Family Visit Visa Saudi Arabia: Requirements & Steps

Bringing your parents, spouse, or children to Saudi Arabia for a visit is one of the most common requests among residents and citizens alike. The process is now handled online, which makes it faster and more transparent—provided you meet the eligibility conditions and enter every detail correctly. This Saudi Living guide walks you through who qualifies, how to apply, what to expect around fees and insurance, and how to extend a visit visa once your family has arrived.

Who is eligible to apply

Both Saudi citizens and residents can request a family visit visa, but the visa is limited to first-degree relatives: parents, spouse, and children. For residents there is an important condition attached to your legal status:

• You must hold a valid work iqama.
• Holders of a domestic-worker iqama or a dependent iqama are not eligible to sponsor this type of visit.
• The relationship must genuinely fall within the first-degree category described above.

If your iqama is close to expiry, renew it before you start, since your residency status underpins the whole request.

Where to apply

Applications are submitted through the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Visa Platform. You can sign in using نفاذ (the national single sign-on) or with a Visa Platform account you create directly. Signing in through Nafath is usually the smoothest route because it links to your verified identity.

Step-by-step application

Once you are logged in, the family-visit request follows a clear sequence. Take your time on the passport details—errors here are the most common cause of rejection or delay.

• Open the online family-visit request form.
• Enter the visitor's passport information exactly as it appears in the passport (names, number, and dates).
• Add the eligible first-degree relatives you wish to invite.
• Read and accept the declarations.
• Submit the request.
• Print or save the request number so you can track and reference it later.

Depending on your situation, the system may require electronic authentication by your employer or the Chamber of Commerce. Make sure the visitor's passport information is available and accurate before you begin.

Fees, insurance, and processing time

The standard stated processing time is three business days, though additional security or administrative checks can extend it. Build in a comfortable buffer before any planned travel dates.

There is no single fixed issuance fee published for all cases. The amount payable appears during the payment stage on the Visa Platform and can vary by nationality, service, insurance, and visa type. Because of this, always rely on the figure shown in your own application rather than an amount quoted elsewhere.

Valid visitor medical insurance is required and is generally issued as part of the visa-payment process. It is also a condition for extending the visa later, so keep the policy details handy.

Validity and permitted stay

The exact entry validity, number of entries, and permitted length of stay are printed on the approved visa itself. These can differ by visa type and by nationality, so there is no universal figure that applies to everyone. When the visa is issued, check the printed details carefully and plan the visit around them.

How to extend a visit visa

If your family needs more time, the sponsor can request an extension through أبشر after paying the extension fee from a Saudi bank account. The current extension fee is SAR 100 per extension.

The navigation path depends on the sponsorship type:

• Standard sponsors: Family Members Services → Services → Extension of Visit Visa.
• Domestic-worker sponsors: Employee Services → Services → Extension of Visit Visa.

Extensions are only granted when certain conditions are met:

• The visitor must be inside Saudi Arabia.
• The visa must have fewer than seven days remaining, or have expired no more than three days earlier.
• Valid medical insurance and successful payment must be in place.

Practical tips before you start

• Double-check every passport field against the physical passport—one wrong digit can stall the request.
• Confirm your iqama is valid and of the correct type before applying.
• Save your request number and any payment receipts.
• Track the timeline and act early on extensions, given the tight seven-day window.

Rules, fees, and payable amounts can change, so always confirm the latest details on the official Saudi government portals—the Visa Platform for applications and أبشر for extensions—before you finalise any travel plans.

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