Family Visit Visa Saudi Arabia: Steps & Requirements

Bringing your parents, spouse, or children over for a visit is one of the most common needs for expats living in the Kingdom. The family visit visa lets a Saudi citizen or a valid iqama holder invite immediate relatives for a short stay — for spending time together, not for working or settling permanently. This سعودي ليفنج guide walks you through who can apply, which relatives qualify, what documents you need, the fees and insurance, and how to submit your request online step by step.

What the family visit visa is for

The family visit visa allows a sponsor inside Saudi Arabia to invite close family members for a temporary visit. It is strictly a short-stay visa — it does not grant the right to work, study, or obtain residency. Immediate family generally covers spouse, parents, children, and parents-in-law, and in some justified cases siblings and children-in-law.

Who can sponsor (conditions inside Saudi Arabia)

To invite relatives, you must meet a few key conditions:

• Hold a valid iqama, usually with at least 3–4 months of validity remaining.
• Typically be on a work iqama — those on a dependent or student iqama usually cannot sponsor visiting relatives.
• Have your national address, mobile number, and email registered and up to date, as these are entered into the visa platform.

If any of these details are outdated, update them first to avoid delays or rejection.

Eligible family members and required documents

Commonly accepted relatives include spouse, children, parents, and parents-in-law. Some categories also accept siblings and children-in-law when the relationship is properly justified. You must prove the relationship with the correct documents:

• An attested marriage certificate for a spouse.
• Attested birth certificates to prove your relationship to children or parents.

Documents issued abroad usually need to be attested and, where required, translated. Confirm the exact attestation requirements for your home country before applying.

Where and how to apply

The official channel is the MOFA Visa Services Platform at visa.mofa.gov.sa. Residents and citizens log in via نفاذ using their أبشر credentials. While employers and PROs may use مقيم for related residency services, the visit visa request itself is issued through the MOFA platform — not through قوى, ناجز, or توكلنا.

Follow these steps:

• Log in to the MOFA visa platform using نفاذ.
• Go to Citizens and Residents → Resident → Family Visit Visa Application for Residents.
• Enter your details and confirm your national address, mobile, and email.
• Add the visitor's information and relationship, and upload the attested documents.
• Choose the visa type — single-entry or multiple-entry.
• Pay the fee and, once approved, arrange the mandatory visitor health insurance.

Validity, duration, and entry options

After MOFA approves the request, the window to stamp the visa and travel has been shortened from 90 days to 30 days. Your relative must complete embassy or visa-center stamping and enter the Kingdom within this shorter window, so plan travel dates accordingly.

For the stay itself:

• Current practice typically allows a stay of up to 90 days from entry.
• This can often be extended once to a total of around 180 days, subject to Interior Ministry (Jawazat) rules and valid insurance coverage.
• At the request stage you may choose a single-entry (up to 90 days) or multiple-entry (up to 180 days total) option.

Fees and health insurance

Two costs apply per visitor: the government visa fee and mandatory health insurance.

• Single-entry family visit visa: around SAR 300.
• Multiple-entry family visit visa: around SAR 500 in many current schedules.
• Mandatory visitor health insurance: commonly ranging from around SAR 90 to SAR 300+, depending on the visitor's age, coverage level, and duration.

Because fees and insurance rates are periodically updated, always confirm the current amounts on the official MOFA visa platform before you pay.

Practical tips before you apply

• Update your national address and contact details in أبشر first.
• Get documents attested early — this is often the slowest step.
• Book the visitor's insurance to match the intended length of stay.
• Watch the 30-day stamping window closely once approved.

With your iqama in order and documents ready, the process is straightforward. When in doubt about the latest fees, validity, or extension rules, rely on the official Saudi government portals rather than unofficial sources.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, events, sports updates, business insights, real estate and lifestyle stories on Saudi Living — the leading online platform for residents, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia.

Follow Saudi Living for daily updates:

• Instagram - @saudiliving
• X - @saudiliving
• Facebook - @saudiliving
• YouTube - @saudiliving