Saudi Arabia family residence visa for dependants

KSA Visa describes the residence visa as designated for the families of Saudi residents and citizens. A foreign resident must hold a valid iqama and becomes the sponsor of record for the spouse and children; their residence lasts as long as the sponsor's does. Saudi citizens can bring immediate relatives for permanent residence. Holders of Premium Residency follow their own rules and may include parents and children under 25.

For fee purposes the Ministry of Interior separates two groups. Dependants are the wife, sons under 18 and daughters. Companions are sons over 18, additional wives, parents, parents-in-law and domestic workers. Both groups are charged the same monthly fee when the sponsor works in the private sector, so check before applying which category each relative falls into and whether a long visit visa would fit better for parents.

Expect the sponsor's iqama, proof of the family relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificates) legalised as instructed, the relatives' passports and photos, and medical reports where the mission asks for them. The exact list appears in the application and can vary by mission. Documents issued abroad are submitted in the form the Saudi mission in the relative's country of residence specifies.

Under the fiscal balance programme, the Passports Directorate began on 1 July 2017 to charge each dependant or companion of a private-sector expatriate SAR 100 per month, rising every July; the Ministry of Interior gives SAR 400 per month from July 2020. The fee is paid in advance through SADAD for the validity of the iqama, is not refundable, and is also settled before an exit and re-entry visa or a final exit visa is issued. Premium Residency holders and their families are exempt from these expatriate fees.

The sponsor issues a dependant iqama for each family member within the deadlines set by the Passports Directorate, pays the dependants fee where it applies, and renews the iqamas alongside his or her own. Children's schooling and healthcare follow the rules for non-Saudis.

Each family iqama is renewed with the dependants fee for the new period. Family members leaving temporarily need an exit and re-entry visa; if they stay abroad beyond its period, KSA Visa offers a re-entry visa extension for residents who have not returned in time.