What is the Validity of Saudi Family Visit Visa?

After visa issuance by the MOFA, you must be keen to know the latest rules of 2019 for the validity and extension of single and multiple entry family visit visa in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Family Visit Visa Validity before stamping

• Saudi Family Visit Visa Validity before stamping
• Visa validity after stamping
• Extension of Family Visit Visa
  • Single-Entry Saudi Family Visit Visa Rules
  • Multiple Entry Saudi Family Visit Visa Rules
• Video Guide
• How to check the validity of Saudi Visit Visa online?
• When Visit visa is closed in Saudi Arabia?

Once the visit visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia, it can be stamped by the Saudi Embassy in your home country within 6 months or 180 days of its issuance date.

Let’s say if a family visit visa is issued on the 1^st of Jan, it would be valid until the 30^th of June. In other words, the Saudi Family Visit Visa Validity before stamping is 6 months.

Visa validity after stamping

Once the visa is stamped in your home country by the Saudi Embassy on the passport, it is valid for 3 months or 90 days from the date when it is stamped. Normally, the date on which a visa is stamped is written on the stamped visa.

In other words, Saudi family visa validity after stamping is only 3 months or 90 days. Please make sure to read what is written on the face of the family visit visa before relying on the information provided on the blog.

It is also important to note that the Saudi Embassy doesn’t stamp the family visit visa after the end of Ramadan. It is better to plan ahead and apply for it at the beginning of the month of Ramadan.

Extension of Family Visit Visa

1. Single-Entry Saudi Family Visit Visa Rules

According to the latest rules of family visit visa applicable in 2019, if the single entry family visit visa is stamped for 30 days, it can be extended for 5 more times. Taking this into account, the total stay in Saudi Arabia will be of 180 days.

It should be noted that the MOFA has stopped issuing a single entry visa with the validity of 90 days. The new visa is issued for a period of 30 days only.

It also means that you will have to renew your insurance and pay the Saudi family visit visa extension fee every month within its validity and before its expiry.

1. Multiple Entry Saudi Family Visit Visa Rules

The one-year multiple-entry Family Visit Visa of Saudi Arabia is stamped for 90 days on your passport. The one-year multiple-entry Family Visit Visa can be extended one time with the total duration of stay for 180 days.

The visit visa holder will have to travel out of Saudi Arabia after completing 180 days’ duration and enter back the country to continue staying for another 180 days. 

As you can see that the following one-year multip-entry family visit visa holder entered Saudi Arabia on 30-09-2019 and the visa has been extended now to 31-03-2020.

The visa issued before 11 Sep 2019

The new changes in the visa rules will not have any impact on the family visit visa issued by the MOFA before September 11, 2019. They will continue to extend the visa for a period of 3 months and have to make an exit and re-entry to Saudi Arabia after every 6 months.

Video Guide

How to check the validity of Saudi Visit Visa online?

If the family member for whom you have issued the family visit visa has already arrived in Saudi Arabia, you can easily check the validity of his visa through Absher. If you don’t have an Absher account, you will have to register for it.

Once the account is created, you need to login to it by entering your userID or Iqama number, password and the captcha code. An SMS will be sent to your mobile number with an authentication code that you need to enter the next screen. https://absher.sa 

Once you have successfully logged in to the Absher account, you need to click on the  “Dashboard” icon to check the validity of the family visit visa.

A new screen will open containing many important details related to your account.  Now you need to look for the Visit Visa tab and click on the “More Details” link given under this.

A new screen will open where you can see the name, passport number, visa number, border number, the date of entry and the date of expiry of the Saudi Visit Visa. You need to extend the family visit visa within its validity.

When Visit visa is closed in Saudi Arabia?

Many people ask when the Saudi visit visa is closed in Saudi Arabia. What is the expected closing date of the Saudi Visit Visa?

It is important to note that the MOFA stops issuing a family visit visa from the 1^st of Ramadan so it is better to plan ahead and apply for it at least one month before the start of Ramadan. In other words, the Saudi visit visa closing date is the first of Ramadan.