Family Visit Visa In Saudi Arabia: Everything You Need To Know

About MOFA Family Visit Visa Application. MOFA, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issues visas to citizens of foreign countries. MOFA also issues the ‘family visit visa’ for the immediate family members of the ex-pats in Saudi Arabia.

Read below for all the details on how to get a Saudi ‘family visit visa’, its types, eligibility, required documents, status check, fees, and other information.

MoFA family visit visa Description

The family visit visa permits beneficiaries to travel to Saudi Arabia to visit their first-degree relatives, parents, wives, children, brothers, and sisters.

Requirements for a Saudi ‘family visit visa’ 

Any legal Saudi resident or citizen, as well as an Iqama holder, can apply on behalf of the visitor for the MoFA family visit visa. The Applicant’s Iqama must be valid for at least four months when applying for the visit visa.

The Iqama holder must apply for the MOFA ‘family visit visa,’ and an Iqama holder’s dependents cannot use ‘their own’ Iqamas to apply for the visit visa themselves.

MOFA requires the following documents for the family visit visa:

• Copy of sponsor Iqama holder’s passport.
• Valid International Passport with a maximum of 6 months validity remaining
• Copy of the Iqama or residency permit sponsor
• Four photographs are passport-sized.
• Applicants apostilled copy of the National ID card 
• Apostilled Marriage certificate

Eligibility for family visit visa

Family visit visas are issued only to a resident’s immediate family. The following persons are eligible for a family visit visa:

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

Procedure for Saudi family visit visa application 

The following steps are required to obtain a family visit visa in MOFA:

How to Fill out the application online

1. On the MOFA website, click the Family Visit Visa Application for Residents 
2. Or click on ‘Apply’ on the ‘Family Visit Visa Application for Citizens’
3. Click on the ‘Login’ 
4. Select option ‘Username and Password.’
5. Type in your Absher account’s Username (Iqama Number) and Password. Select ‘Sign In.’
6. Type in the OTP received on your mobile number registered for your Absher account.
7. Click on ‘Tracking’ and log into the MOFA website.
8. Click on ‘Apply’ beneath the option ‘Family Visit Visa Application for Residents.’
9. The screen will show your personal information. Scroll down and fill in the required details.
10. In Arabic, type in ‘Family Visit Only’ for the ‘Visit Objectives’ column. If you are not fluent in Arabic, use Google Translate or get assistance.
11. If you have previously visited Saudi Arabia, fill in the ‘Entry Visa Number.’ Your Visa Number is stamped on your passport. 
12. Next, click ‘Add’ under the ‘Wanted to Visit’ column.
13. Fill in the required Personal data of the Applicant only in Arabic. These include
    • Nationality,
    • Family Name,
    • First Name,
    • Grand Name,
    • Place of Birth,
    • Date of Birth,
    • Father’s Name,
    • Gender,
    • Occupation,
    • Mobile,
    • Email,
    • Religion, and
    • Relation. Please ensure all the information matches the passport.
14. Fill in the Applicant’s Passport Number, Passport Issue Date, Passport Expiry Date, Passport Type, and Place of Issue.
15. Continue on the same page, and fill in the Applicant’s Visa Information, including the nearest Saudi Embassy in your country. Fill in the type of family visit visa you require, Multiple Entry or Single Entry.
16. Recheck all information and click on ‘Add. ‘ The’ applicant data’ will now appear under the ‘Wanted to Visit’ column.
17.  Click on ‘Edit’ if you need to change any information.
18. For additional Applicants, click the ‘Add’ button and repeat the process, filling in the additional applicants’ data. After filling in all data, click on ‘Agreement Approval’ and select ‘Save.’
19. The website will now generate the Applicant’s ‘Order Number’ and will display a ‘Request a Family Visa’ form of the Applicant.
20. Scroll through the form to ensure all the information is correct.
21. To download and save, Click ‘Print.’ You can also print the application for further processing.

Getting the sponsor or the Chamber of Commerce approval

The Saudi legal resident/Iqama holder must print out the online MOFA family visit