Iqama through agents, as far as I know, it’s not possible. I believe you might end up losing your money if you try that route. But maybe your brother in law would get lucky. And probably the local company can pay for the visa and they have people to take care of it? In that case, he can give it a try.

Dubai and Baharin have emerged as two of the most popular options for stamping.

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December 18, 2021 at 9:28 am

I have apply for visit visa for my husband.is it mantory to get attestation on original marriage certificate..how should process

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November 25, 2021 at 4:33 pm

Hi Sir Deb.

Is it necessary the marriage certificate to be in apostile? Or not? Bec. I dont have apostile.

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July 29, 2021 at 6:31 pm

Can I (expat female) when issued after 90 days my residency visa bring my husband over with the help of my sponsor

Can an expat woman take her husband with her?

July 30, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Yes, it is possible.

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August 22, 2021 at 8:35 pm

Hi Sir Deb! Can i use my philippine marriage certificate for applying a mofa family visit visa? I am residing in Pakistan now, me and my pakistani husband has no Pakistani Marriage certificate. We only have Marriage certificate from Philippine, and it is already attested in Dfa Manila. My question is, can i use my apostille marriage certificate for applying the family visa even i am applying here in pakistan,? Or do i really need to get a pakistani marriage certificate? I am hoping you can answer my question sir..

August 25, 2021 at 3:33 pm

Hi Normina, You wouldn’t be needing a Pakistani marriage certificate for sure. That I can assure you of.

You would however need to translate your certificate to Arabic, I believe. Best to take the help of an agent to get this done.

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November 24, 2020 at 5:21 am

hi DEB please help me what to do with my daughter visa,his exit reentry expire last feb 24,2020 and we request to mofa to extend that time but unfortunately because of the pandemic the embassy suddenly close so there is no chance to process the visa,when they open last sept we tried again but the embassy said the visa is expired,again we applied to mofa and after waiting for three weeks they said they cannot extend the visa because it is more than a year now.so we dont know what is the next step.do i have to cancell the iqama and reaaply again in stigdam?

November 26, 2020 at 3:19 pm

Hi Arnel, Thanks for stopping by. I understand that your daughter is not in Saudi Arabia right now. If the visa has expired and it is more than a year now, then it won’t be renewed. If you are in Saudi Arabia, You can visit the Jawazat offices in Dammam or Jeddah or the one closest to you with the documents mentioned in “Can You Extend Family Visit Visa for Saudi Arabia?” section of the article. The last option would be to apply for a fresh visa.

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December 7, 2020 at 3:55 pm

can i apply for my brother as visit visa?

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January 11, 2024 at 8:52 pm

My husband can sponsor wife’s brother daughter?

January 22, 2024 at 3:34 pm

Not really.

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November 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

Hi 1st time family visit visa is allow now to enter the kingdom?

November 26, 2020 at 3:13 pm

Hi Ameer, Yes, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s your first family visit visa. If you have a valid Saudi visa you can enter the KSA. But note that Non-Saudi nationals holding Tourist Visas are not allowed to enter the Kingdom for COVID right now. Check with the Saudi embassy of your country to confirm before planning to go.

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December 8, 2020 at 2:03 pm

Can i apply visit visa for sister? My sister is un marriage but she will come with my mother

December 8, 2020 at 5:10 pm

Hi Kamal, There has been a recent announcement that now you can apply for a family visit visa for your brother, sister, brother-in-law and sister-in-law. So hopefully the option will soon be available online. Some expats swear that they have been able to apply under “other” option and mentioned brother/sister there. But I can’t really assure how true is that. So you can give that a shot or wait for the new rule to be implemented.

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July 26, 2021 at 4:06 pm

Can i get my sister to saudi arabia.

July 26, 2021 at 6:07 pm

Really doubt it. Please refer the article and different comments.

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January 5, 2021 at 12:37 pm

Hi sir . can my husband apply for family vist visa for me and my daughter.His Aqama is Amil Manzli .so on this Aqama he is entitled for applying family visa or not

January 7, 2021 at 1:40 pm

Hi Mrs. Arslan, I don’t think you can get the visa on Amil profession. He needs to change the profession.

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November 10, 2021 at 4:41 am

Hi , my husband wants to apply for a Family Visit Visa for me. The situation is in his iqama it still say’s SINGLE . He hasn’t changed it to MARRIED yet. Are we still able to get a Family Visit Visa for me ? We have the Marriage Certificate.

November 10, 2021 at 4:41 pm

Hi Michelle, I believe you would be able to. Later your husband can change it from single to married.

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November 26, 2020 at 10:57 am

Any news about the family visa issuance from MOFA now a days. I applied 10days before but not get the visa.

November 26, 2020 at 2:58 pm

Hi Mohammad, Saudi Arabia visas are being issued. But because of COVID restrictions, they might take a bit longer. Also depends on which country you applied from.

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April 2, 2021 at 1:36 pm

Hi . Deb patil My husband stays in Dammam . I stay in India . How does he apply for permenant visa under COVID 19 circumstances.

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November 29, 2020 at 6:58 am

Visit visa for my wife was issued on 27-02-2020, valid until 26-02-2021. Unfortunately she could not travel to the Kingdom as of now due to the flight services is remains suspended until further notice.

Is the valid until means ( 26-02-2021) she can enter to the Kingdome on before this date? or must leave the kingdom on this date? Please respond.

December 22, 2020 at 5:34 am

Yes, she can enter the KSA on or before this date.

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February 20, 2021 at 1:00 pm

I have facing Same issue… Due to CORONA 19 Virus Pandemic, there have been no flights to Saudi Arabia. we have not used this visa since the visa Stamped from India. I want to bring my family to SAUDI ARABIA. Please advise me What i should do…..

February 20, 2021 at 6:02 pm

You can go via other countries. I have explained the Dubi route well.

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February 21, 2021 at 1:38 pm

Greetings!!

This is syed from riyadh,

Now am holding my wife visit visa but unfortunate destination has selected to mumbai for stamping, now delhi emabassy started of stamping for family visit visa, Can you advise me how am i chang the destination for stamping behalf of mumbai…

February 26, 2021 at 2:17 pm

Hi Syed, You would need to apply for a new visa with the same data and choose Delhi as the stamping destination. Your Mumbai visa will get canceled if the Delhi visa is issued. If Delhi gets rejected, Mumbai will remain as it is. You also might get an error or two on Chrome when doing this. Try on Firefox if it is not working.

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November 6, 2021 at 2:05 pm

Hi Deb! My family came here on visit visa last June with Riyadh as port of arrival, since flights always get canceled we got a ticket which will leave in Dammam. Will it be ok for them to exit in Dammam going back to home country or it should be in Riyadh? Thank you so much!

November 6, 2021 at 3:17 pm

Hi James, I don’t think flying from Dammam should be an issue. Don’t worry.

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March 24, 2023 at 10:09 am

Hi. My mother is on multiple visit visa which is valid until 05-may-2023. If she leaves and re-enter saudia before 05-may-2023 can she stay for 90 days more or she needs to leave again before 05-may.

March 27, 2023 at 7:31 pm

Usually, people leave and re-enter before 2-3 days of Expiry of the current 90 days to do the extension, but if she does it before that, it could still work depending on the border officials. If she has a valid visa, she should be able to re-enter without any issues.

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November 30, 2020 at 8:37 am

Hi Deb apply Mother Visit Visa , she lives in Pakistan apply for 1 year multiple but reject just now and Message Comes on Mofa Website is

نأمل تعبئة طلب جديد. أطيب تحياتنا (translation) : We hope to fill out a new application. Best regards

please Guide and Explain what is the reason or should i Reapply Today

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December 21, 2020 at 3:14 pm

There was some mistake in your application. Authorities require new application.

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November 30, 2020 at 9:14 am

Hi, it’s our first family visit visa approved last month and we intend to use it this December, 2020 so we can spend Christmas with my hushband working in Saudi.

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November 30, 2020 at 10:49 pm

my son is holding saudi family visit visa.he is working in dubai and wants to visit us, now can he do please

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November 30, 2020 at 9:30 pm

My mothers family visit visa (2 years) expires in February. I am trying to find out if a new visa can be applied and issues while she is here, as during the pandemic it may not be a good idea for her to travel back to India.

Do you know if this is possible

appreciate reply, thank you Anuradha

December 1, 2020 at 6:23 am

Hi Anuradha. Yes, I believe a new visa can be applied while she is in Saudi Arabia.

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November 13, 2021 at 4:56 am

Hey, can I apply family visit visa for my son-in-law?

November 16, 2021 at 4:17 am

Yes Amreen, although you might need an agent’s help.

November 30, 2020 at 10:44 pm

my son is working in dubai and holding family visiting visa expiring on 30-12-2020. he wants visit us now before 10th.dec can he do,

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November 30, 2020 at 11:25 pm

Hi. I have two years multiple entry visa. I received it last year on 3rd January, 2019. I stayed in Saudi for 2 weeks but because I had a difficult pregnancy I could not travel back again. Now I was all set to travel with my daughter but the Pandemic happened. Now it’s December. My visa is valid for one month. My husband applied again for our visa because apparently my visa is not appearing in their Saudi govt portal. But here, in Oman, where I reside, the embassy does not want to issue a new visa and also does not want to cancel the previous visa. What am I supposed to do? They say I can travel from here but from Saudi side they have informed me that I won’t be allowed to reenter. This is frustrating. I am this close to going and still stuck. The embassy is willing to stamp the visa on my daughter’s passport but not mine.

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December 1, 2021 at 9:04 am

Do you have any answer regarding this matter? I have almost same concern.

Hope to hear some reply from you.

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December 2, 2020 at 9:27 am

My iqama profession is normal worker. Is it valid for family visit visa application? thanks a lot.

December 8, 2020 at 5:21 pm

Hi Cloyd, I believe you are talking about having a labor Iqama? Unfortunately, that can become an issue. Many people have had family visit visas rejected for having a labor Iqama. However, if you have some certificates, you might be able to change your job title. It costs 1000 riyal to change profession.

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December 9, 2020 at 10:44 am

my iqama profession is welder. Do i need to change iqama profession to apply for family visit vissa.

December 2, 2020 at 6:57 pm

Hi Deb, As of 2nd Dec, 2020. Can you please confirm, If Etimad and MOFA has started working on new family visit visas ?

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December 2, 2020 at 8:48 pm

Hello kausar, As i know he would be allowed to enter KSA if previous visa is valid. Second thing if he visits you and leave prior to visa expiry. there wont be an issue. If his medical is still valid. please check on provider website by entering visa number. On the other hand, if he plans to visit you again in few months in Ramadan/Eid 2021 it is advisable to apply for new visa 1 year multiple and come tension free. I don’t think fee is so high that you would think again. This is best option to avoid any possible shock by the authority at airport.

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December 3, 2020 at 8:22 am

My family visit visa got rejected twice already, just wondering what could be good reason for visit that I should put?

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December 5, 2020 at 10:57 am

I am 16,and mother is 39 do we need a medical certification from Bangladesh to enter in ksa with a family visit visa?

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December 13, 2020 at 8:29 am

Thanks for the article. It is indeed very helpful. But are you sure about the single entry visit visa’s duration is 3 months? Because in 2019, they were only 2 months (1 given in default, the other by extension online through Absher).

December 13, 2020 at 9:33 am

Hi Atif, Single Entry Visit visas are valid for 90 days but the duration is 30 days only.

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September 15, 2022 at 8:39 pm

Hi Deb! I have one urgent query, I’m processing my Saudi sponsored work visa although facing issue to take along my 2.5 year old baby along with me. Confused as to which type of visa to be applied for him. Kindly guide in this regard.

September 16, 2022 at 6:42 am

Hi Meha, You can apply for the family visa visa for your baby.

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September 1, 2023 at 1:54 am

Is there any problem if my iqama expires , but visa requested already approved, and just goint to be stamped in Philippines

September 5, 2023 at 6:26 am

I don’t think so, but make sure to renew it asap.

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December 13, 2020 at 11:01 am

Greetings for the day,

could you please help me to know, are they issuing family Visit visa to Indian?

Thank you Irfan

December 17, 2020 at 4:18 am

Hi Irfan, The visa is not getting stamped in India yet. But you can apply for it and mention Dubai as the stamping location. Of course for this, you would need some extra documents like marriage certificate and birth certificate attested from UAE mofa.

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December 17, 2020 at 10:42 am

Dear I am an indian (Saudi Resident), Is it really possible that we can apply visa mentioning Dubai as the stamping location. Will this really work and we can get stamped from Dubai. If this works really you shared a good information. please confirm and reply again.

December 18, 2020 at 4:16 am

Yes it is possible. Many Indian expats have taken this route this year.

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December 20, 2020 at 12:26 pm

Are you sure? Is it possible to stamp Saudi Visit Visa at Saudi consulate at Dubai? One will be on a visit visa to Dubai, right?

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January 7, 2021 at 11:15 pm

Dear My family is in KSA on 1year (multiple entry) visit visa valid till 31Jan2021. Is it possible to apply new 1year visit visa for them again now and choose dubai as stamping location? Can they exit to Dubai and enter Saudi with their new visit visa after completion of quarantine period on 28Jan2021 ?

January 8, 2021 at 5:52 am

Why don’t you try to extend the visa while they are in Saudi Arabia? And yes, that is possible. Many people have taken this route.

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December 14, 2020 at 7:49 pm

Hello, Is unmarried certificate required for daughters aged above 18 years old who have already approved family visit visa?

December 17, 2020 at 4:21 am

Hi Aira, Yes, it is needed. You can make a notarized affidavit from the parents mentioning that she is unmarried and you give her permission to travel. I believe there is no need to get this attested from Mofa really.

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December 15, 2020 at 11:22 am

i have apply for family visit visa for my wife, am a Indian .. after CoC i got this message from Mofa تعتذر الوزارة عن تحقيق الطلب The ministry apologizes for the requested demand. I don’t no what the reason behind on this. if you have any idea about this. My Company is located in Dammam and am working in Jeddah. my colleague say that bcoz of national address.

Let me know if you have any idea

appreciate for kind reply

December 17, 2020 at 4:47 am

Hi Mohammed, Reapply with the complete home address as per national address as Unwan. And mention the city which is on your iqama. If it is Dammam, mention Dammam. Even if you are living in any other city.

December 20, 2020 at 12:39 pm

Visa’s for indian is not being issued from SAUDI coz of stamping which is stopped for a while in India. When i applied, i got the same message from ministry.

You need to select dubai for the stamping of Visa as Deb said earlier.

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January 11, 2021 at 5:59 am

Hi there! I’ve been trying to visit my family desperately for the past 7 months. I’ve been looking for ways to visit them but I exit the country in Jan 2020 thereby losing my iqama. Now i wish to visit my family via family visit visa but haven’t been able to obtain one as stamping in india hasn’t been open yet neither has the consulate been responding to calls regarding the same due to the pandemic. As Deb has mentioned earlier, and now Shuaib having confirmed it, I am intrigued. As far as i have understood we need to apply for family visit visa through MOFA and instead of selecting visa stamping location as india, we need to get it stamped in dubai by the saudi consulate in dubai? Will this work? i have been looking for ways and would like to know more. waiting for your reply. Thanks and regards.

January 11, 2021 at 6:14 am

Hi Mohammed, yes that will work. Many people have used this route. But note that you have to provide the required documents in Dubai to get the visa stamped. I have updated the article with that info.

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December 16, 2020 at 3:18 am

I am from India, I want to apply for a family visit visa but I am getting confusing which one is better single or multiple. My plan is for them to stay for 6 months. would you please share and guide to choose with all details…

Please advise and thank you

Regards, Rizwan

December 16, 2020 at 4:39 pm

Hi Rizwan, If your plan is to stay for 6 months, it is better to apply for a multiple entry visa. The process is the same as mentioned in the article. But if you get the single entry visa, you would need to extend it again and again.

December 17, 2020 at 12:06 am

Thanks, Deb…For the valuable information.

Can you please share about pricing details if you know…will help me a lot.

if in the case for 3 months stay what you will advise? single or multiple

ones again thank you so much: -)

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November 2, 2021 at 6:47 am

A.o.a …i wanted to ask i got my family visit visit visa just before two days …and my wife’s passport is damaged through a mishap …so etimaad office workers told me that visa would not be stamped on that passport…so if a family visit visa expires then after how many days we can apply for a new visit visa… kindly guide me as soon as possible

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November 5, 2021 at 9:03 pm

hello I would like to ask the multiple entry visit visa how many days should you stay in the kingdom and how many times need to renew the visa. is it ok. to stay in kingdom for 1 year without going exit on the period?

November 6, 2021 at 3:30 pm

Hi, It is possible to stay for 1 year without exiting if you can manage to do the last 2 extensions through Absher. If not, you can leave and reenter.

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December 16, 2020 at 2:46 pm

Hello. I am a US citizen and my wife is British and our baby has a British. I have a valid Iqama and entry/exit visa. Am I able to get a visit visa for her and my son if I am not currently in Saudi?

My employer is saying I need to be in the Kingdom in order to get the visa for them. I would rather travel together as a family than leave them and have them join me later.

December 17, 2020 at 4:40 am

Hi Justin, I totally get your plight. What makes it difficult to get the visa outside KSA is the step where you need to get a signature from your employer. And in case anything goes wrong with the application, you might need your employer’s help again. Technically, it should be possible for someone who is in Saudi Arabia to do this for you. Maybe an agent. But this would again need your employer’s nod.

December 17, 2020 at 5:46 am

Ah, thank you so much for the fast reply! I really appreciate it. I was going to use an agent in the UK. He said I only needed the letter of invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he could get the visa for me in 3-4 days. He said the LOI would come from my employer via the MOFA.

I’m basically just making sure my employer isn’t trying to make me come back on my own if I don’t really need to. The HR lady is VERY old school and loves doing everything on paper and doesn’t know how to use the internet! Ha.

December 18, 2020 at 4:18 am

Really glad to hear that Justin.

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June 23, 2021 at 5:50 pm

Hi Deb, I was wondering if you have a list of approved agencies in the UK? I’ve got the approved application for our sons in the UK but now need to find someone to help us with the next step there. Thanks

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December 16, 2020 at 6:04 pm

What does the red text in Arabic translated to “We hope to fill out an application according to the new update” mean?

I’m currently residing in USA, and m dad is in Saudi Arabia. He applied for a visa for me 2 months ago, however there has been no update at all apart from the same old message “We hope to fill out an application according to the new update”

What are we supposed to do here? Extremely frustrating process. Please get back to me as soon as possible as my parents are sick and I need to travel to Saudi ASAP.

December 18, 2020 at 4:24 am

What it usually means is that some details on the application are wrong. Also during the COVID restrictions, this happened to different nationalities. So the workaround is to file for a fresh application and fill in the data as per the Iqama and passport.

You can also take help of an agent. If your father is a US citizen, you can see the list of agents approved by Saudi embassy in USA here .

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December 17, 2020 at 6:35 am

Greetings! just want to ask some questions with regards of extending the visit visa, my wife visit visa will expire on February 2021. Therefore it is ok to extend her multiple visit visa without leaving the country? or she must first leave the country before i extend her multiple visit visa? Because right now lots of speculations that i received that some of applicants they can able to extend their wife’s visit visa without leaving the Saudi Arabia. So Please if you can help me sir I need a valid answer with regards on this matter. It’s very confusing right now.

December 18, 2020 at 4:28 am

Hi Chito, It is very much possible to extend the visit visa without leaving Saudi Arabia. Try to do it through Absher. If something doesn’t work, you might need to visit one of the Jawazat offices. But there is no need to leave Saudi Arabia for this.

December 19, 2020 at 7:35 am

Thank you so much Deb for the informative answer. God Bless you sir!

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December 17, 2020 at 2:04 pm

If I pay for visa fee at enjazat website, do I need to pay again to Visa agency like VFS tasheel?

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December 17, 2020 at 7:28 pm

My husband is working in abu dhabi..I’m applied for visit visa for him .while he went for visa stamping in vfs tasheel they asked for embassy attested marriage certificate..is it mandatory to get embassy attested marriage certificate for visit visa?

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December 17, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Hi I’m a U.S. green card holder, I have been received family visit visa from Saudi Arabia, I need to know what’s the documents required of me to send it to embassy. (sponsor/ my father , me/ his son) Thanks..

December 22, 2020 at 5:30 am

Do you mean to say you already received the visit visa? Then there is no need to send anything. If you still need to apply for it, then all the documents will be the same as mentioned in the article.

December 18, 2020 at 9:13 am

Hi Can I apply for my wife family visit visa since I’m on vacation in my home country . So she can travel along with me .

December 22, 2020 at 5:27 am

Although tricky, it is possible to apply for it when you are not in Saudi Arabia. You would need an agent’s help and your employer’s nod for this.

December 19, 2020 at 8:29 am

Hi Deb, Can you please tell, If how much time, It requires for visitor to enter into Kingdom after visa issuance.

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December 21, 2020 at 12:28 pm

Hi Deb, My Mother Visit Visa issued on Feb & Stamped on March. 2020. Now my mother is in Dubai on Quarantine for 15 days. But as u know, Visa Stamped on March and its already late to enter, will that be any issue on Airport to enter. Note:- Visa is Multiple & expiry on 21-03-2021 Appreciate your response.

December 22, 2020 at 5:29 am

Hi Rizwan, As the visa is valid until 21-03-2021, your mother won’t have any issues to enter KSA. Don’t worry about it.

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December 22, 2020 at 9:34 am

I have applied for visit visa for my daughter through online by selecting destination from Moscow as she is studying in Russia but she is with Indian passport. but when I checked status of application and I found apologies messages from MOFA for the request. how I know the reasons of rejections. ( currently I am staying with my wife but not under family visa and we are under two different sponsor. Also my profession is computer programmer in Iqama but engineering council certification is not yet completed). could you advise how to know the reason of visa rejection and how can apply again. Your support is very appreciable.

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December 22, 2020 at 10:21 am

can I apply for a visit visa for my Wife’s brother?

December 26, 2020 at 2:22 pm

Hi Zohaib, Not really.

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August 12, 2021 at 12:33 pm

Assalamu Allaykum, I am a Filipina my husband is an Egyptian Doctor can she gave me a Family Visit Visa?

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December 25, 2020 at 8:17 am

Hi Deb, I want to go to Saudi Arabia for a while, my parents are working there, and I got my family visit visa request approved from KSA but I cannot get stamp in New Delhi which is the place selected in my application, I really need to get home, can you offer me suggestions as to how I go about this situation ?

December 26, 2020 at 5:36 am

Hi Vatsal, A lot of Indians have taken the route of getting the visa stamped at Dubai. If you can, that is a good option.

December 28, 2020 at 4:57 pm

Is it possible for an Indian to get family visit visa stamp in Dubai ?

If so, is an agency required for this, or I can personally go to the center and get it stamped ?

Can you provide me list of agencies available in Dubai, who are doing this work?

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December 25, 2020 at 10:35 am

Assalam o alikum,

Anyone please can explain that in a single entry visit Visa is it possible to renew visa even after 3 months of stay as it is written in the article that can be renewed untill 180 days( 6 months)?

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December 31, 2020 at 12:53 pm

Hope all doing well. My application got rejected because of the mismatching of my place of issue and the city that I did the chamber. That time, the place in my iqama was Jeddah and I got stamped from Riayah. After that incident, company renewed my iqama and currently it is showing electronically printed in the place of place of issue. So, how can I understand the place of issue to get the chamber from the exact place..? Or it will acceptable for any chamber? Please help to solve this.

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January 3, 2021 at 8:11 am

Hi Gentleman,

I have a question about my mother in law’s Family visit visa to be extended. Because, This is a one-year multi-entry visit visa. Besides, I was renewed thrice (After 3months, 6months, and 9 months) as everyone allowed to do so on Absher. Her visa will be expired by the 24th of But I need to renew again for 3 months as the situation is not much good in Srilanka at the moment. Hence, Can you advise me of any possibilities to do so?

January 6, 2021 at 4:56 pm

Hi yes, you can do it. Create a single PDF with the screenshot of the error message, insurance details, visa details from Absher and passport details of the visa holder. Then go to the services> General services in Absher, and then click on messages and services. There select “General directorate of passport”, and subject as “Extend multiple entry visa”. Select the service “visa issues” In the message explain your problem. In the comment attachment, attach the error from Absher, and in the attachments, attach the PDF from before.

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January 3, 2021 at 9:28 am

Hello. My husband had applied for family visa for me in December 2020 (as I left for my home country Belgium as my previous visa was coming to an end). And now they have rejected the application saying the ministry apologizes for the requested demand. The visa application was applied via the HR department of my husband’s company. I got it last year so how come this year they are rejecting ? Please help

January 6, 2021 at 4:25 pm

Hi Henna, what it usually means is that some details on the application are wrong. Also during the COVID restrictions, this happened to different nationalities. So the workaround is to file for a fresh application and fill in the data as per the Iqama and passport. BUt since the HR department of your husband’s company is applying for it, you need to get in touch with them.

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January 7, 2021 at 9:34 am

My husband raised the request for family visit visa for me.. and it got rejected.. how can we identify the reason for rejection? I’m an indian.

And also want to know how often can we apply for the family visit visa once rejected?

January 7, 2021 at 1:37 pm

Hi Nancy, The exact reason for the rejection is hard to tell. Please see the section on “rejection”. Once you know, you can apply for a fresh one. Not sure about the number of times.

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January 5, 2021 at 10:49 am

I am holding Saudi Iqama with Electronics technician Profession. Is this possible to get the Family visit VISA for my Sister in Law. We are expecting our baby delivery in first week of April 2021 , and to help in various aspects of delivery I would like to arrange the visa only. Please suggest.

January 6, 2021 at 6:22 am

I don’t think so. Please check the “Who can Get MOFA Family Visa Visa for Saudi Arabia?” section for details. I have updated it.

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January 6, 2021 at 4:57 pm

Greetings! My family came for the first time in KSA on Visit Visa and their Ninety Days Stay is going to expire on 21-Jan-2021 as per absher. First question is what is precisely meant by Seven Days. Will i be able to apply extension on 14-Jan-2021 or will it be 15-Jan-2021? Secondly, when applied through absher, how much time is taken by authorities to accept/reject that visa? Gratitude in advance.

January 7, 2021 at 6:03 pm

Hi Haris, Thanks for stopping by. The visit visa duration should be less than 7 days when applying for an extension. So you can apply for it on or after 15th Jan 2021. The extension is instantaneous if all your details are in order.

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January 9, 2021 at 1:05 pm

Hi Deb, I have VISA & Insurance both for one year Validity is to expire in Feb 2020. There is travel ban for direct travel from india. Today news is 31 march all flight will resume. 1) Can we extend this totally unused VISA/Insurance validity date in India at embassy or KSA at jawajat 2)Do we need to cancel VISA if not extended. if not canceled is there any problem in future. 3) Any possibility of refund of VISA/ insurance if it goes unused due to travel ban 4)All payments done by agent now he is not responding to calls

January 13, 2021 at 7:47 am

The best option for you now is to use the Dubai route. I have added a section on that in the article. You can’t extend an unused visa. You can apply for a fresh one though. I don’t believe you need to cancel the visa now. People have been able to get new visas without canceling the old ones.

Note that the KSA embassy in India is not open now.

I can’t comment on the refunds since you did it through an agent. You need to check with them.

January 10, 2021 at 6:36 pm

Hi Deb, A lot of gratitude. Just one confusion, if you could please clarify? By instantaneous, do you mean its automatic if everything is clear, or its instantaneous but still by someone working efficiently from the office. Gratitude again.

January 11, 2021 at 6:18 am

Hi Haris. Yes, it is automatic if everything is in order.

January 11, 2021 at 8:58 am

Many thanks for active responses. Stay blessed and have a good day.

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January 8, 2021 at 1:36 pm

Hi, I am Shakhawat. How i can check the visa ..is it correct or not ? I have a work visa which has validity 90 days. After 90 days can i extend it or not ? And how i can do it . my agency is saying that it’s free visa.

January 11, 2021 at 6:12 am

Hi Shakhawat, Does it look like the visa pic in the article? Please note that this article is about the family visit visa. If you applied for a work visa, then that would be different. And unless I see it, I can’t really say. Feel free to use the CONTACT page to contact me and once I reply, you can send a pic of the visa and I can tell you. Do blur out any personal info.

January 8, 2021 at 4:54 pm

Hi Deb, Can I get my visa stamped in Dubai, I have no connections with Dubai, I will be on visit visa there, so is it possible for me to get stamp for Saudi family visit visa from there ?

Please give me detailed answer asap as it is very crucial for my plans

January 11, 2021 at 12:16 pm

Updated the article for everyone to see. Please check it out.

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January 10, 2021 at 10:28 am

Hello everyone. Iam from India

I have a query ?

Actually my family visit visa is valid till 16-3-2021 nd they could not travel to ksa since suspension of flights. So i wanted to ask,

1) Is it possible that they can enter ksa via dubai after 15 days quarintine their ?? ( I asked few agents in india nd they assured me that it is possible these days as many indian visit visa holders are taking this route).

2) As my iqama is expired currently, so does it cause any problem for them while immigration at dubai or ksa airports as iam the sponser of the visit visa ??

3) As the visit visa is un-used till now nd will expire in march, is their any way to extend it or will it be cancelled automatically after completion of validity i.e., 16-3-2021??

Please help me with ur valuable suggentions 🙏

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January 10, 2021 at 12:02 pm

Hi Deb My family exit reentry expired before two years. Now I applied for Visit Visa in Islamabad Embassy but they Rejceted two times. Now they are asking for Final Exit paper. Please can u guide us about this problem. Is there any solution.

January 11, 2021 at 11:23 am

Hi Kamran, You can go for the final exit if your family visit visa has not expired. As it has expired already, that is the reason they are rejecting it. Not sure about the solution here. Maybe others can pitch in.

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January 11, 2021 at 12:49 am

My family one year multiple visit visa was expired on Dec 20 but from Absher it is renewed for more three months and now valid till March 21. I want to apply a new one year multiple visa for my family so can the system accept to apply before expire of existing valid visa without going exit from KSA. Its very confusing.

Appreciate your valuable suggestion.

Best regards,

January 11, 2021 at 6:16 am

Hi Deepak, Why do you want to apply for a new visa? You can extend the existing one multiple times, right?

January 12, 2021 at 3:15 am

Thank you for your reply.

From the latest news, KSA is going to lift all restriction from 31st March. So if flight service will resume then most probably KSA govt. will not renew further. if there is an option to renew multiple visit visa for more one year without exit KSA then I can apply before expiring of exist one otherwise my family need to exit from KSA.

Please suggest if there is any procedure to renew multiple visit visa without exit from KSA.

Best regards Deepak

January 13, 2021 at 7:10 am

Hi Deepak, You can renew the family visit visa through Absher or in Ishtiqadam without leaving KSA. It is easy. But, I don’t think it is possible to extend the visa for more than a year without leaving KSA.

January 18, 2021 at 7:21 am

Thank you for your valuable feedback.

Best regards, Deepak

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January 11, 2021 at 3:44 pm

Hello brother.. thank you for your information. I would like to apply for family visit visa. unfortunately, my iqama profession is not suitable for it. iqama profession is Hospital Cleaner and I’m working in manpower company as an office administrator. so can you suggest me which profession that I can use while changing my profession. also please let me know do I need to submit any certificates during this process.

thanking in advance for your response.

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January 13, 2021 at 6:50 am

Hi Deb, I am Gittu. I have a query relating to my wife’s visit visa. She came to KSA on one year multi-entry visa. It was extended 3 times after each 3 months. The visa expires in February. Is there any provision to extend the visa or to apply a new visa without travelling back to India? If so, what’s the procedure?

January 13, 2021 at 5:38 pm

Hi Gittu, Yes you can extend it again. Read my comment here.

https://thevisaproject.com/experience/mofa-family-visit-visa-saudi-arabia/#comment-492

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January 13, 2021 at 3:55 pm

My partner of 6+ years is moving to Saudi (Riyadh) at the end of the month. Do we have to be married to apply for the family visiting visa? Even if we can prove our relationship and that we live together.

They are currently (to my knowledge) not going tourist visas so exploring all options.

January 15, 2021 at 10:40 am

Hi Hannah, I don’t think you can but do check with the Saudi embassy in your country. If such a relationship is legal in your country, then the embassy might accept it.

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January 14, 2021 at 9:19 pm

I am working in saudi arabia and applied family visting visa for my wife 4 times abd got rejected on all occasion with the following message

” Ministry Apologies for the requested demand. Greetings”

Please let me know the reason for rejection.

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January 17, 2021 at 12:58 am

hi, my job title is restaurant worker,can possible to take wife and daughter for visit 3 month in ksa saudi?

January 19, 2021 at 11:02 am

Hi Arjun, Don’t think so. You would need to change your profession in Iqama in this case.

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January 17, 2021 at 5:49 am

Good morning

I have applied through an agency to stamp my parents visit visa under my iqama in India. They are asking for Hayak number. Do you know that it is required . My husband is travelling to India and was planning to bring them with him. Both of us are working in MOH hospital. Do you know visit visa holders are allowed to enter KSA as of now or they have to wait until 31st March. Many thanks in advance for your help.

January 19, 2021 at 10:57 am

Hi Shahna, Not sure about the Hayak number but visit visa holders are being allowed inside KSA now, as long as they fulfill the quarantine requiements.

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January 17, 2021 at 7:04 am

Hi Can i apply visit visa for my second wife and my 2 month daughter? Please note that, my first wife and my 13year old daughter are under my Iqama and both lives in Riyadh.

January 19, 2021 at 10:55 am

Hi, As far as I know, you can apply for the visit visa only for 1st wife.

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January 17, 2021 at 9:19 am

Can visit visit holders travel from UAE to KSA nowadays?

January 19, 2021 at 10:26 am

Hi Shabeel, Yes they can.

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January 18, 2021 at 11:58 am

Hello Mr. Deb, I wish to bring my family again in KSA. Please let me know, if Multiple Entry Visit Visa for 2 years is active now? Earlier it was stopped and she came on MEVV for 1 year. So, this time looking for 2 years, if available.

January 27, 2021 at 5:13 pm

Hi RD, I don’t believe they are issuing 2 years multiple entry visas anymore.

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January 18, 2021 at 7:42 pm

I want to apply my wife’s visit visa to ksa. Does she need to make new passport with my name on it or can we use marriage certificate?

January 19, 2021 at 10:30 am

Hi Haider, Yes, you can apply. No issues. Just get the marriage certificate attested from the Mofa.

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January 19, 2021 at 11:25 am

Good Day Sir, i have 2 years multiple visit visa for my wife ad daughter, those visa stamped on 10th april 2019 and they entered at Saudi on 22 July 2019. Then they left saudhi on 5th march 2020 due to covid situation. Now i want to bring them to saudhi after march 31st. Is it possible?….. Because my doubt is, how can we measure the 2 years visa validity ….from stamping date or first entry in Saudi date. Upto which date my family can stay with me at ksa if they can come now. Please provide your support.

January 25, 2021 at 6:14 pm

The visa validity starts from the day it is stamped. So if the visa is stamped on 10th April 2019, it will be valid until 10th April 2021. So until that time, they can come to Saudi Arabia. After that, you would need to extend their visas.

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January 19, 2021 at 4:53 pm

hi Deb can i apply for visit visa in bahrain the same way its possible in dubai for my family? Can you provide me any details of whom can I contact if its in your knowledge.

January 27, 2021 at 4:58 pm

Hi Jaffar, As per the latest updates, entry to Bahrain is restricted to Bahraini citizens, residents, GCC citizens who do not need a visa, passengers eligible to obtain a visa on arrival, passengers with a valid eVisa, diplomats, military personnel, airline crew, or holders of official, service or UN passports.

So if you fall in the above category, then you can plan on this.

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January 19, 2021 at 6:42 pm

Hi, I am an Indian living in Saudi Arabia, my mother stays with me on visit visa. Her passport is expiring in Apr2021, which I will get a new one from Indian consulate.

Now my question is: How to update passport number in absher for a person on visit visa. Can I still extend her visit visa, even if the passport is expiring/expired. (is there any validation of passport expiry to extend visit visa) Please advise.

Thanks Tariq

January 27, 2021 at 4:51 pm

Hi Tariq, Once your mom gets the new passport, send a request in Absher to extend the visit visa, explaining the whole thing in a message. In your message, provide the details of your old passport number and new one, visa number and border number. Attach a copy of your new passport. If you get any errors, attach a screenshot of that error as well. They will extend it.

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January 20, 2021 at 3:12 am

Very useful. Information you have compiled. 2019 n most of 2020 I stayed on 2 year business visa and my wife stayed on companion visa. I got another one year business visa for stamping in dubai. Did they resume stamping companion visas now? Appreciate if you could check

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January 20, 2021 at 11:16 pm

Hi, I wanted to inquire about port of entry. If I put Jeddah as port of entry but enter from Riyadh Airport. Would that be an issue?

January 21, 2021 at 9:27 am

Hi Syed, Port of entry won’t be an issue. You can enter through Riyadh.

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January 21, 2021 at 1:37 pm

Hi Dev, I want to inquire about the procedure for that visitor having a single name on his/her passport because last time I applied for my wife but it was rejected with the reason to apply with the complete name (Second or last name) but my wife has only one name on the passport. Can you please brief about the solution to it? Regards

January 22, 2021 at 5:51 pm

Hi Zameer, While I have never come across something like this with respect to the family visit visa, there are people who have done this while applying for other kinds of visas. Mostly it is a technical or system error. While one solution would be to apply for a new passport where she can have your last name, it is far-fetched and in my opinion, not necessary.

You can get in touch with the embassy and see what they are saying.

If nothing works, you can take the help of an agent.

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January 23, 2021 at 3:58 am

Hi My parents are not in the Kingdom and their visit visa is valid till March. Can I get the visa extended without their presence here as they are unable to travel now due to some issues but want to come by April. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

January 24, 2021 at 6:34 am

No, it will not work like that. Any visa that expires while you are outside of the country, needs a fresh stamping.

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January 21, 2021 at 4:24 pm

Thank you for your information

Please I have a question

People says we should pay visa fee of SAR300 per passport only the embassy in our home country Is this possible To pay visa fee at enjazat website, is it acceptable?

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January 22, 2021 at 8:00 pm

Hi, my daughter Inlaw has acquired a Tourist e-visa for KSA from Canada to visit her husband. Under the current mutant situation can she come to Saudi Arabia or are there any travel restrictions pls.

January 27, 2021 at 4:59 pm

I do not think she can come on a tourist visa now.

January 23, 2021 at 12:21 pm

Ok Thanks, and will update you about my experience in it.

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January 25, 2021 at 11:55 am

My family residential visa was stamped in feb 2020, but due to covid they couldn’t enter Kingdom, but now as there is option vis Dubai, can my family enter Kingdome on same visa or need to take new stamping if yes/no how, as now unable to get correct information can u please guide, please email me.

January 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm

Depends on whether your visa is valid or not. If it is still valid, then you can enter on the same visa. No need to get it stamped again.

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January 25, 2021 at 1:03 pm

Good day! I am planning to bring my mother here (family visit visa) in Riyadh. Is it required that I need to go back to my country so she could travel with me? or she can travel alone going back here in Riyadh?

January 25, 2021 at 6:05 pm

She can travel alone with her visa. You don’t have to go.

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January 26, 2021 at 7:28 am

i applied family visit visa two times but refuse 1st time msg came we are apologist to proceed your application. 2nd time we hope to fill out a new application. my profession is quality tester. can you please sort out this issue? Thanks

January 27, 2021 at 5:16 pm

Hi Muhammad, I am not sure if your profession is eligible for a Family visit visa. Quality Controller is one of the eligible professions though. See if you can talk to your employer and change your profession on Iqama and then reapply.

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January 26, 2021 at 8:11 am

if i have MOFA Family Visit Visa, Can I find a work and transfer to Working Visa from the employer? please give details if possible and its conditions. thanks

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January 26, 2021 at 8:19 am

I trust you are well. The family visit visa that can be extended up to 5 months as you said.

1. Is it monthly renewal right?

2. The cost every month will be 100 SAR also? or 1 time.

January 26, 2021 at 3:25 pm

Hi Mazhoor, Each renewal will cost 100 SAR. A single entry visa can be extended for a month at a time.

January 28, 2021 at 5:47 am

Thank you for fast response, 100 SR for each family member?

January 28, 2021 at 10:56 am

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January 27, 2021 at 10:16 am

hi myself & wife both having iqama but my new born kid is 10 months old now, is it possible to bring him with family visit visa to KSA or we need to get residence visa only.

January 27, 2021 at 4:40 pm

Yes, you can.

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January 28, 2021 at 5:21 am

Hi Mr. Deb, I have a daughter in Philippines. She was born here in KSA, previously holding iqama. I’m planning to bring her back for a visit.. is it the same process as you mentioned in your article? Thank you..

Hi Sheryl, I think in your daughter’s case, it will be different as she herself had an Iqama before. Check if you can renew the Iqama if it is expired or get any other kind of visa depending on the requirement. If not, you can try for a family visit visa based on your Iqama.

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January 28, 2021 at 11:39 am

Hi deb, My sons visit visa just got extended today and will expires on 29-04-2021. according to jawazat officer this will be the last time that it will be extended since the multiple visa is valid for 1 year only. My question is, if we go exit before 29-04-2021 do i need to apply a new visit visa for my son for him to go back here in saudi or after exit i just need to extend the old visa again. Thank you in advance for your response.

January 30, 2021 at 9:28 am

Hi Ven, You would need to get a new visa since the old visa would expire.

January 31, 2021 at 9:21 pm

Thank you deb. By the way, if thats the case can i apply a new one while he has an old visit visa? Or can i convert the visit visa to dependent visa here in saudi so that he doesnt need to exit?

February 3, 2021 at 5:30 am

Hi, You can apply for a new one but you can’t convert it as far as I know. Some people have claimed that they converted visit visa to dependant visa using agents, but I think the chances of that are very slim.

February 3, 2021 at 2:41 pm

Hi deb, What if we exit saudi then reenter again before the visit visa expires? Does it mean that they can extend the visit visa even it is multiple entry visa one year validity only? By the way im talking about multiple entry visit visa with one year validity. Supposedly it will expires on 29-01-2021 without my son exiting for 1 year but they extend it until 29-04-2021. Sorry i am a little bit confused on how to manage this. They said that you can apply for new visa only after the old visit visa expires which is in my sons case will be on 29-04-2021. Please help me to understand. Thank you very much for your patience in answering all our queries. God bless you

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January 31, 2021 at 6:07 am

Hello Mr. Deb,

Thank you for the article. I want to know how many days can I wait before I submit the passport for visa stamping as I have already received the visa approval document from MOFA Saudi. Since I asked for single visit visa I don’t want to waste the 90 days in waiting as Saudi Govt. postponed lifting of travel ban. Basically I want to know the validity/duration of this approval.

I also want to inform you that the other option for brother/sister works provided your company/sponsor has the authority to forward it & your sibling is accompaniying your parent (as in my case). You will need his /her birth certificate.

May Allah reward you for your good work & help.

January 31, 2021 at 8:41 am

Hi Zubeda, Thank you for your kind words. As you already have the approval, you can go for stamping. No need to wait.

You make an interesting point about brother/sister. I would try to find more info on this.

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January 31, 2021 at 12:07 pm

Hello Mr. Deb. Greetings! Thanks for your updated informations. Visit visa for my family visa was issued last year, valid until 26th Feb-2021. Unfortunately due to COVID 19, suspensions of flights from India to Saudi Arabia my family not able to travel Jeddah. Now i am in Jeddah. It is difficult for my family to travel via Dubai. Please let me know how i can extend their visit visa from here. Please let me know the correct procedure. Waiting for your Reply. Thank You

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February 1, 2021 at 8:12 pm

Hi I hope you can help me. My husband is British citizen (so are me and the kids), he works and lives in Saudi, his a consultant engineer, and works for a huge French company. Considering the current pandemic is it possible for him to apply for a family visit Visa? I know all visits to Saudi are suspended and I’m hoping you can clear this confusion for me. Thank you

February 3, 2021 at 5:32 am

Hi Sara, Yes, people are applying for family visit visas and also getting them stamped. So visas are being issued.

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February 4, 2021 at 1:41 pm

Dear do you have any any information regarding changing the profession. My current profession is Amil (Labour). My employer tried to change my profession to computer technician or programmer MOL is not allowing to change the profession. I Have valid membership of SCE as well.

February 11, 2021 at 6:28 am

Hi deb, I am a little bit confuse about getting new visit visa. Date of entry of my sons old visa was 04-02-2020 and was extended for 4 times but will expires on 29-04-2021. Jawazat officer said that we need to exit because he stays 1 year now without leaving. My question is can we apply new visa if we leave and come back to saudi before 29-04-20? Thank you for your patience in answering my queries.

February 11, 2021 at 8:34 am

Hi Ven, There are two things here. One is a visa and the other is an extension. From your comments, I understand that your son has an extension which is gonna expire on 29th April 2021. He can exit sometime before the extension expires, apply for a new visa, come back. I am not very sure whether he can get a new visa when his extension is still valid. The point is to get a new visa stamp on his passport, come back and keep on getting extensions.

February 11, 2021 at 12:05 pm

Thank you very much for your informative answer. So its better to leave by april one week before expiration just to be sure that we will not wait for a long time if in case they will not give us new visa because extension is until 29-04-2021. Now, i want to ask if you have an idea if we can go to bahrain just for him to exit and process a new visit visa there. If possible, do you know what are the requirements to bring to process the new visa? Thank u very much.

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February 13, 2021 at 12:35 pm

Hi, My name is Ejaz Khan. Dear if MOFA issues you visit visa for your family but you do not stamp it in your home country and it expires. My question is can you fill another application again right away or you will have to wait for 1 year which I have heard? Thank you.

Hi Ejaz, The validity of the unstamped visa is 12 months. So you might still have time to get it stamped. If it has already been 12 months, you can try and fill in a new application.

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February 21, 2021 at 6:16 pm

Hi Deb, I apply for my 2 daughters but Saudi Arabia not listed in the destination. Is there any restriction now a days for visitors here in KSA?

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February 25, 2021 at 9:55 am

If I wanted 5 months or 150 days visa duration? Is there any facility in MOFA system?

And if within the stay of the relative visa beholder, my iqama residency expires before the visit visa expires, but my iqama residency to be renewed, what should we do?

What could be the agency fee in arranging with the KSA embassy to the visa stamping in the passport in ones country?

February 26, 2021 at 2:13 pm

Hi Ictor, I think you should get a multiple entry visa in that case. If your Iqama expires, you can renew it. That won’t affect the visa. Not sure about the agency fees. The purpose of the article is for people to do it by themselves.

March 1, 2021 at 12:13 pm

Thank you Deb. May the universe repay you.

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February 26, 2021 at 8:29 am

Hi My Husband works in saudi arabia and he applied visit visa for me which is actually accepted but for some reason i cannot make this visit. Will this affect to my husband job or Iqama? Will his Iqama or visa Count in or as Fault? and because of fault will he kicked of from saudi arabia and did not get iqama because he will count as a fault please ?

February 26, 2021 at 2:10 pm

Hi Nargis, I really don’t think so.

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February 26, 2021 at 3:28 pm

Hello, does the approval for application have a expiration date? How long can I hold out on processing my papers and booking after the approval. Thank you very much

February 26, 2021 at 4:45 pm

Usually 12 months, but better to do it as soon as possible as the entry requirements are changing because of COVID.

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March 2, 2021 at 6:29 am

Good day Mr. Deb. My daughter was with me in KSA with my family. When she got married, she left Saudi by exit visa. My family is still with me in Saudi. Now my daughter has a one year old child and is in Qatar with her husband. Is she and her child eligible for a visit visa? As we ae Indian citizens, Is it allowed for both of them to visit Saudi from Qatar. Please let me know. Regards.

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March 2, 2021 at 12:53 pm

Thanks for the nice article, Just wanted to ask , my wife and younger son has Iqama and stay in india, but my elder kids aged 8 years and 6 years i have sent on final exit last year, can i call them on visit visa Single entry/ multiple entry along with my wife and younger kid.

Awaiting your reply

Thanks and best regards

March 4, 2021 at 6:27 am

Hi, Yes, you can.

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March 2, 2021 at 1:23 pm

My unused family visit visa got expired on feb.now planning to process a new visit visa.can i stamp it from dubai/bahrain? Can i get a family visit visa for 2 year validity?

March 3, 2021 at 9:44 am

2-year visas are not being issued anymore. You can stamp the visa in Dubai/Baharin.

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March 4, 2021 at 10:42 am

Hi. Am on family visit visa now in Saudi Arabia . Is it possible to change my visit visa to permanent visa on my husband’s iqama By staying here it self or I have to go back to my country and apply?

March 6, 2021 at 7:30 am

You can’t change it to a permanent visa in Saudi Arabia.

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March 5, 2021 at 2:05 pm

Other than you, all the other blogs say that you have to enter saudia within 90 days after stamping of family visit visa (which in my case is a multiple one)

My family’s Stamped visa shows validity till Dec 21. They can’t fly now cause of flights closure from Pakistan. Should I be worried or they can fly anytime before dec’21?

Can we verify from any other source?

March 6, 2021 at 7:19 am

Hi Hassan, I have no idea which blogs say that. Any visa allows you to enter until the day it expires. That’s how it works. You can fly any time before Dec 21.

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March 8, 2021 at 11:39 am

My family visit visa was stamped in March 2020. The visa expiry date is 5 March 2021. Until now, they could not come to KSA, due to Covid Travel restrictions. Please advise if they can enter KSA using the same Visa by extending the expiry date. If possible, what is the procedure to extend the date. Please advise.

March 9, 2021 at 11:47 am

If the visa is expired, you would need to apply for a new one and get it stamped again.

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March 8, 2021 at 6:53 pm

I got an opportunity to work on business visa in Riyadh for 6 months as a Software Engineer. As per my company, I cannot take my wife unless I get Iqama at later point of time.

But, I would like to take my wife to Riyadh along with me. Can I apply for tourist visa for her and take to Riyadh? Can we stay together in my flat? me being on business visa and she on tourist visa..?

Please let me know if it results in any problem? in any way?

March 9, 2021 at 11:45 am

Hi Teja, Yes, she can definitely apply for a tourist visa to come to KSA. The thing is right now, I don’t think KSA is allowing people on tourist visas. So you might need to check that out.

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March 10, 2021 at 5:08 am

I live in Abu Dhabi and i received Family visit visa MOFA approval last month but due to this prevailing situation unable to get appointment at VFS tasheel for stamping due to some technical error .

Is there any expiry date for approval letter or we can stamp anytime ? Do Saudi embassy or agency issue visa in month of Ramdan / Haj ?

Appreciate your response

March 10, 2021 at 8:39 am

Hi Mohammed, You need to stamp the visa within 90 days of receiving the approval. Now there is no official source to corroborate that the visas won’t be stamped in the month of Ramdan/Haj. They might slow down, but not stop it.

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March 10, 2021 at 12:45 pm

hi Deb My family visit visa( multiple for valid 1 year) stamped and expiring today 10-03-2021. due to suspended flight Saudi arabia is renewing this visa automatically or need to apply for new one and get stamped again?

March 10, 2021 at 4:40 pm

Hi Abdul, I really doubt that they would renew the visa automatically. Haven’t heard it from anyone. You would probably need to apply for a new one. Feel free to check with the embassy, since these requirements are always changing.

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March 14, 2021 at 8:27 am

Can I enter saudi through causeway after stamping family visit visa in Bahrain ?

March 14, 2021 at 4:36 pm

Yes you can.

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March 16, 2021 at 8:33 am

Hello sir I have question, on my husband iqama there was a mistake with status. It’s written he is single. We are married before even getting a new job in saudi, but we have authenticated marriage certificate. There will be a problem if apply for family visit visa?

March 16, 2021 at 12:18 pm

There might be, as a valid Iqama is one of the requirements. He should get his Iqama updated with the right status. You still might be able to get the visa as you have the authenticated marriage certificate, but it might cause other issues in future.

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March 17, 2021 at 5:17 pm

Good morning.

I am Sinu dominic Indian citizen presently located in Bahrain.I am planning to travel with my family to Saudi Arabia via cause way on 23 rd march(After 14 days quratine in Bahrain) I am a iqama holder and i have valid re-entry visa and my wife and kid having family visit visa and they are coming for first time and it’s their first entry. Kindly advise is there any issues or concerns with their first entry via cause way.

March 18, 2021 at 1:56 pm

Hi Sinu. Not an issue. They can enter via the Cause Way.

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March 19, 2021 at 10:16 pm

hi sir can travel to saudi arabia with the passport less than 5 months validity for single visit visa?

March 20, 2021 at 3:00 pm

Hi, The passport needs to be valid for 6 months at least. So I would say no.

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March 21, 2021 at 9:14 am

Hi Mr. Deb Pati,

I am applying for family visit visa for my son and have encountered problem filling out the personal data of the visitor. There is “occupation” part which remains red and cannot be filled out. My application wont proceed. Is there any other way to fill out the form? I’m a Filipino resident here in Alkhobar.

March 22, 2021 at 2:59 pm

Hi Gerardo, The occupation should be filled in Arabic. For example, if your son is a student, you can simply translate ‘student’ to arabic using Google translate and paste it there.

March 22, 2021 at 4:29 am

Hi sir! We already have the approved multiple entry (1year) family visit visa but unfortunately middle names for the children are missing,is it possible to have the approved visa canceled so we can apply a new one or maybe modified thru MOFA? Thank you so much.

March 22, 2021 at 2:57 pm

Hi James, From your message, I understand that it has not been stamped yet. No need to cancel just apply again.

March 23, 2021 at 6:18 am

Yes sir, we are actually going for leave next month to process our children’s stamping. We managed to apply for a new one yesterday and have it chambered as well. We just wrote : Edit Visa No. ##### in the purpose. We are still waiting for the approval, Inshallah it will be approved 🙏🏻

March 24, 2021 at 5:16 am

Awesome. All the best.

March 24, 2021 at 3:21 pm

Hi Deb! Thank God the new application got approved but the problem is when we search for the visa document # under visa issued by MOFA the names of my family are not appearing. But searching thru application number their names are appearing. What should I do about this? Thank you.

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March 23, 2021 at 11:40 am

Hi Deb! Greetings! My residential family VISA stamping work is under process. Recently I came to know that before boarding a flight, they have to produce vaccination certificate. Is it true? Because flights are going to be functional may be from May 17 and i will get very less time to enter KSA after stamping. So, please clarify about it, so that vaccination can be done in advance if required. I have child of 5.5 years old.

Hi Ikram, I don’t think a vaccination certificate is a requirement. Never heard this. It is not available for everyone yet. Do you have a source for this? Which airlines? You do need to get a negative PCR test 72 hours before the flight takes off.

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March 24, 2021 at 9:36 am

I applied for the visa on the MOFA portal. Chamber of commerce authorization done. When I search the application status, it shows the list of people in the visa. But when go to Enjazit site, it says no data available.

On the visa document it says “document” number and there is no “application” number. Application number was shown when I did the application in MOFA portal (I have the number written though)

Any idea why is not showing in Enjazit?

regards, Abdulmajeed

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March 27, 2021 at 5:43 am

Hello good day.. I Would like to ask because one letter (special letter “ñ”) is with my wife name in passport and i cannot enter the (special letter “ñ”) on the application form. So instead i wrote “n”. Does it affect? or if you have any solution to write any special letter on the application form. Hoping for your reply.

Best Regards, Allan

March 27, 2021 at 4:30 pm

Hi Allan, Are you getting any errors while entering this character? I don’t think that should be an issue.

March 27, 2021 at 6:16 pm

Thank you for your reply.. 1. I tried to enter alt 164 for letter “ñ” but letter “n” doesn’t appear. 2. I tried to do it on the notepad and copy paste the name but unfortunately all letters are pasted except the special letter “ñ”. 3. I even tried to do it on the google translate and copy paste but still same result on #2 all have been pasted except for ñ So, i just put “n” instead of “ñ”

Answering your question, there are no error, it is just not accepting special characters i guess..

Hoping that all would be ok..

March 28, 2021 at 6:01 am

Yes, it is treating ñ as a special character!! I believe it will be fine.

March 28, 2021 at 7:21 am

Thank you very much for your time and hope you can help more people like me asking questions regards this matter.

Hope you good health and God Bless.

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March 29, 2021 at 9:12 am

Hello. I already have family visit visa for my family. Is it required to purchase return tickets upon entry to the Kingdom? I am planning to extend the visa after 90 days so I cannot decide when is their return date. Thank you.

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March 31, 2021 at 6:09 am

Hello, i have already got Saudi Family Visit Visa, for endorsement destination i have MUMBAI (IND), but now i am hearing that in Mumbai consulate there is coming issue for doing endorsement taking long time, travel agent suggesting me to change Destination from MUMBAI to Delhi Consulate.

can we change now destination after issued visa or again i have to apply new visa ?

thanks in advance

April 1, 2021 at 7:02 am

Hi Mohammed, You can reapply.

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March 31, 2021 at 8:48 pm

Thanks for the article. But, please clarify that after getting approved visa document in mofa ksa, I registered in enjazit. But couldn’t find the application with visa number and passport number. Tried to add new application option; but Mumbai and Delhi is not listed in Saudi Missions and hence couldn’t proceed further. Please advise can we do it by ourselves or is it must to travel agents to do stamping process..

Best regards RAYMOND RAJ

April 1, 2021 at 7:01 am

Hi Raymond, That’s very weird. You need to search with your application number and passport number. Are you sure your application has been granted by the MoFa?

You can use an approved agency for the stamping process, but you can do everything else by yourself.

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April 5, 2021 at 7:06 am

Hello Raymond,

Even I am facing the same issue. Were you able to proceed further? Are we missing anything?

April 1, 2021 at 5:15 am

My husband in saudi apply for family visit visa for me (wife ) and our son, I understand that once I have the visa document I will need to book an appointment to an agency in Philippines who deals with visa stamping on passports, but on their website it’s written “ visa permit and invitation should be approved by mofa” what does invitation means ? Like my husband will write a letter address to us (wife and son) inviting us to Saudi? Do u know the process?

,I’m confused pls help us.. worried our visa will be declined because of missing documents..

April 1, 2021 at 6:57 am

Hi June, I believe you are referring to step 3 in the article: Send Completed Form/Visa Number to Visitor. After the Mofa approval, you can create the account on the Enjazat website and make the payment.

April 1, 2021 at 8:45 am

In Philippines you do ur account in enjazat in the vfs office, but Sorry but I’m still confused , so how many documents I need from my husband before I book my appointment to VFS? Thank u Sir Deb.

April 1, 2021 at 12:09 pm

You need a copy of the Iqama, a copy of your husband’s passport, an application form that would be signed and stamped that your husband would have sent you. If you still have doubts, send me an email through the Contact US page on my website with that application and otehr details and I can check it.

February 13, 2022 at 6:56 am

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April 2, 2021 at 1:02 pm

What will i do if i will not use the family visit of my son? Is there any panalty? Is there any expiry of unused family visit visa?

Hoping for your kind response

April 2, 2021 at 4:26 pm

There is no penalty.

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April 3, 2021 at 5:17 pm

I am trying to fill in the application, but when entering my resident ID it says no results found check the entered data. Please advice

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April 3, 2021 at 6:00 pm

Hello Mr. Deb. Nice article. Is it true that visitors are not allowed into the Kingdom during Ramadan? I’m a Nigerian Doctor and I’d like my mum to come over to stay with me as I’m pregnant. I was told that she’d have to arrive within the next few days otherwise she’d have to wait till after 3 months before she can come into the Kingdom.

April 4, 2021 at 7:40 am

Hi Krasota, I haven’t heard anything in this regard. I think she should be able to travel during Ramadan provided that she has her visa and all.

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April 6, 2021 at 8:20 am

I came to know, that one of my friends able to gets a visit visa for his second wife in a presence of his First wife and their kids.

What is my understanding is, expats are not allowed to keep two wives on Iqama. Might possibly one wife on Iqama and a second wife on a Visit visa are able to keep.

I would appreciate it if you could kindly advise what is the process to get the second wife here in the presence of the first wife, who is an Iqama holder.

Would I apply for a Family “Wife” Visit visa? and what kind of documentation required. Your advice will be highly appreciated.

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July 6, 2021 at 11:48 am

did you get any reply or did you get the visa?

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April 6, 2021 at 9:40 am

I really appreciate you for managing this wonderful website.

Need clarification on the visit visa validity. Visit visa (multiple exit/re-entry) which was issued last year in March 2020 got expired since we were unable to travel since there were travel restrictions (due to pandemic) imposed by the Govts., will it be re-issued or extended, any idea? btw, I’m from India currently residing in Riyadh.

Thanks in advance for your valuable time in reading this message.

April 6, 2021 at 3:11 pm

Hi Suresh, How can the visa be extended if it has not been stamped and the visa holder hasn’t entered KSA? A visa can be extended once the visa holder is in Saudi Arabia already. In your case, you would need to apply for it again. I don’t think they are reissuing the visa. Feel free to check with the embassy.

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April 6, 2021 at 10:54 pm

Hello, I need to know information about Family Visit visa. Can Family visit visa holder can travel for Saudi Arabia? If some plan to travel from Pakistan to Bahrain (2 weeks quarantine) then travel from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

Please advise.

April 7, 2021 at 4:37 am

Yes, you can do that.

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April 9, 2021 at 2:06 pm

I think this post proved that your are my best friend

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April 13, 2021 at 4:43 pm

My sister got her visa stamp in her passport. But with my confusion that before single entry is (90days)..but now it is 30days only???

Is it possible to apply another request for multiple so she can get 90days duration.. but she already has visa stamp of single entry.

April 19, 2021 at 5:14 pm

Hi Kristine, A single entry is valid for 90 days. It gives you 30 days to stay and you can extend that. A single entry family visa can be extended 5 times, for a total stay in Saudi Arabia for 180 days. Recommend you to read the sections on Visa Validity and Extend Family Visit Visa.

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April 14, 2021 at 12:11 pm

I want to Know that my family had 2 years visit visa and they went back to Pakistan in November and due to pandemic they are stuck, the visit visa’s 2 years will complete in 17 July 2021. I want to get a new visit visa for 1 year visa, will I be able to get and stamped from Saudi embassy and could my family come to Saudi Arabia on new visa if the old visa date is still left

April 19, 2021 at 5:19 pm

They can still come with the old visa. But if the passport contains a valid visa, I am not sure if they can get new stamping.

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April 14, 2021 at 8:05 pm

Hi, Thanks for the info.

I have a question, my family is at KSA with 1 year multi family visa, I extended 1 time 90 days, so they are now almost 180 days inside KSA, I will send them back my country, my question is can they come back lats say 1 month later with same visa, visa is valid until 2 Oct 2021. Can they come back with same visa? Or a new visa is needed?

April 19, 2021 at 5:16 pm

Hi Refik, Yes they can.No new visa needed.

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April 17, 2021 at 8:50 am

Hi! My name is Inusah currently living in Saudi Arabia, I married a lady I met during my vocation in my country Ghana, am planning to apply for a visit Visa for her, but the problem is that she was deported 2 years ago as runaway, can I still apply for a family visit Visa for her?

April 19, 2021 at 5:22 pm

Hi Inusah, I doubt that you can take the regular route here. You might need help from an agent or a lawyer. There is usually cooling off period after deportation that can run up to 5-10 years. So you need take that into account as well.

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April 19, 2021 at 9:36 pm

Hi, My husband works in Saudi Arabia and sent me a visit visa with the destination marked as Karachi because I was supposed to travel from Karachi. However, I needed to come to Canada for some person matters (I’m a Canadian citizen) and now want to travel to Saudia from here.

Can I use this same visa and get it stamped in Canada or will he need to take out another visa?

April 20, 2021 at 4:19 pm

Hi Sara, Yeah you can change your destination to Canada and get it stamped there.

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April 20, 2021 at 12:38 am

I read your article for family visit visa application procedures in KSA its very useful and i applied the family visit request and it’s under process meanwhile i need to add more members along in it if there is any possibility to add more members please let me know

Note : I applied for my wife and children 1year multiple entry is under process

Need to add my parents future more for Single entry

I need your kind reply in this regards

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April 20, 2021 at 7:33 pm

Dear Deb, Excellent article with as much information as possible. Many thanks for this. May Allah reward you for this work. 1. My parents are in India. I would like to bring my elderly parents to Saudi arabia in view of the covid situation there right now. Are you aware whether stamping is happening in Mumbai right now? If not I will try the Dubai route. This is the last option since I am reluctant to approach the Saudi embassy in Dubai. And also i have to arrange visa and stay for them in relatives home in Dubai for some time. Also there are no flights currently between UAE and KSA. 2. Is the cost is same for Single entry and multiple entry. You mentioned as SR 300 for both. Just reconfirming. Thanks again

April 24, 2021 at 8:52 am

Hi Khaleel, Thank you for your kind words. Mumbai consulate started stamping in March and I believe they are still doing it. Very hard to guess whether they will stop it and if so, when. And I heard things were slow in Mumbai. So if you can, Dubai is an option.

Yes the cost is the same.

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April 26, 2021 at 7:44 am

Are currently family visas are being issued. Can not able to fill MOFA form. Is there any private help center fill out form

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May 3, 2021 at 6:42 pm

Hi, I applied family visit visa in KSA for my wife and 1 baby (family in India) but rejected twice without given perfect reasons – it’s just mentioned as “Application was rejected, thanks”.

I doubted that my baby full name as AYAAN ABDUL HAMEED, so can’t fill full name in first name & then I filled it in “surname” .

Could you please anyone advise if know actual reasons ?

Waiting for your helpful advise to apply again

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May 4, 2021 at 4:49 am

I would like to ask about a family visa. My company granted me a multiple entry visa for 1 year for my wife and daughter and it’s already approved by the mofa but my wife’s passport’s validity date will expire 11 months from now. The visa center suggested changing my request of Multiple entries to a single entry (90 days) for my wife to get a visa stamping and I requested a new one. but the message that I get every time I checked my request is this “We hope to follow up on the outcome of your previous request. Greetings” I’m concerned it may be in conflict with the previous request?

Please know that my daughter has the visa already because her passport is valid for 5 yrs.

what can you advise?

May 5, 2021 at 6:14 pm

Hi Reid, Yes, it is possible that there is a conflict. Why not renew your wife’s passport and get a new multi-entry visa? Seems to me that would be a better solution.

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May 4, 2021 at 8:58 am

As you mentioned in the article If I have stamped family visit one year multi entry visa on 1st Jan 2021, I can travel within next 365 days right?

Can you please confirm this..?

May 5, 2021 at 5:41 pm

Yes Anvar. You can.

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May 5, 2021 at 10:16 am

Hi, When applying for a visa for my husband, is our original marriage certificate enough or does that need to be Apostilled. I’ve also read that the marriage certificate after it’s been Apostilled then needs to be verified by the Saudi embassy and that we have to book an appointment online at the embassy to do this ? Is this correct ?

May 5, 2021 at 5:37 pm

Hi Maria, Yes, apostilling is needed in a lot of countries. You can get it attested from the Mofa. It depends on which country you are from. I will update the article with this info.

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May 8, 2021 at 7:57 pm

First of all, thank you for this informative post. Helps a lot.

My question: I have a Saudi family VV in hand with the stamping station in the VV as Manama, Bahrain. Do you know how I can get the Saudi VV stamped in Bahrain. I do understand it’s from VFS in Bahrain but I am unsure how I can complete the process. Any help with docs required, turnaround time, and other details will be a lot more helpful.

May 9, 2021 at 9:12 am

Hi Asim, Choose visa stamping destination as Manama.

You need the following docs: 1. Confirmed Tickets from Bahrain to KSA 2. Confirmed hotel booking at Bahrain 3. Original iqama or must have a copy. 4. Install Be aware application on your phone.

Not sure if something else has changed very recently.

And you can book the appointment: https://www.vfstasheel.com/landing.html#/schedule/slotavailable

May 9, 2021 at 10:22 am

Thanks a lot.

Do you know of someone who completed this process recently?

May 9, 2021 at 4:21 pm

I don’t know anyone who has done it personally recently. If you are already in Bahrain, things will be easier. If you need to go to Bahrain, then you need to think about the Bahrain visa and quarantine and all that.

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May 10, 2021 at 8:24 am

Hi Deb, My vacation is on 20th MAY to India. My Marriage is on 22nd May so i want to Bring my wife on Family Visit Visa (or) Business Visit Visa (or) Any Possible Visa to saudi arabia with me. but my Vaccation is only for 10 Days + 14 days Qurantine (Total (24 Days)). Visa services is Closed in saudi Arabia. Visa Stamping is also Closed in india. Can you Please Suggest me what to do?

May 12, 2021 at 5:48 am

Visa stamping can still be done in Dubai or Bahrain, but you would probably need a visit visa for those countries as well. Not sure if stamping is going on in Mumbai right now or it has stopped.

The truth is, with the current situation I can’t really tell you what to do Mustafa. By the time, you take my suggestion and implement it, things can change.

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March 15, 2022 at 9:36 pm

Hi, My sister and brother in law lives in dammam, my Brother in law sponsored my mother’s and my multiple entry visit visa in march 2021 which got issued but due to COVID restrictions we cudnt travel. Now again he is trying to apply for my(his siter in law) visa which got rejected. Can u plz tell me why it got rejected although it was issued easily last year.

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May 10, 2021 at 12:49 pm

Good morning, sir. My husband and I are both currently working here in Riyadh. But my Iqama will expire on Aug 13 and my contract will end on Aug 30. Is it possible for my husband to file for my visit visa while I’m still here and Riyadh? And if ever I come back with my husband’s visit visa, can I look for a job here? Thanks in advance.

May 12, 2021 at 5:29 am

Hi Kathryn, Yes it will be. You can go to Bahrain for stamping and come back. You can certainly look for jobs any time.

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May 11, 2021 at 8:52 am

My daughter has a single name on passport. But while applying for passport its asking either father name, second name or family name. If not entered any its showing error. So i entered fathers name. So will it be ok or there will be any issue while stamping it in india.

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May 14, 2021 at 8:44 pm

Hi, Thanks for taking the time to answer all these queries,may Allah reward you. My question my wife has two names only in passport (first name & last name) but on the form it was asking father’s name and grandfather’s name. I had to fill this as it wasnt accepted. So i filled with her father and grandfather name i want to know if visa will be issued with all these names and if this will be an issue while stamping.

May 15, 2021 at 5:29 pm

Hi Rafiq, The visa would contain your wife’s name only. Most people have a first name & a last name. Not an issue. Check the pic of the visa stamp in the article.

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May 16, 2021 at 7:17 am

Hello DEB. Hope you are doing good. Need your kind advice and guidance.

I live here in Saudi Arabia with my wife and children. Now I would like to know what is the detailed process of bringing my wife’s sons from her previous marriage to Saudi Arabia while they are in India? Can I apply for them as Family Visa separately or do I have to bring them on Visit Visa? What tthings do I have to do? Noting that the Indian court ruled out that the custody is with the mother.

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May 24, 2021 at 7:09 pm

Dear Deb, You are doing good job dear. I had applied visit visa for my sister and got stamped on passport through Embassy i Pakistan. Visa stamped on 25 February 2021 and validity was 24 May 2021. Here I need your guidance if she can travel upon normal airtravel suspension will be lifted or I will apply again for new visit visa?

May 25, 2021 at 11:52 am

Hi Noor, Since the visa is not valid anymore, a new visit visa would be needed.

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May 25, 2021 at 4:13 am

Hai I am an Indian citizen residing in Qatar, my parents are residing in Saudi Arabia they have applied for family visit visa for me and my son…I have received the visa document from Saudi Arabia where the destination is mentioned is Qatar as I’m residing here …But I am not able to find the Saudi Arabia embassy in Qatar…can you please help me with this…what can be done…

May 25, 2021 at 11:51 am

Hi George, The Saudi embassy in Qatar has closed permanently. I think you need to get a new document with a new destination where there is an embassy.

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May 26, 2021 at 3:40 pm

Hi Deb, Thanks for your help. You metioned in step 3 that Once signed and stamped by the sponsor, usually it takes a week or less for the status to be reflected in the MOFA portal. My question is: after i sign and stamp from kafeel, should i activate the application from the camber of commerce using the kafeel’s account or just wait for the approval from MOFA or take the application to MOFA for approval? Thanks

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June 3, 2021 at 12:47 am

Hi, can an Indian female with 1 yr multiple entry family visa( visit) enter Saudi Arabia via Causeway from Bahrain? Husband is based in KSA. Or is this visa restricted for entry via airport ?

June 6, 2021 at 2:34 pm

Hi Ameetha, You can enter via the causeway from Baharin. Not an issue. Many expats have done it.

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June 12, 2021 at 3:26 pm

Hi Deb. I have multiple family visit visa which was valid until 04/03/2021. My flight was on 19 April 2020. Due to flight suspension I couldn’t travel to KSA. Is my visa still valid? Can I, or my husband who is in KSA, extend the validity of visa? Please clear my doubt🙏.

June 13, 2021 at 6:15 am

Hi Kishver, No, it’s not valid anymore. You would need to apply again.

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June 13, 2021 at 4:41 pm

Hi good day! I just want to ask if my sister will go out of saudi arabia since her visit visa is about to expire what are the travel requirements needed in the airport is there exit visa or other requirement maybe?

Same with my son having iqama Except from final exit visa is there any travel requirements needed

Thank you if you will respond

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June 13, 2021 at 7:31 pm

Hi, Thanks for a nicely written article. In Dubai, VFS office is very crowded. Can I pay on Enjazit and just go to Embassy to get the visa stamped on the passport? I mean can I skip VFS Tasheel?

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June 14, 2021 at 2:24 pm

Can i apply a visit visa with my son and her wife and her daugther . Before my son is included in my iqama as my dependent and he get exits but he was born here in saudi arabia so MY QUESTION IS CAN I APPLY A VISIT VISA WITH Y SON AND HER WIFE AND ONE DAUGTHER

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June 15, 2021 at 4:30 pm

Hello Deb Pati Thanks for the informative article. I have applied for a visa for my parents on MOFA. I got the message – “Notification required for the visit of the issuance of the document” and a link at the bottom which takes me to enjazit website. As per your article I did not get any application number on my visa. I entered visa number(in application number tab) and passport number but it shows nothing. I’ve tried multiple times but I’m clueless what to do now. Another option is to add new application but on doing so I’ve to fill the complete information of my parents again. Is that something I’ve to do? Or should I directly send the visa to the agent to get it stamped. Your help will be appreciated. Thanks!

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June 19, 2021 at 3:19 pm

Your responses are highly valuable. I have a doubt on one year multiple entry visa. As per protocol, i need to exit my family after 180 days. I am planning to take my family to bahrain. Is it possible to stamp visa at bahrain passport control and exit without entering bahrain? or it is compulsory to visit bahrain and stay over there. If i need to stay in bahrain, how long we should stay?

please reply

June 23, 2021 at 8:58 am

Hi Vinoth, I believe it’s possible to stamp the visa at Baharin passport control and exit without entering Bahari. Some expats have reported it. But depending on the immigration officer and other factors, it may not happen. I would say that plan to stay a day just in case.

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June 21, 2021 at 9:27 pm

Good day Please advise! I would like to visit my boyfriend in Saudi Arabia he is Saudi. Whats the chances of me getting a visit visa approved or whats the best way for me going forward to get a visa to go to him. Thanks In Advance.

June 23, 2021 at 8:56 am

You can get a normal tourist visa.

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July 6, 2021 at 9:22 am

Many thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed post!

I’ll be working in Saudi and living with my family (all taken care of by my employer). However, I’d like my 78 year old mother to live with us in Saudi. My employer won’t offer this, but if I can get her out with a Family visa can this be extended indefinitely? Do you just need you exit and leave the KSA every 180 days and apply for a family visa for my mother?

Kind Regards,

July 8, 2021 at 2:43 pm

Hi Alex, Thanks for stopping by. You can certainly extend the family visa multiple times. It’s possible to extend 3 times through Absher without leaving the country. So the first year, she wouldn’t need to leave. After that, yes, she would need to exit and reapply. Bahrain is a very popular option for this.

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July 12, 2021 at 4:35 pm

About Brothers/Sisters of foreign wives/husbands married to Saudis, where did you get this information that they can be sponsored? Is there an official source?

July 14, 2021 at 5:35 pm

I got the info from expats living in Saudi Arabia. Finding any kind of official source when it comes to Saudi visas is extremely unlikely.

August 21, 2021 at 5:28 pm

Just an update: my bro-in-law (Saudi citizen) tried to apply for a visa for me. First time got rejected but MoFA said to re-apply with my sister’s iqama included. And it was approved!

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July 22, 2021 at 12:03 am

My daughter in multiple entry visa, I’m planning to exit her in Abu Dhabi after 3 extensions. What else do we need aside from application from Absher .

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July 24, 2021 at 11:01 am

If my iqama gets transferred from one employer to another, will this affect my family visit visa previously approved and still valid?

August 1, 2021 at 6:14 pm

I don’t think so.

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July 28, 2021 at 5:02 pm

I have mutiple entry visit visa which was stamped in March 2021, and I could not go because of the flight suspension from India and 90 days from the date of stamping has passed, So is this visa now valid to travel to Ksa, or need to restamp again?

July 29, 2021 at 12:22 pm

You would need to get the stamp again.

July 31, 2021 at 9:01 am

But the validity on th stamp shows date of next year March, isn’t it supposed to be allowed to travel until then?

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August 1, 2021 at 6:50 am

Im trying to fill up the form for family visit visa but under the space ” destination” there is no list for saudi, what should i do?

thanks for reply.

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August 2, 2021 at 4:54 pm

Hello im Jovie from KSA i want to ask if i can process a family visit visa here in saudi 1 month before i go vacation because i plan to take my husband here its possible ??? To do process his visa so we will return together here in KSA ???

August 2, 2021 at 6:46 pm

Hi Jovie, I think it’s possible.

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August 3, 2021 at 12:22 pm

Assalamu alaikum.

I have applied for family visit visa for my wife and daughter. My application was approved by MOFA. After the approval, I noticed that gender of my daughter is male in the application. Should I proceed with the stamping of visa or re apply. Please advise.

August 3, 2021 at 4:34 pm

You need to reapply.

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August 6, 2021 at 9:47 pm

Sir Am having a multientry visit visa and its stamped from mumbai consulate. Actually now am planning to visit saudi via maladives..Now my husband’s iqama is expired and since company is planning for a kafeel change it ll take time to renew iqama.so does that will be a problem. Is its mandatory to have iqama validity of husband while visiting time??

August 12, 2021 at 10:06 am

Hi Aswathi, I think you can visit as you already have the visa stamped. Iqama being invalid is not an issue.

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August 13, 2021 at 6:40 pm

Hi Deb, thanks for a detailed overview. I’ve gotten the visa application approved but on going to the enjazit site, i haven’t been able to find my application byusing the original application number and also the visa number/ passport number.Can you hellp clarify please?

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August 18, 2021 at 5:16 am

You have to create an account on enjaz website, create new application, upload photo and enter details, then save, select insurance, and then finally you have to pay them one by one. The problem with payment is it doesn’t accept payment for individual persons for some reason. That’s where I am stuck. So you will most likely need to go to an authorized travel for paying your fees.

August 18, 2021 at 5:25 am

It isn’t possible for individual to pay on enjazit website for family visit visa (or any payment). I tried using Visa and MasterCard credit cards from US and also ones issued in Saudi Arabia. The only thing I can do is go to an authorized travel agent from Saudi embassy in Los Angeles to get my enjaz fee payed and my visa processed. Please update this information as it took me quite a while to figure this out. The transaction just gets cancelled saying something along the lines of “Error in data. Please check the data entered and try again”.

August 18, 2021 at 3:33 pm

Hi, Thank you for bringing this to our notice. Seems like something is broken when happens quite often I believe. But yes, the article will be updated with this info.

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August 22, 2021 at 3:33 pm

My iqama is currently transferred and it is still not renewed by the new employer due to some issues in the system. My wife is travelling to saudi on a family visit visa and will she be allowed to enter KSA if my iqama is expired???

Kindly provide me your suggestions??

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August 27, 2021 at 6:55 am

In behalf of all the people you have helped because of this blog, Thank You so much.

Now it’s my turn 🙂 What would be the process for renewal of multiple entry FVV that is already extended 3 times or is already expiring. Is it possible not to exit on my own country and choose Bahrain as point of exit (because it is the nearest)?

What would be the process, documents needed, fees (if you know) and whatever information that you are aware of regarding this process.

Thank you again and I apologize for my english.

August 30, 2021 at 4:07 pm

Hi Chiz, Thank you for your kind words. Here is what you need: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/mofa-family-visit-visa-saudi-arabia/#comment-475

September 3, 2021 at 4:47 am

Thank you so much for your reply. I think the comment that you posted above is different from what I was thinking or in a different situation.

What question is, what is the process to RENEW (not extend) a multiple entry FVV that is already extended to the maximum number (3). Can I renew it while in Saudi then go to Bharain as point of exit, then come back again to Saudi with a fresh NEW/RENEWED multiple entry visa that can be extended again 3 times.

I am so sorry if I am confusing you, I hope you still can understand my question.

My sincere thanks and appreciation for your time and effort.

September 13, 2021 at 2:11 am

I was hoping you can answer my questions. Anyways, thank you still.

September 13, 2021 at 6:02 am

Hi Chiz, I have replied to your query in your other comment.

Hi Chiz, Yes it is totally possible. Here is the process.

https://thevisaproject.com/experience/mofa-family-visit-visa-saudi-arabia/#comment-475

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August 28, 2021 at 2:36 pm

Hi. Will apply for family visit visa for a minor kid. However, only the aunt can accompany the kid. What type of visa must be applied for the aunt?

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August 29, 2021 at 6:55 am

I just want to know the validity of single entry family visit visa after issuance of MOFA i.e. before stamping at the Saudi Embassy. Likewise, I want to know as well the validity of the visa after stamping by the Saudi Embassy. Kindly reply and will be much appreciated if you can indicate some references to justify the answer. Thank you very much…

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September 5, 2021 at 6:02 am

Hello Mr.Deb, First of all a big thanks for your tremendous effort on maintaining this platform for helping a lot by replying to many queries.

Me also want to check with you whether its possible to obtain a new visit visa for my daughter who is currently with me here on multiple visit visa which will expire on November 13,2021. She came to KSA on 2019 November. Due to this pandemic situations we got it renewed until November 13,2021. Since we have a plan to travel to India by November 10, we like to get a new visit visa before we travel, so that we all can come back after a month or so with my daughter.

Thanks in advance

September 11, 2021 at 5:17 am

Hi Sudheer, Thank you for your kind words.

I would recommend you to try Absher first. Log into your account on the website on Chrome, not the mobile version. Navigate to Tawasul> New request> Sector visit visa> Select PPP as service name and write in comments that you want to extend the visit visa. If you get an error, attach the documents with the error screenshot and passport n visa and submit.

If this approach doesn’t work, try from Baharin. Request you to confirm which one works.

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September 5, 2021 at 9:44 am

Hello I want to know if I bring my wife on a Family Visit Visa after 180 days how many times can I re apply for a visit visa? I will be here for 2 years and want to have my wife here with me. I tried to apply for the family status visa but it says I am not eligible. I am Executive Brand Chef for a company here but my iqama said chief cook what can I change it to? Also I have many years experience with lots of technical training certificates but no university degree is it even possible to get a family dependent visa?

September 10, 2021 at 12:01 pm

Hi Angelo, Please check out the article: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/saudi-arabia/change-professions-for-family-visa-saudi-arabia/ You would need to change the Iqama profession. I have outlined the process there.

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September 10, 2021 at 1:52 pm

Thank you very much, I benefited from your responses Deb Pati 🙂

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September 19, 2021 at 10:36 am

Dear Deb. I need to know complete entry process in saudi thru causeway. I got multiple family visit visa duly stamped on the passports Am living in Bahrain and want to travel with my family thru causeway and need to know complete process which needs to be followed like PCR tests, Quarantine, etc etc

Thanks Muhammad

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September 26, 2021 at 11:29 am

I’m srilankan lady.my husband is working in jeddaha and his first wife also staying in jeddaha I also have the vist visa now when the first wife is staying in jeddaha can i (2nd wife)fly there I need to know that the emigration would approve me or not?

September 26, 2021 at 1:41 pm

Hi Senani, If you have the visa already, I don’t think there should be any issues. Please update us once you are there so that it will be helpful to people in future.

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September 30, 2021 at 7:58 am

Can I sponsor my brother and his family from Qatar, he hold Pakistani Passport and also having Australian landed immigration, Can he and his family visit me by road and how can apply their visit visa ..thanks

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September 30, 2021 at 9:20 am

Dear Deb Pati,

My wife has saudi visit visa which is valid upto June.2022. Now i am planning to bring her KSA by October.2021 and will leave from saudi after 4-months. Suppose if i want to bring her to KSA second time just one month before expiry of existing visa,

Is she can stay continuously another 6-months in KSA or need to leave out of KSA before expiry existing visa.

please advise me.

October 5, 2021 at 4:53 pm

Hi Rils, She can stay but you need to get an extension.

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October 3, 2021 at 9:15 am

Dear Mr. Deb Please let me know if an Indian Family Visit visa holder can come directly to Saudi if he/she is fully vaccinated?

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October 3, 2021 at 11:53 am

Hi deb So i am in sa and wife in riyhad she got her iqama number just awaiting her card. So i have my police clearance which is attested the 2 kids birth certificate attested as well as marriage certificate attested . Please advise what documents are required for my wife to get from the school she is working for and what does she need to send me to apply for multiple entry ps will be applying at vfs tasheel thanks

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October 6, 2021 at 2:43 pm

I just want to know the validity of Multiple entry family visit visa after issuance from MOFA i.e. before stamping at the Saudi Embassy.

is it 90 days for single entry and 180 for multiple?

October 7, 2021 at 10:14 am

regarding saudi family visa (multiple), how long is the invitation valid for (from MOFA) before we should submit the documents and passport?

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October 8, 2021 at 8:42 pm

How important is entering PORT OF ENTRY in visa application form for family visit visa? Will it be an issue If I entered the different city (Dammam) then my address city (Jeddah) given in the VISA DOCUMNENT. What is the priority must be given when selecting this option for PORT OF ENTRY?

1. Airport near by the City as per the Address given in Visa Document OR 2. Airport planning to arrive

October 11, 2021 at 2:27 pm

Hi Sabri, I don’t think it would be an issue. Usually, it would be the airport close to the address you have provided but there is no hard and fast rule.

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October 10, 2021 at 1:06 pm

please advice me, the present time what is procedure to extend 7 th month mulple visit visa for my kids. i heared end of 6 month can travel to bahrain and come back to saudi and possible to stay another 6 months. Is it correct? how is the procedure, by road can possible. how possible on arrival visa bahrain. my wife also working here as a nurse, both are iqama holders, 3 kids came under 1 year visit visa.

October 11, 2021 at 2:26 pm

Hi, Yes, it is totally possible. You can enter via the causeway from Bahrain. Plan to stay for a day at least.

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October 11, 2021 at 5:27 am

I HAVE APPLIED FOR FAMILY VISA AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT MY APPLICATION GOT APPROVED BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND AS YOU STATED IN YOUR BLOG THE SAMPLE PICTURE OF ACCEPTED APPLICATION , I AM GETTING THE SAME DETAILS MY APPLICATION CHANGED FROM ORDER NO TO DOCUMENT NO HOW DO I KNOW IT IS APPROVED FROM MOI AND NEED TO PAY FOR ENJAZAT .

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October 18, 2021 at 8:16 am

Hi, applied for family visit visa for my brother by selecting ‘other’ in the relation ship and I got it approved. He was traveling from UAE and due to the lockdown was not able to come. During this time, his family joined him there and now, I would like them all to visit. When I applied for the visa again, I got the message, “The Ministry hopes to submit a new electronically certified application after verifying the validity of the relationship of the wanted persons.” Does anyone have any idea how the relationship validity can be verified?

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October 19, 2021 at 9:19 am

I applied for a personal visit visa, its been 10 days now, when I checked it, still in green. I didn’t stamp it to COC, what should I do? Do I need to stamp it ? Thank you in advance

October 23, 2021 at 6:09 pm

Hi Vanessa, If it is not an electronic visa, you would need to stamp it.

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October 19, 2021 at 11:03 am

I am valid iqama holder and I am on leave in India. Can I apply on MOFA whilst be in India? Will chamber of Commerce be attested whilst I am not in Saudi?

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October 31, 2021 at 7:48 pm

Good day. My husband left saudi arabia on final exit after the end of his contract. I am still under contract with MOH here and I tried to apply for Family Visit Visa for my husband.However when our ministry office try to get it attested online through their link, it says to enter the correct number though the number is generated by MOFA. Our HR signed and stamp the application with number issued by MOFA and advices me to send through chamber of commerce which i did,But the reply came from MoFA in red that that must be send through the electronic system of our regional MOH office. I made another application but same problem occurring..it says to enter correct data/number. I sent all the documents directly to MOFA Riyadh by bareed al mumtaz, but still no reply to my application.What could be the possible issue? I cannot do further action since there is no comment to my application.

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November 6, 2021 at 6:41 pm

sir, i had stamped(30.06.1441) Saudi visit visa for my family (wife and 3 kids), they could not come to Saudi Arabia because visa was stamped during the corona situation , but alhamdulillah as per the Govt. of Saudi’s order visas are extended until end of this nov2021, but unfortunately one kid visa cant extent, so this reason I cant bring my family without one kid.

how i can extend rest kid not renewed visit visa, that’s why we are so sad, could i get any one help to extend my kid visit visa.

November 8, 2021 at 8:43 pm

Hi Deb, I have two questions 1. Is family visit visa being stamped in India? 2. Is it possible to travel direct to KSA on Family Visit Visa provided we have both vaccinations done in KSA.(My visa is expiring and I need to go back)

November 9, 2021 at 4:16 pm

Hi Vivek, 1. Yes, it is. 2. Yes, possible although you might need an RT-PCR test and all.

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November 10, 2021 at 5:48 pm

1. what would be the details to be filled in Occupation for my son (7 yrs old) & daughter (6 yrs old)?

2. on the last part of application is says : destination – is this the country where my family came from?

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November 12, 2021 at 1:57 am

Dear Sir, I am Samshad Khan (Indian) Working in KSA .

I want to bring my wife n daughters on Saudi family visit visa of 1 year. The confusion is about the extension process. Do they need to exit every 90 days or after 180 days once only to extend for next 180 days. (About the extension online after every 90 days, i already read on your columns).

Also pls help about COVID situation. Do they need to quarantine somewhere outside before enter KSA. (Expected to bring them in Jan 2022).

Thanks alot for all what already you guided us.

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December 9, 2021 at 2:14 pm

I need to ask I ve two kids from my 1st husband now I get marry to a man who lives in sudia…now I want to go there along my kids…so is it possible to get visit visa…I’ll highly obliged fro ur kind answer

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December 10, 2021 at 1:02 pm

My fiancé (who is the daughter of a Saudi National) and I are getting married on January 7th, and have gotten a marriage license to fill out on the day of.

But we want to travel to Saudi Arabia on Jan 17th, which would be prior to the court house being able to issue a marriage certificate.

The Iqama has gotten approved from the Saudi side (as me being classified as her husband), but will I have trouble stamping the visa with just a marriage license and not a certificate?

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December 13, 2021 at 9:26 am

Hi sir, mu husband applied for a visit visa for my mother, approved last November 2021, but we didn’t use it yet, there’s a problem in required document in mother in law. Can I just reapply for visa, I will be the sponsor this time, since she is my mother. I just don’t know if it is possible since we applied for the same person. we appreciate your response. Thank you.

December 13, 2021 at 6:21 pm

Yes, you can reapply and sponsor her. Not an issue.

December 14, 2021 at 7:44 am

thank you so much! really appreciate it.

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December 14, 2021 at 2:12 pm

Hi good day, we are planning to apply for a visit visa for my daughter as my husband is the sponsor, it seems like the company will not process it. What is your advise? Thank you.

December 14, 2021 at 11:10 pm

Find an agent.

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December 20, 2021 at 7:12 pm

The family of one of my relative left to pakistan after being here in KSA on visit visa.

My question is, can they apply again for a visit visa to KSA (?) If yes, is there any minimum time limit which they need to spend in Pakistan before reapplying or can they straight go with an application?

December 21, 2021 at 2:54 am

Yes, they can apply again for sure. I don’t think there is any time limit. Just that they must not have exhausted the time they can spend on a visit visa in a year.

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January 5, 2022 at 9:08 am

I AM A MARKETING SPECIALIST AND APPLIED FOR FAMILY VISIT VISA DEC 5TH AND CHAMBERED DONE ON 22ND DECEMBER.

VISA STILL UNDER APPROVAL.

WHY ITS GETTING LATE.

PLEASE REPLY.

ON REQUEST ITS SHOWING CHAMBER DATE :22/12/2021.

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January 9, 2022 at 5:36 am

Parent visit visa for KSA can be stamped from Etimad Pakistan if my Iqama is expired?

January 10, 2022 at 1:19 am

Hi Nauman, Yes, it can be.

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January 10, 2022 at 9:45 pm

Hi Deb, My wife got the 1 year visit visa stamped on Feb 28, 2021 which is valid till Feb 27, 2022. She did not travel due to flights suspension from Pakistan. Now the flights have resumed, she is planning to travel on Feb 15, 2022 whereas visa validity is just after 12 days i.e. Feb 27, 2022. 1 – The question is, after landing in KSA, for how long she may stay here? 2 – Is it possible the visa validity be extended owing to the suspension of flight from Pakistan almost throughout 2021?

January 11, 2022 at 2:51 am

Hi Amir, She would get 90 days as usual. The visa is valid for 1 year and as she is traveling during the validity period, she wouldn’t have any issues.

After arriving in the KSA, she can get the extensions.

January 11, 2022 at 4:12 pm

Means it’s confirmed that after landing on Feb 15, 2022, she may stay 90 days even if goes beyond visa expiry date Feb 27, 2022?

January 12, 2022 at 12:54 am

Yes. Ideally, the 90 days would be calculated from the date of her entry. But do confirm with the embassy once before visiting.

January 21, 2022 at 9:06 pm

If your passport got stamped with KSA 1 year multiple entry family visit visa, and after 6 months expiry of your passport is reached; can a renewed passport be used for traveling while the visa is on old passport? Is this possible or any first hand experience?

January 24, 2022 at 3:33 pm

Hi Amir, You need to have the old and the new passport with you, and explain the same when you are at the immigration. They will update the new passport number.

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January 25, 2022 at 7:29 pm

I want to know what is the next step after getting approval chamber of commerce for family visit visa for indian, please let me know what are the complete process after this step

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February 2, 2022 at 7:38 am

2 Years ago my father left KSA on Exit Re Entry visa but didn’t come back. Now i want to apply for his family visit visa. Someone told me it is not possible as there is a 3 years ban for not returning on a reentry visa. Can you please confirm if this 3 years ban also extends to family visit visa if so what is the solution for that?

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February 6, 2022 at 3:20 pm

Is there anyway to convert a family visit visa to a residency family visa in country (KSA)

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February 13, 2022 at 1:56 pm

I tried to apply my wife and son for a family visit visa here in Saudi Arabia but according from our HR, Saudi Arabia is still not accepting visit from the Philippines due to covid restrictions. Is this true?

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February 20, 2022 at 1:09 pm

I had received family resident visa from MOFA in Jan 2019 but due to covid19 restrictions it was not stamped in Mumbai, India. I had paid 6000 SR as fees and was informed that the visa will be valid for 2 years. I had been trying to contact Mumbai and Jeddah to know the actual status of visa but in vain. Now due to some issues my family cannot visit and I want to cancel and get refund but not able to do the same as no one knows how to do that, kindly help me out.

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February 22, 2022 at 5:17 pm

Hello! My husband is an Iqama holder in Saudi & our son and I recently came to join. We started the process of getting resident visas for us as well & received 90 day visas to come and complete the process here. Though now his company will not agree to sponsor our Iqamas.

We now want to work on switching to a family visit visa. Can this be done while inside Saudi or do we need to return to our home country?

February 25, 2022 at 3:12 am

Hi Lauren, I have heard cases where people were able to switch with help from agents. So you could check that. If not, you would need to come back to your home country and apply there.

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February 27, 2022 at 11:22 am

Can I apply family visit visa being outside the kingdom and inside my home country? Will there be any issue for application submission and MoFA Online attestation. Please inform me if you are sure about it.

March 2, 2022 at 4:42 pm

Hi Kama, Yes, you can apply for it outside the KSA.

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March 9, 2022 at 6:14 pm

I have received a family multiple entry visit visa for Saudi. The sponsor is my brother residing in dammam. I would like to know if I can enter Saudi through any of the airports or only through dammam airport? The port of entry is not mentioned on the visa.

March 10, 2022 at 2:53 am

Hi Sapark, Yes, you can enter through any airport.

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March 13, 2022 at 1:39 pm

Sir, I would like to bring my daughter through MOFA family visit visa multiple entry. But my Iqama validity is 3 months and 10 days only. Is it possible to get a multiple entry visit visa.

March 13, 2022 at 7:51 pm

Yes it is possible.

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March 15, 2022 at 12:32 pm

I am Pakistan National, and I already bring here my wife & daughter on Istiqdam Visa and they are under my sponsorship. My question is that can my wife apply for family visit visa for his brother/sister with family?, If she cannot can I apply for my brother or sister in law with family?

Kindly clarify.

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March 17, 2022 at 4:39 am

Morning Deb, I am a Resident with Iqama and Im applying for a Family Visit Visa for my son who is living & working in Canada. The Visa request is already approved and attested by Chamber of Commerce (done by my Employeer). Already created the account on Enjazat but the forward process is not clear for me. Could you please elaborate about those next steps related to fill-up the Application, payment, etc. Thanks

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March 17, 2022 at 6:59 am

hi sir! i would like to bring my son here for family visit visa multiple entry.i’m a nurse but my husband is here with me.he’s profession is not eligible to sponsor our son.is it possible that i can apply for visit visa for my son under my sponsorship?

thank you and best regards!

March 18, 2022 at 1:21 pm

Hi Bel, Yes, you can do it.

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March 18, 2022 at 2:58 pm

Hi Deb, thank you for this very informative and helpful article. I still have few questions that I couldn’t get an answer to anywhere, I would be really thankful if you can enlighten me on them:

1-If I issue a family visit visa for my wife and choose Dubai for stamping, would it be possible to stamp it in Dubai through VFS Tasheel even if she is not a UAE resident? She will be in Dubai on a visit visa.

2-Can I do the MOFA family visit application online if I am not inside KSA? (I have a residency, but if I am out of the country, can I fill it and apply for my wife while I am abroad? My employer signs the requests online usually, so I don’t need to submit it anywhere, I am just not sure I can fill it online when abroad). And in case the answer is yes, so if the visa gets issued and stamped, I can directly come with my wife to KSA or I have to be there before she enters?

3-In case I already have a family visit visa number issued on MOFA for my wife but not stamped yet, and I need to change the country where I want to stamp, since I cannot edit the application, should I reapply for a new one? Some people say you reapply for a new one, other say the new one will be rejected if you already have an active one and need instead you re apply but in the “address field” you write “Visa Number: XXXX” and in that case they will edit the info.

4-Last question, if you issue a family visa for your wife and stamp it from a given country. Does she have to leave only from the stamping country? or she can leave from a different destination?

I know it’s too much question, but a million thanks in advance

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March 23, 2022 at 9:26 am

Iam a resident with iqama in saudi And i want to apply visa for my wife , she was living iran , she is Iranian and im a indian. Could you please let me know how i can apply for her and when and where i can get visa approval. Thanks

March 28, 2022 at 6:00 am

Hi Shaik, Is your wife living in Iran now or in KSA or in India? Does she have legal residency in India? If yes, you can do it in India. If she doesn’t then the question is whether you have legal residency in Iran. If you do, then Iran is also an option. You also have to factor in whether your marriage is registered in the country where you are applying, which I assume you would have already done.

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March 23, 2022 at 12:39 pm

My husband applied for my mother brother n sister..but visa was issued to my mother but not brother n sister

March 24, 2022 at 7:15 am

Yes, they are not issuing it for brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

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April 18, 2022 at 5:51 pm

Hey will my husband be able to apply visa for my sister who is minor?(age:16) bczz it got rejected once,is there any way out?plzz let me know

April 20, 2022 at 4:32 am

It is not possible as of now.

May 5, 2022 at 2:23 am

On passport the 1 year multiple visa expiry is Feb 28, 2022(visa sticker). The visa holder entered ksa on Feb 8, 2022 and got a stay of 90 days untill May 9, 2022. Is it possible to get an extension?

What if I take the visa holder to Bahrain on May 5, 2022 and come back before may 9, 2022(visa expiry in absher); would the visa holder get another 90 days or entry will not be permitted as on passport visa expiry was Feb 28, 2022?

Please suggest at the earliest.

Secondly I heard due to covid visit visa validit were are extended, is there any link where I may check the actual expiry date of the visa which is mentioned on passport visa sticker?

May 9, 2022 at 9:09 am

Hi Amir, Yes, you can surely go to Bahrain and come back. If the passport expired in February, you should have a new passport by now. They will allow you back in with the old and the new passport.

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May 12, 2022 at 6:04 pm

1) I am a resident in Saudi since Nov 2019. My Iqama is renewed every year. It will expire in July 2022. Are they very strict with the 4 months Iqama validity policy ?

2) Do you know about the policy with regards to Covid 19 vaccination ? I want to get my parent to visit me. They have received 3 doses of Covaxin. Will they be allowed to enter freely or they would have to undergo institutional quarantine ?

Many thanks in advance, Mona

May 17, 2022 at 12:50 pm

Hi Mona, Iqama expiry is not a big issue. You can renew it when it expires.

Covaxin is recognized. Your parents can register their vaccination before visiting.

May 17, 2022 at 4:25 pm

Hi Deb, I am able to apply for a family visit visa against an Iqama that will expire in 2 months ? And the vaccine they have is Covishield. Is that a recognised vaccine in Saudi ?

Thanks in advance Mona

May 19, 2022 at 5:17 am

Hi Mona, Yes, you can apply for the family visit visa with the Iqama expiring in 2 months. Covishield is recognized in Saudi.

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May 14, 2022 at 7:16 pm

I have a daughter in Philippines. She was born here in KSA, previously holding iqama. I’m planning to bring her back for a visit.. is it the same process as you mentioned in your article? Thank you..

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May 24, 2022 at 6:42 am

I am an india and residing in Saudi since May 2015, My Family is on Multi visit visa here in KSA and now their Visa is expired in their Passport. I obtained new KSA Multi Visit Visa from MOFA with stamping destination as Manama.

My Question is do we require Marriage Certificate for My Wife and Birth Certificate for my Children to be attested, as in india they never asked me for any attestation of Certificates. They already Visit KSA 3 Times on Visit Visa. My Name is already mentioned in their passport and my Spouse name also Mentioned in my Passport.

Your valuable advise will be highly appreciated

Thanks & regards,

May 30, 2022 at 7:31 am

Hi Mohammed, Sorry about the late reply. No, you won’t need to attest those documents.

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August 11, 2022 at 7:48 pm

Maine family visit visa nikala hai per chamber off commerce kahan se karenge kuchh samajh mein nahin a Raha bhai jaan help karo Mera Kapil Ko main paper diya to vah chamber of commerce nahi kar pa raha hai kya rasta hai aap bata sakte ho?? bhai

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October 17, 2022 at 6:47 am

Hi Dear Deb, my family visit visa is valid until 14 Dec 2022 as mentioned on the stamped visa page on passport. however, the expiry date on ABSHER now is on 27th Oct 2022. i am planning to renew by travelling to Bahrain and returning! that should extend my visa up to 27th Jan 2022. please confirm if my assumption here is correct? or is it mandatory that the visa validity on passport must also have 3 months until expiry.

October 19, 2022 at 1:44 pm

Hi Altaf, Your understanding is correct.

October 20, 2022 at 8:18 am

Thank you for your response. highly appreciate your message here its very helpful. So, just to reconfirm. I can travel to Bahrain and reenter Saudi with the same visa? the validity on the stamped visa is not required to be valid for next 3 months as long as i enter before the validity date.

October 23, 2022 at 5:52 am

Hi Althaf, Make sure to apply in Absher online first and then do it. You can do it before the visa expires.

October 23, 2022 at 10:26 am

I am glad to inform you that my family visa was successfully renewed. I travelled to Bahrain as planned and turned back and the visa was renewed accordingly. Many thanks as your information was inspirational.

Also, just read on Saudi Gazzette that the old renew process is now been opened and we can renew through ABSHER.

Thanks Again.

October 24, 2022 at 5:56 am

Really glad to hear that Althaf.

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October 21, 2022 at 4:13 am

Hey deb, my visa got rejected saying ‘’WE HOPE TO FILL A NEW APPLICATION AND GET IT CERTIFIED FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT YOUR RESIDENCE ‘’ i found that maybe the mistake is my location .its a family visit visa and my husband has applied for me .The location in visa application cannot be changed . It says riyadh but my husbands iqamah issued place is jubail and also got chambered from jubail . Now we want to change the location but it cannot be changed theres no way can u plz help

October 23, 2022 at 5:53 am

Hi Aysha, Unfortunately, in this case, I believe you need to apply again with the correct location.

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November 13, 2022 at 12:19 pm

I think similar issue as mine was raised before but there was no reply to it. My Son name is MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH SAJID, where i am trying to enter MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH into first name but visa portal not accepting it all rather only taking MUHAMMAD ABDULL.

While passport has complete MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH as given name and SAJID as sir name. will it have any impact?

November 15, 2022 at 6:48 am

Try ABDULLAH as the second name.

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March 4, 2023 at 6:44 am

Hi, I need some assistance regarding visa stamping if anyone can help me .

I have applied visit visa for my 3 family members in 1 application , due to some reason only 1 member stamped visa last month, Remaining 2 members can stamp it now the same visa or it is required to apply for another visit visa ?

March 8, 2023 at 7:25 pm

Yes, they can also go for stamping.No need for another visit visa.

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April 13, 2023 at 11:01 am

Hi Deb, The 1-year multiple visa in my wife’s passport stamped visa on June 6,2022 and expires on June 6, 2023. However, she entered KSA on September 9,2022 and was able to obtain a 1-year duration by doing extension in every 3 months , which would have allowed her to remain in the country until September 2023, even though her passport’s visa expiration date was June 6, 2023. Her next expiration date in Absher is June 16. If I take her to the border before that day and bring her back, would she be granted an additional 90 days?

April 23, 2023 at 12:36 pm

Hi Shaffi, I believe you should.

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May 2, 2023 at 9:26 am

Family visit visa validity as per visa stamping on the passport is 9th May 2023. Person was entered in Saudi Arabia on 25th Feb 2023. Absheer account shows visa validity till 26th May 2023 (90 days from the entry date).

Can the person stay in Saudi Arabia till 26th May 2023 as per Absheer visa validity date?

May 14, 2023 at 11:14 am

Yes they can.

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June 15, 2023 at 7:26 pm

My wife has Saudi family visit visa which is valid till November 2023 on the paper which is stamped on her passport, the visa was issued under my old iqama where I went on the final exit,

now I came on a new work visa and Iqama, in this case, can she travel with the old family visit visa itself?

when I enquired at the airport, they said she can travel, but some people are saying she cannot travel, I am confused, if anybody knows please reply.

June 25, 2023 at 9:46 pm

Yes she should be able to travel without any issues. Ask her to carry the copies of your old and new Iqama when she travels.

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September 6, 2023 at 2:43 pm

dear sir my name is imadali from india -for my baby visit visa , my baby name is as in passport sherin fathima imadali but my chamfer of commerce visa copy ,i mentioned name sherin fathima imadali hasan abdullah (i added grand father name). if it will be rejected at the time of stamping process?

September 12, 2023 at 3:53 pm

Hi, It is possible that they ask you for some kind of explanation. In case they reject, you can do it again.

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October 29, 2023 at 3:01 pm

Good Day My wife has a family visit multiple entry visa her date of entry into KSA was on 30 July 2023 and she has to do an exit and come back after her 90 days is up tomorrow at the latest, Does she need documents to return other than the valid passport, My iqama valid and her medical insurance being valid for the next 90 days of stay?

As I understand with multiple entry one year family visa each stay is up to 90 days then she has to leave and come back into the country but I am not sure if there are any other documents or needs other than the above.

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February 20, 2024 at 6:46 pm

I have a multi visit one year family visa , my father is my sponsor, My visa is valid till November 2024 . My fathers company now renews Iqama every three months . Can I travel to Saudi with my Visa if there is only 60 days of Iqama expiry date of my sponsor. As I heard there should be atleast 90 days of Iqama is required .

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  • Family Visit Visa

How to check Family Visit Visa status on MOFA?

Navigate here 👇

You can check the family visit visa status online on the MOFA, Saudi Arabia website with the visa application number. Here is the procedure to do it.

How to find the application number?

The application number was generated by the MOFA at the moment you submitted the application for the family visit visa . 

If the application number is lost, call the MOFA office on this number 0114067777 and tell them your Iqama number, they will find the application number for you.

family visit ksa

Check family visit visa status

Now go to the MOFA website and select the English language. https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/

  • Inquiry Type: Application Number.
  • Enter the application number .
  • ID Number: Iqama Number .
  • Enter the captcha code.
  • Click on the “ Search ” button.

check family visit visa status on MOFA

Not submitted to COC

If you find the message while checking the family visit visa status “ طلبات الزيارة المصدقة إلكترونيا من أحد القنوات المعتمدة “, it means that your employer has not yet attested the application with the chamber of commerce. Your application will be submitted to the MOFA once it is attested by the chamber of commerce .

family visit ksa

Submitted to the COC

After submitting the application to the chamber of commerce, the family visit visa status will start showing the name of the chamber of commerce where it is submitted.

family visit visa status = submitted to chamber of commerce.

Demand under the measure

Sometimes, when people see the message “ Demand under the measure “, they feel their family visit visa application has been rejected.

The actual meaning of the “demand under the measure” is that the application is under approval or in process. You must sit tight and wait for the family visit visa application to be approved.

Demand under the measure meaning

Visit Visa Approved

If the message appears “ Please provide the person required to visit with the document number to complete the visa procedure from the relevant Kingdom missions through the approved centers and after meeting all the requirements. ” it means that your visa has been approved by the MOFA.

Now you can send the PDF copy of this document to your home country to process the visa. In Pakistan, you might need to book an Etimad Appointment .

family visit visa status = visa approved.

Application under process

If the message لطلب تحت الاجراء appears while checking the family visit visa status on the MOFA website, it means that your application is under process.

  • لطلب تحت الاجراء: Under process.

family visit visa status = under study.

No Results Found

  • لم يتم العثور على اي نتائج، يرجى التاكد من البيانات المدخلة: No results found, please check the entered data.

If the above-mentioned message appears while checking the family visit visa status after entering the application number on the MOFA website, it means that you either have entered the wrong information or your application has been deleted by the MOFA.

Visit Visa Rejected

If the following message appears while checking the family visit visa status, it means that your visa is rejected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  • تعتذر الوزارة عن تحقيق الطلب: The ministry apologizes for the requested demand.

family visit visa status: Visa Rejected.

  • The Ministry hopes to submit a new electronically certified application after verifying the validity of the relationship to the requested person. Greetings! – Make sure you are describing the relationship correctly in Arabic.
  • 5 reasons for Saudi Family Visit Visa Rejection

The Ministry hopes to submit a new electronically certified application after verifying the validity of the relationship to the requested person. Greetings!

We hope to record the data with all accuracy, our best regard: It means that your visit visa application has been rejected for entering inaccurate data. They will mention in the brackets the data wrongly entered.

For example, in the below screenshot the TITLE was wrongly entered. You need to apply again.

For the latest updates, you can join our ✅ WhatsApp group or ☑️ Telegram Channel .

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How to check saudi e-visa with qr code, how to get cheapest visit visa insurance in ksa, claim insurance on visit visa in saudi arabia, how to extend expired visit visa from outside ksa, visit visa holders must take insurance with covid19 coverage, how to cancel family visit visa in ksa.

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A Reliable Source of News and Information In Saudi Arabia

Check The Latest Family Visit Visa Fees

July 23, 2020 by Ahmad Muhammad

Jawazat has revised the fees for family visit visas as well as for other visitors. In addition to that, MOI Saudi Arabia also introduced a new fee system for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. In the recent move by the ministry of interior, an equal fee for all nationalities is introduced.

fees for family visit visa Saudi Arabia

The Post Contains

 Family Visit Visa Fees In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia issues two types of family visas. A single entry visa and a multiple entry visa. And, every expat can apply for the visa as per his/her requirement. Let’s check the visa fee for both categories.

Single Entry Visit Visa Fee

The fee for a single entry family visa is 300 Saudi Riyals.  However, the rules have changed. Now the visa issues only for 30 days. But, you can renew it to stay up to 180 days . That means you can renew 6 times by paying the said fee each time.

In addition to the visa fee, valid health insurance for the family visitor is also a must requirement. And, then, you can extend the visa through Absher portal. If you want to apply for the visa, Here is the whole procedure.

Read : Apply Family Visit Visa Online in Saudi Arabia

Multiple Entry Visa Fee

A multiple family visit visa allows the visitor to stay up to a year. The visa issues for 3 months. After that, you can extend it through the Absher portal for another 90 days. However, on completion of 6 months, the family visitor has to leave the kingdom once.

The visitor can return any time on the same visa. And may stay up to another 90 days. Then, you can extend it again for the next 3 months. So, in that way, the visitor can stay up to 12 months in KSA.

The fee for multiple entry visa is also 300 Saudi Riyals each for issuance and renewal. And health insurance is also a requirement to extend it. We have a dedicated post on the extension process of the visa. Have a look at it.

How To Extend Family Visit Visa In Saudi Arabia

Is The Saudi Visit Visa Fee Reduced?

The concerned Authorities have reduced the family visit visa fees. Now a flat rate of 300 Saudi Riyals is applied for both, single and multiple family visit visas. However, health insurance is a must requirement. Without it, the authorities don’t issue the visa.

  • How To Extend Family Visit Visa In Saudi Arabia | 2021
  • How To Get Bahrain On-Arrival Visa For Saudi Iqama Holders
  • How To Apply Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia
  • How To Check Muqeem Visa Validity – Eserve Exit Re-Entry Visa Status
  • How to Fill Family Visit Visa Form Correctly | Complete Guide

Author: Ahmad Muhammad

Ahmad Muhammad

Ahmad has been living in Saudi Arabia since 2012. He has keen interest and passion in helping the Saudi expatriates community by writing guides on Saudi Laws, rules & regulations and sharing his life experience in KSA

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family visit ksa

7 Best Resorts for Family in Saudi Arabia

family visit ksa

Saudi Arabia, long recognized for its rich past and hallowed pilgrimage locations, has been making waves as a premier travel destination lately. Most luxurious resorts for families in the world in this nation, are sure to delight both parents and children. There are the finest 7 resorts in Saudi Arabia that are suitable for families, guaranteeing a unique and unforgettable family getaway. Book Umrah package with flights and explore the beauty of the Resort after finishing Umrah.

  • Saudi Arabia’s Ritz Carlton

In the center of the city, The Ritz-Carlton bills itself as an ideal family getaway more than just an opulent hotel. A memorable family vacation is guaranteed by its magnificent architecture and first-rate amenities. This is the reason it is notable:

  • Rooms that are generously spacious and carefully created for the convenience of families are offered by this hotel.
  • Ritz Children Program: An effort to teach children to discover cities through activities that are themed with the locale.
  • Dining areas: They offer kid-specific cuisines that are tailored to their preferences.
  • Recreational activities: There’s never a dull moment with swimming, workshops, and trips.
  • Benefits of Location: The hotel’s central location gives families quick access to Riyadh’s main attractions.

The distance from King Khalid International Airport to Riyadh city center is about 43 kilometers, and it takes 30 to 40 minutes by car. Family-friendly amenities include planned family events, large family suites, and kid-friendly pools. Rates may change based on the kind of room and time of year. For the most up-to-date prices, it’s best to visit the official site or give their booking desk a call.

  • InterContinental Riyadh

Among Saudi Arabia’s resorts, InterContinental Riyadh stands out as a great option for families because of its handy location close to the city’s bustling heart. This resort seamlessly blends luxury, comfort, and a rich legacy to capture the spirit of Saudi hospitality. There is an interesting blend of relaxation and discovery, ideal for making priceless family memories in Saudi Arabia, with its assortment of family-oriented facilities, specialized kids’ activities, and an excellent position near cultural landmarks. It is located around thirty to forty minutes by car from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Every family visit is sure to be enjoyable with a dedicated kids’ area, roomy accommodations, and entertainment alternatives.

  • Jeddah Hilton Hotel

The Jeddah Hilton Hotel is one of the many family-friendly resorts in Jeddah that comes highly rated. It is a well-known hotel having features that are great for families, like many swimming pools, a kids’ playground, and roomy family rooms. Due to its Red Sea beachfront position, which gives breathtaking views of the ocean in addition to convenient quick entry to the shoreline from the hotel, it is a highly recommended option for family vacations.

It is usually advisable to do some research before making a final reservation, though, as individual preferences and needs may dictate various options. The King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is around 12 kilometers distant, requiring a 20 to 25-minute drive. Due to its strategic location, visitors can easily reach popular destinations such as the Floating Mosque, Red Sea Mall, the bustling Al Balad historic district, and Jeddah Corniche, with a short drive.

  • Park Hyatt Jeddah

Reputed for its exceptional location and first-rate service, Park Hyatt Jeddah – Marina Club and Spa is a lavish resort that welcomes families and provides an unforgettable experience by the Red Sea. Close to the city center and only a short drive from important sites including King Fahd Fountain and the ancient Al-Balad district, Park Hyatt Jeddah is located on the Jeddah Corniche, a waterfront region offering stunning splendor and a calm ambiance. It has a dedicated spa center, an exclusive beach area, and a variety of culinary options to suit every palate apart from lush gardens and swimming pools.

  • Banyan Tree AlUla

Situated in AlUla’s Ashar Valley, Saudi Arabia, the luxurious Banyan Tree AlUla is an all-villa resort with magnificent desert views. A genuinely enticing holiday location, the resort provides an unusual combination of nature and old culture, all set inside an area of tremendous historical, physical, and archaeological value. For families, it’s the perfect place to go because there are plenty of family-friendly amenities at the resort besides roomy housing quarters.

Though certain parts or activities might not be suitable for smaller children because of the resort’s serene atmosphere and specific offerings, it’s crucial to recognize this. Guardians are prompted to approach the resort to confirm any particular inquiries or necessities for their stay.

The Banyan Tree AlUla could be a 45-minute drive from the AlUla airplane terminal. Its area makes it simple to get to famous neighborhood locations such as the UNESCO World Heritage location Al-Hijr (Madain Salih) and the old tombs of the Lihyan Kingdom.

  • InterContinental Taif

Family vacations are appropriate at the InterContinental Taif. Travelers will find it convenient as it is comparatively close to the airport. Some large suites and rooms are perfect for large families. Beautiful views of the town or the peaceful courtyard can be found in several of these rooms. There is a fantastic array of food choices, with cafes and restaurants serving a range of regional and international dishes that suit all dietary requirements and age groups. It’s usually an excellent plan to confirm convenience by researching the hotel’s precise location and available transportation before you visit.

The distance between it and Makkah is roughly 80 kilometers. Parents may unwind or go exploring on their own with the help of their babysitting service and kids’ club. Access to several attractions, including Shubra Palace and Taif’s aromatic rose gardens, is also made possible by the resort’s position. Don’t miss the Taif Rose Festival, which takes place in April and May most of the time.

  • Abha Palace Hotel

Settled adjacent to the peaceful water of Abha Lake, this inn gives breathtaking sees of the Aseer Mountains, making a charming getaway for families. Abha’s Royal residence offers a combination of extravagance and consolation. The inside plan effectively captures both modern and conventional Middle Eastern styles to make a welcoming environment.

The hotel’s proximity to Abha International Airport allows for quick and easy transfers; the interior design skillfully blends classic and contemporary Arabian influences to create a pleasant ambiance. For the commute, you can use the airport’s car rental services, hotel shuttles, or taxis. It contains a lot of services, like a children’s playground, a gym, a spa, and an outdoor and indoor pool. Tennis courts and other outdoor activities are provided. its Kids Club provides a variety of entertaining activities to ensure the enjoyment of its younger are entertained.

For the greatest travel deals and accommodations, check various December Umrah packages from Seattle.

Selecting the ideal accommodation is essential while organizing your family’s tour of Saudi Arabia’s dynamic cities. Along with offering luxury, the resorts on our carefully chosen list also offer a convenient, comfortable, and cultural experience.

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The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu

An unusual outbreak of the disease has spread to dairy herds in multiple u.s. states..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise, and this is “The Daily.”

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The outbreak of bird flu that is tearing through the nation’s poultry farms is the worst in US history. But scientists say it’s now starting to spread into places and species it’s never been before.

Today, my colleague, Emily Anthes, explains.

It’s Monday, April 22.

Emily, welcome back to the show.

Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.

So, Emily, we’ve been talking here on “The Daily” about prices of things and how they’ve gotten so high, mostly in the context of inflation episodes. And one of the items that keeps coming up is eggs. Egg prices were through the roof last year, and we learned it was related to this. Avian flu has been surging in the United States. You’ve been covering this. Tell us what’s happening.

Yes, so I have been covering this virus for the last few years. And the bird flu is absolutely tearing through poultry flocks, and that is affecting egg prices. That’s a concern for everyone, for me and for my family. But when it comes to scientists, egg prices are pretty low on their list of concerns. Because they see this bird flu virus behaving differently than previous versions have. And they’re getting nervous, in particular, about the fact that this virus is reaching places and species where it’s never been before.

OK, so bird flu, though, isn’t new. I mean I remember hearing about cases in Asia in the ‘90s. Remind us how it began.

Bird flu refers to a bunch of different viruses that are adapted to spread best in birds. Wild water birds, in particular, are known for carrying these viruses. And flu viruses are famous for also being shapeshifters. So they’re constantly swapping genes around and evolving into new strains. And as you mentioned back in the ‘90s, a new version of bird flu, a virus known as H5N1, emerged in Asia. And it has been spreading on and off around the world since then, causing periodic outbreaks.

And how are these outbreaks caused?

So wild birds are the reservoir for the virus, which means they carry it in their bodies with them around the world as they fly and travel and migrate. And most of the time, these wild birds, like ducks and geese, don’t even get very sick from this virus. But they shed it. So as they’re traveling over a poultry farm maybe, if they happen to go to the bathroom in a pond that the chickens on the farm are using or eat some of the feed that chickens on the farm are eating, they can leave the virus behind.

And the virus can get into chickens. In some cases, it causes mild illness. It’s what’s known as low pathogenic avian influenza. But sometimes the virus mutates and evolves, and it can become extremely contagious and extremely fatal in poultry.

OK, so the virus comes through wild birds, but gets into farms like this, as you’re describing. How have farms traditionally handled outbreaks, when they do happen?

Well, because this threat isn’t new, there is a pretty well-established playbook for containing outbreaks. It’s sometimes known as stamping out. And brutally, what it means is killing the birds. So the virus is so deadly in this highly pathogenic form that it’s sort of destined to kill all the birds on a farm anyway once it gets in. So the response has traditionally been to proactively depopulate or cull all the birds, so it doesn’t have a chance to spread.

So that’s pretty costly for farmers.

It is. Although the US has a program where it will reimburse farmers for their losses. And the way these reimbursements work is they will reimburse farmers only for the birds that are proactively culled, and not for those who die naturally from the virus. And the thinking behind that is it’s a way to incentivize farmers to report outbreaks early.

So, OK, lots of chickens are killed in a way to manage these outbreaks. So we know how to deal with them. But what about now? Tell me about this new strain.

So this new version of the virus, it emerged in 2020.

After the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, authorities have now confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of influenza, a kind of bird flu.

And pretty quickly it became clear that a couple things set it apart.

A bald eagle found dead at Carvins Cove has tested positive for the highly contagious bird flu.

This virus, for whatever reason, seemed very good at infecting all sorts of wild birds that we don’t normally associate with bird flu.

[BIRD CRYING]

He was kind of stepping, and then falling over, and using its wing to right itself.

Things like eagles and condors and pelicans.

We just lost a parliament of owls in Minneapolis.

Yeah, a couple of high profile nests.

And also in the past, wild birds have not traditionally gotten very sick from this virus. And this version of the virus not only spread widely through the wild bird population, but it proved to be devastating.

The washing up along the East Coast of the country from Scotland down to Suffolk.

We were hearing about mass die-offs of seabirds in Europe by the hundreds and the thousands.

And the bodies of the dead dot the island wherever you look.

Wow. OK. So then as we know, this strain, like previous ones, makes its way from wild animals to farmed animals, namely to chickens. But it’s even more deadly.

Absolutely. And in fact, it has already caused the worst bird flu outbreak in US history. So more than 90 million birds in the US have died as a result of this virus.

90 million birds.

Yes, and I should be clear that represents two things. So some of those birds are birds who naturally got infected and died from the virus. But the vast majority of them are birds that were proactively culled. What it adds up to is, is 90 million farmed birds in the US have died since this virus emerged. And it’s not just a chicken problem. Another thing that has been weird about this virus is it has jumped into other kinds of farms. It is the first time we’ve seen a bird flu virus jump into US livestock.

And it’s now been reported on a number of dairy farms across eight US states. And that’s just something that’s totally unprecedented.

So it’s showing up at Dairy farms now. You’re saying that bird flu has now spread to cows. How did that happen?

So we don’t know exactly how cows were first infected, but most scientists’ best guess is that maybe an infected wild bird that was migrating shed the virus into some cattle feed or a pasture or a pond, and cattle picked it up. The good news is they don’t seem to get nearly as sick as chickens do. They are generally making full recoveries on their own in a couple of weeks.

OK, so no mass culling of cows?

No, that doesn’t seem to be necessary at this point. But the bad news is that it’s starting to look like we’re seeing this virus spread from cow to cow. We don’t know exactly how that’s happening yet. But anytime you see cow-to-cow or mammal-to-mammal transmission, that’s a big concern.

And why is that exactly?

Well, there are a bunch of reasons. First, it could allow the outbreak to get much bigger, much faster, which might increase the risk to the food supply. And we might also expect it to increase the risk to farm workers, people who might be in contact with these sick cows.

Right now, the likelihood that a farmer who gets this virus passes it on is pretty low. But any time you see mammal-to-mammal transmission, it increases the chance that the virus will adapt and possibly, maybe one day get good at spreading between humans. To be clear, that’s not something that there’s any evidence happening in cows right now. But the fact that there’s any cow-to-cow transmission happening at all is enough to have scientists a bit concerned.

And then if we think more expansively beyond what’s happening on farms, there’s another big danger lurking out there. And that’s what happens when this virus gets into wild animals, vast populations that we can’t control.

We’ll be right back.

So, Emily, you said that another threat was the threat of flu in wild animal populations. Clearly, of course, it’s already in wild birds. Where else has it gone?

Well, the reason it’s become such a threat is because of how widespread it’s become in wild birds. So they keep reintroducing it to wild animal populations pretty much anywhere they go. So we’ve seen the virus repeatedly pop up in all sorts of animals that you might figure would eat a wild bird, so foxes, bobcats, bears. We actually saw it in a polar bear, raccoons. So a lot of carnivores and scavengers.

The thinking is that these animals might stumble across a sick or dead bird, eat it, and contract the virus that way. But we’re also seeing it show up in some more surprising places, too. We’ve seen the virus in a bottle-nosed dolphin, of all places.

And most devastatingly, we’ve seen enormous outbreaks in other sorts of marine mammals, especially sea lions and seals.

So elephant seals, in particular in South America, were just devastated by this virus last fall. My colleague Apoorva Mandavilli and I were talking to some scientists in South America who described to us what they called a scene from hell, of walking out onto a beach in Argentina that is normally crowded with chaotic, living, breathing, breeding, elephant seals — and the beach just being covered by carcass, after carcass, after carcass.

Mostly carcasses of young newborn pups. The virus seemed to have a mortality rate of 95 percent in these elephant seal pups, and they estimated that it might have killed more than 17,000 of the pups that were born last year. So almost the entire new generation of this colony. These are scientists that have studied these seals for decades. And they said they’ve never seen anything like it before.

And why is it so far reaching, Emily? I mean, what explains these mass die-offs?

There are probably a few explanations. One is just how much virus is out there in the environment being shed by wild birds into water and onto beaches. These are also places that viruses like this haven’t been before. So it’s reaching elephant seals and sea lions in South America that have no prior immunity.

There’s also the fact that these particular species, these sea lions and seals, tend to breed in these huge colonies all crowded together on beaches. And so what that means is if a virus makes its way into the colony, it’s very conducive conditions for it to spread. And scientists think that that’s actually what’s happening now. That it’s not just that all these seals are picking up the virus from individual birds, but that they’re actually passing it to each other.

So basically, this virus is spreading to places it’s never been before, kind of virgin snow territory, where animals just don’t have the immunity against it. And once it gets into a population packed on a beach, say, of elephant seals, it’s just like a knife through butter.

Absolutely. And an even more extreme example of that is what we’re starting to see happen in Antarctica, where there’s never been a bird flu outbreak before until last fall, for the first time, this virus reached the Antarctic mainland. And we are now seeing the virus move through colonies of not only seabirds and seals, but penguin colonies, which have not been exposed to these viruses before.

And it’s too soon to say what the toll will be. But penguins also, of course, are known for breeding in these large colonies.

Probably. don’t have many immune defenses against this virus, and of course, are facing all these other environmental threats. And so there’s a lot of fear that you add on the stress of a bird flu virus, and it could just be a tipping point for penguins.

Emily, at this point, I’m kind of wondering why more people aren’t talking about this. I mean, I didn’t know any of this before having this conversation with you, and it feels pretty worrying.

Well, a lot of experts and scientists are talking about this with rising alarm and in terms that are quite stark. They’re talking about the virus spreading through wild animal populations so quickly and so ferociously that they’re calling it an ecological disaster.

But that’s a disaster that sometimes seems distant from us, both geographically, we’re talking about things that are happening maybe at the tip of Argentina or in Antarctica. And also from our concerns of our everyday lives, what’s happening in Penguins might not seem like it has a lot to do with the price of a carton of eggs at the grocery store. But I think that we should be paying a lot of attention to how this virus is moving through animal populations, how quickly it’s moving through animal populations, and the opportunities that it is giving the virus to evolve into something that poses a much bigger threat to human health.

So the way it’s spreading in wild animals, even in remote places like Antarctica, that’s important to watch, at least in part because there’s a real danger to people here.

So we know that the virus can infect humans, and that generally it’s not very good at spreading between humans. But the concern all along has been that if this virus has more opportunities to spread between mammals, it will get better at spreading between them. And that seems to be what is happening in seals and sea lions. Scientists are already seeing evidence that the virus is adapting as it passes from marine mammal to marine mammal. And that could turn it into a virus that’s also better at spreading between people.

And if somebody walks out onto a beach and touches a dead sea lion, if their dog starts playing with a sea lion carcass, you could imagine that this virus could make its way out of marine mammals and into the human population. And if it’s this mammalian adapted version of the virus that makes its way out, that could be a bigger threat to human health.

So the sheer number of hosts that this disease has, the more opportunity it has to mutate, and the more chance it has to mutate in a way that would actually be dangerous for people.

Yes, and in particular, the more mammalian hosts. So that gives the virus many more opportunities to become a specialist in mammals instead of a specialist in birds, which is what it is right now.

Right. I like that, a specialist in mammals. So what can we do to contain this virus?

Well, scientists are exploring new options. There’s been a lot of discussion about whether we should start vaccinating chickens in the US. The government, USDA labs, have been testing some poultry vaccines. It’s probably scientifically feasible. There are challenges there, both in terms of logistics — just how would you go about vaccinating billions of chickens every year. There are also trade questions. Traditionally, a lot of countries have not been willing to accept poultry products from countries that vaccinate their poultry.

And there’s concern about whether the virus might spread undetected in flocks that are vaccinated. So as we saw with COVID, the vaccine can sometimes stop you from getting sick, but it doesn’t necessarily stop infection. And so countries are worried they might unknowingly import products that are harboring the virus.

And what about among wild animals? I mean, how do you even begin to get your head around that?

Yeah, I mean, thinking about vaccinating wild animals maybe makes vaccinating all the chickens in the US look easy. There has been some discussion of limited vaccination campaigns, but that’s not feasible on a global scale. So unfortunately, the bottom line is there isn’t a good way to stop spread in wild animals. We can try to protect some vulnerable populations, but we’re not going to stop the circulation of this virus.

So, Emily, we started this conversation with a kind of curiosity that “The Daily” had about the price of eggs. And then you explained the bird flu to us. And then somehow we ended up learning about an ecological disaster that’s unfolding all around us, and potentially the source of the next human pandemic. That is pretty scary.

It is scary, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it. And I feel like I should take a step back and say none of this is inevitable. None of this is necessarily happening tomorrow. But this is why scientists are concerned and why they think it’s really important to keep a very close eye on what’s happening both on farms and off farms, as this virus spreads through all sorts of animal populations.

One thing that comes up again and again and again in my interviews with people who have been studying bird flu for decades, is how this virus never stops surprising them. And sometimes those are bad surprises, like these elephant seal die-offs, the incursions into dairy cattle. But there are some encouraging signs that have emerged recently. We’re starting to see some early evidence that some of the bird populations that survived early brushes with this virus might be developing some immunity. So that’s something that maybe could help slow the spread of this virus in animal populations.

We just don’t entirely know how this is going to play out. Flu is a very difficult, wily foe. And so that’s one reason scientists are trying to keep such a close, attentive eye on what’s happening.

Emily, thank you.

Thanks for having me.

Here’s what else you should know today.

On this vote, the yeas are 366 and the nays are 58. The bill is passed.

On Saturday, in four back-to-back votes, the House voted resoundingly to approve a long-stalled package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and other American allies, delivering a major victory to President Biden, who made aid to Ukraine one of his top priorities.

On this vote, the yeas are 385, and the no’s are 34 with one answering present. The bill is passed without objection.

The House passed the component parts of the $95 billion package, which included a bill that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok.

On this vote, the yeas are 311 and the nays are 112. The bill is passed.

Oh, one voting present. I missed it, but thank you.

In a remarkable breach of custom, Democrats stepped in to supply the crucial votes to push the legislation past hard-line Republican opposition and bring it to the floor.

The House will be in order.

The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday.

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Eric Krupke, and Alex Stern. It was edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens; contains original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell, Rowan Niemisto, and Sophia Lanman; and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

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  • April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
  • April 23, 2024   •   30:30 A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?
  • April 22, 2024   •   24:30 The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu
  • April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
  • April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
  • April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
  • April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
  • April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
  • April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
  • April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
  • April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
  • April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Nina Feldman ,  Eric Krupke and Alex Stern

Edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Dan Powell ,  Rowan Niemisto and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The outbreak of bird flu currently tearing through the nation’s poultry is the worst in U.S. history. Scientists say it is now spreading beyond farms into places and species it has never been before.

Emily Anthes, a science reporter for The Times, explains.

On today’s episode

family visit ksa

Emily Anthes , a science reporter for The New York Times.

Two dead pelicans are pictured from above lying on the shore where the water meets a rocky beach.

Background reading

Scientists have faulted the federal response to bird flu outbreaks on dairy farms .

Here’s what to know about the outbreak.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

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    Tasheer is the official Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Visa Service Center, where you can apply for your visa online and get it delivered to your doorstep. Whether you are traveling for business, tourism, or family visit, Tasheer can help you with all the requirements and procedures.

  13. Everything to Know About Saudi Arabia Family Visit Visa

    Saudi Arabia currently issues two types of family visit visas to expatriate residents: 3-Months Single-Entry Visit Visa ; 1-Year Multi-Entry Visit Visa ; Note: No more 2-year visit visa. Unified Visit Visa Fees for All Nationalities. For all nationalities, the fee for a single entry visit visa and a one-year multi-entry visit visa is SR 300.

  14. How to apply for Family Visit Visa in Saudi Arabia

    To apply, you must have a valid Iqama with a minimum validity of three months, applicant passport details, and Nafath registration. Steps to Apply. To apply for a family visit visa in Saudi Arabia, follow these steps: Step 1: Go to MOFA Website. Step 2: Fill out the Form. Step 3: Employer Approval through the Chamber of Commerce (COC) online.

  15. Family and Friends

    Visiting family or friends Attending events and touristic activities You can freely move between cities within Saudi Arabia while on a visit visa. Travelers are not authorized to undertake the Haj pilgrimage while on this visa. The inviter is responsible for ensuring that the guest complies with the specified duration of stay.

  16. How to Check Your Family Visit Visa Status Online

    Here are the steps on how you can check the visit visa status. Go to the MOFA visa check website: https://visa.mofa.gov.sa. Select " English " from the top menu. Under the "Query" section, select " Application Number " from the "Inquiry Type" dropdown menu. In the Application Number field, enter your 8-digit MOFA Visa ...

  17. Family Visit Visa

    Application Forms. Original and one copy of a passport valid for at least six months from the travel date, the passport must have two side by side empty pages. One recent photograph (4 cm x 6 cm) with the name written on the back. For visa fees check table. Non-Canadian applicants must submit a valid permanent residency card, (Send only copy of ...

  18. How to Get Mofa Family Visit Visa Saudi Arabia: 2021 Updates

    Make sure to write your email correctly and your mobile number using 00966 & mobile number. 2. Get Approval from Sponsor/The Chamber of Commerce. Once the Saudi legal resident/Iqama holder has printed out the MOFA online visit visa application form, he/she can take it to the sponsor to sign and stamp the document.

  19. How to check Family Visit Visa status on MOFA?

    Check family visit visa status. Now go to the MOFA website and select the English language. https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/. Inquiry Type: Application Number. Enter the application number. ID Number: Iqama Number. Enter the captcha code. Click on the "Search" button.

  20. Family Visit Visa

    Family Visit Visa. The passport should have (2) blank pages facing each other, and must be valid for at least (6) months. Two passport-sized photographs (recent photographs, with white background). Invitation letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in [U1] (Authorisation Number) and a copy of the invitee's Iqama. Proof of relationship ...

  21. Check The Latest Family Visit Visa Fees

    Single Entry Visit Visa Fee. The fee for a single entry family visa is 300 Saudi Riyals. However, the rules have changed. Now the visa issues only for 30 days. But, you can renew it to stay up to 180 days. That means you can renew 6 times by paying the said fee each time.

  22. Family Visit Visa Archives

    Saudi Arabia Family Visit Visa Visit Visa. Easily Check the Validity of Your Visit Visa Insurance Online. Visit Visa Insurance Check Online Having valid health insurance is a requirement for obtaining and ... Mohammed Ameen. September 23, 2023. 1 2 Next. KSAexpats.com.

  23. 7 Best Resorts for Family in Saudi Arabia

    It is located around thirty to forty minutes by car from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Every family visit is sure to be enjoyable with a dedicated kids' area, roomy accommodations, and entertainment alternatives. Jeddah Hilton Hotel. The Jeddah Hilton Hotel is one of the many family-friendly resorts in Jeddah that comes highly ...

  24. The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu

    The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu. An unusual outbreak of the disease has spread to dairy herds in multiple U.S. states. April 22, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET. Share full article. Hosted by Sabrina ...