Family Visit & Dependent Iqama in Saudi Arabia
Bring family on a dependent Iqama if you clear the salary floor, the profession list, and the SAR 400/month per-dependent levy.
Last verified: 2026-06
Overview
Family sponsorship in Saudi Arabia comes in two distinct flavours: short-stay Family Visit Visas (Zayara Aaeleah) for relatives coming to visit you, and longer-term dependent Iqamas (Iqama Tabaeyya) for spouses, children, and in some cases parents to live with you in the Kingdom. Both are sponsor-side actions filed by the worker through the Absher Individuals portal, with the underlying eligibility decided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for visit visas through Enjaz) and the Ministry of Interior (for dependent Iqamas through Muqeem).
Three eligibility filters decide whether a worker can sponsor family at all: the work-permit profession (some 'basic' professions like general labour or domestic helper are excluded from family sponsorship); the monthly salary on the Qiwa contract (the de facto floor is around SAR 4,000/month for a family residence on Absher in 2026, with practical floors as high as SAR 5,000-7,000 once you have 3 or more dependents); and the new skill-based work classification (High-Skilled and Skilled tiers have wider sponsorship rights than Basic). Misjudging any of the three is the single biggest reason family-residence applications fail at Absher.
The defining financial feature of Saudi family sponsorship is the dependent levy: SAR 400 per dependent per month, payable by the expat worker (not the employer) through SADAD. That is SAR 4,800 per dependent per year, on top of the SAR 500/year dependent Iqama fee, plus health insurance, plus any school fees. A worker with a spouse and two adult children pays SAR 14,400/year just in dependent levy. Children under 18 are exempt; new arrivals get a 90-day grace before the meter starts on day 91; Premium Residency holders are exempt for their dependents.
Family visit visas have moved almost entirely online through Enjaz (visa.mofa.gov.sa). The sponsor opens a visa request, picks the relationship, uploads the relative's passport, and pays the SAR 300-500 issuance fee. The relative completes biometrics at a Saudi visa centre abroad (run by VFS Global or similar partners), then collects the visa or has it linked digitally to their passport. Single-entry visit visas are typically valid for 30-90 days; multiple-entry visit visas with the new 1-year and 5-year tourist e-visa schemes are increasingly used by adult children visiting from abroad.
Dependent Iqamas follow the same medical, biometric, and Muqeem-print pipeline as the worker's own Iqama. The sponsor pays the SAR 500 dependent Iqama fee and the proportional dependent levy, the dependent attends the in-Kingdom Saher-compliant medical, biometrics are captured at Jawazat, the Qiwa link is updated, and Muqeem prints the new 5-year card. The whole dependent pipeline usually takes 30-60 days from arrival; the 90-day entry-visa ceiling still applies.
Mid-2025 brought a useful correction for family planning: the automatic 3-year re-entry ban that used to hit family members whose exit/re-entry visas expired while abroad has been removed, which means dependents who got trapped by paperwork in 2022-2024 can now return on fresh dependent visas without a new ban. Re-entry bans still apply for criminal cases and major overstays, but the catch-all paperwork ban is gone.
Documents required
- Sponsor's valid Iqama with at least 6 months remaining
- Sponsor's Qiwa employment contract showing profession and salary that meets the family-sponsorship threshold
- Original passports for each family member with 6+ months validity
- Attested marriage certificate (MOFA + Saudi embassy in the issuing country) for spouse sponsorship
- Attested birth certificates for each child showing the sponsor as parent
- Recent passport-size photos per Jawazat specs for each applicant
- Saher-compliant pre-arrival medical exam at a GCC-approved centre for each dependent over 12
- CCHI-registered health insurance for each dependent before Iqama issuance
- Cleared dependent levy on SADAD for each adult dependent already in-Kingdom
- National Address registered on Wasil so the new 5-year dependent cards can be delivered
Eligibility
- Sponsor's work-permit profession is on the family-sponsorship allowed list (most professional, technical, executive, and skilled roles qualify; some basic roles do not)
- Sponsor's monthly salary on Qiwa meets the threshold (de facto SAR 4,000 floor; higher for larger families)
- Sponsor's skill-tier classification (High-Skilled or Skilled) supports family sponsorship; Basic-tier sponsors face restrictions
- All previous Iqama and dependent fees are paid up to date
- No unresolved labour disputes (no Huroob / Absent from Work flag) on the sponsor's record
- Each dependent passes the in-Kingdom Saher-compliant medical exam after arrival
- Each adult dependent will be covered by an active CCHI insurance policy from arrival
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Family visit visa (Enjaz, single-entry) | 300-500 SAR | Per relative; depends on duration and number of entries. Some VFS service fees apply on top. |
| Family residence visa (Enjaz, one-time issuance) | 2,000 SAR | Issued at a Saudi embassy abroad; valid 90 days from issuance for the dependent to enter Saudi Arabia. |
| Dependent Iqama issuance / annual renewal | 500 SAR | Per dependent per year through Muqeem; lower than the SAR 650 worker Iqama fee. |
| Dependent fee (per dependent per year) | 4,800 SAR | SAR 400/month, paid by the sponsor through SADAD. Children under 18 are exempt; Premium Residency dependents are exempt; 90-day grace for new arrivals. |
| Absher processing service fee | 51.75 SAR | Per dependent Iqama transaction (issuance, renewal, lost card) from January 2025. |
| Dependent health insurance (CCHI tier C) | 1,000-2,500 SAR | Per dependent per year; varies with age and dependent type. Maternity rider included in tier C and above. |
| In-Kingdom medical exam for dependent | 300-500 SAR | Per dependent over 12 at a Muqeem-approved clinic after arrival. |
| Document attestation (per document) | Varies SAR | Marriage and birth certificates need MOFA + Saudi embassy attestation in the issuing country, often USD 50-200 each. |
| Saudi MOFA attestation in-Kingdom | 30-60 SAR | Per document for any further authentication needed inside Saudi Arabia. |
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Step by step
- 1
Confirm eligibility on Qiwa before applying
Log into Qiwa and check three fields on your worker file: profession (is it on the family-sponsorship allowed list?), salary (is it at or above SAR 4,000/month for a small family, higher for 3+ dependents?), and skill tier (is it High-Skilled, Skilled, or Basic?). If your profession is restricted or salary is below the floor, the Absher family-residence option will be greyed out and no amount of paperwork will unlock it. Ask HR to update the contract if your profession is mis-classified.
Same day · online
- 2
Attest marriage and birth certificates abroad
Each family relationship needs an attested certificate. Run the document through: home-country foreign ministry; Saudi embassy in the home country; then sometimes Saudi MOFA in-Kingdom if a further stamp is requested. From December 2022 Saudi Arabia is part of the Hague Apostille Convention for many origin countries, which cuts the chain to a single apostille at the country of origin - confirm whether your country qualifies before paying for the full legalisation chain.
2-6 weeks · either
- 3
Apply for the family residence visa on Enjaz
On visa.mofa.gov.sa (Enjaz) the sponsor opens a 'Family Residence Visa Request' and uploads each dependent's passport, photo, attested certificate, and the sponsor's Iqama + contract. Pay the SAR 2,000 issuance fee. The request is reviewed by MOFA and then transmitted to the Saudi embassy in the dependent's home country. Once approved, the embassy issues a single-entry residence visa valid for 90 days from issuance.
2-4 weeks · online
- 4
Dependent completes pre-arrival Saher medical and Saudi embassy stamping
Each dependent over 12 books a medical exam at a GCC-approved centre (GAMCA in South Asia) covering HIV, hepatitis, TB, pregnancy for women, and a chest X-ray. The result is sent directly to the Saudi embassy, which stamps the residence visa in the passport. Younger children typically need only a basic medical at the embassy's discretion.
1-2 weeks · center
- 5
Dependent enters Saudi Arabia inside the 90-day window
The dependent flies in, uses the dedicated family lane at Jeddah, Riyadh, or Dammam airport, and gets the entry stamp that activates the 90-day Iqama-issuance clock. The sponsor should meet them at arrivals if it is a first-time arrival - the Jawazat officer often asks for the sponsor's Iqama to confirm the family link.
Same day · center
- 6
In-Kingdom medical exam at a Muqeem-approved clinic
Each dependent over 12 repeats the medical at a Muqeem-approved clinic in Saudi Arabia. The panel is similar to the Saher exam (HIV, hepatitis B and C, TB, pregnancy for women). Results post directly to the Muqeem system within 24-72 hours. Children under 12 are typically skipped or given a reduced exam, depending on Jawazat's instructions for the visa class.
1-3 days · center
- 7
Sponsor pays dependent Iqama fee and dependent levy on SADAD
Inside your bank app, pay the SAR 500 dependent Iqama issuance fee through SADAD (bill code searches 'dependent Iqama'), the SAR 400/month dependent levy for at least the first quarter, and the SAR 51.75 Absher processing service fee. Children under 18 should not appear on the levy bill - if they do, raise a ticket with Jawazat before paying.
Same day · online
- 8
Issue dependent Iqama through Muqeem
The sponsor (or HR for some establishments) opens muqeem.sa, picks the dependent, and triggers 'Dependent Iqama Issuance'. Muqeem reads the medical result, the CCHI insurance, the levy balance, and the residence visa, and prints the new dependent Iqama. The digital Iqama is live in Absher within minutes; the new 5-year physical card is dispatched by Wasil to the National Address over 5-10 working days.
Same day digital; 5-10 days physical · online
- 9
Link dependent on the sponsor's Absher and CCHI policies
Open Absher Individuals > Family Services to confirm the dependent appears in your linked-family list. Add them to your CCHI policy through your insurer's portal if not already done. The dependent themselves can then create an Absher account using their new Iqama number once they have a Saudi SIM in their own name.
Same day · online
Processing time: Family Visit Visa: 1-4 weeks end-to-end through Enjaz and VFS. Family Residence Visa to printed dependent Iqama: 8-16 weeks total when attestation, embassy stamping, arrival, medical, and Muqeem print all line up. Premium Residency dependents skip the levy and most of the sponsor-side blockers, which compresses the timeline by 2-4 weeks.
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Where to do it online
- Absher
Family services view: linked dependents, family visit visas, dependent Iqama status, dependent levy bills, exit/re-entry for dependents.
- Muqeem
Sponsor-side issuance and renewal of dependent Iqamas, medical and CCHI sync.
- Qiwa
Holds the sponsor's profession, salary, and skill tier that determine family eligibility.
- Najiz
Used if a labour dispute on the sponsor's contract is freezing family sponsorship.
- Nafath
SSO authenticator for every dependent-visa, family-visit and dependent-iqama-renewal step.
- Tawakkalna
Carries dependent digital iqamas linked to the sponsor file after issuance.
For first-time family sponsorship, a typing centre is genuinely useful in three places: re-typing and translating attested marriage and birth certificates into the Arabic format Saudi MOFA expects; helping the sponsor file the Enjaz residence-visa request when documents are in unusual formats; and walking through Muqeem dependent-Iqama issuance for sponsors who do not have a dedicated GRO. Expect SAR 100-300 in service fees per dependent on top of government charges. For the Family Visit Visa flow itself, Enjaz is straightforward enough that a typing centre is rarely worth the extra cost.
Renewal
Dependent Iqamas renew annually (or every 2 years) on Muqeem, tied to the sponsor's own Iqama renewal cycle. The sponsor pays the SAR 500 fee per dependent plus the dependent levy proportional to the renewal period and the Absher processing service fee. CCHI insurance must cover the full renewal period or Muqeem will reject the submission. From January 2026 the new 5-year physical dependent card means a re-issue only happens at the 5-year mark - the digital renewal still happens every 1 or 2 years.
Fines & penalties
- Unpaid dependent levy blocks every exit/re-entry visa for both the sponsor and the dependent
- Sponsoring outside the salary or profession bracket: Absher application is rejected; serious misrepresentation can trigger work-permit penalties on the sponsor
- Letting a dependent Iqama expire: SAR 500 fine first offence, SAR 1,000 thereafter, plus risk of detention and deportation
- Family visit visa overstay: SAR 100/day from the day after expiry; the visitor cannot leave or be sponsored again without clearing the overstay
- Working on a dependent Iqama without converting to a work Iqama through Qiwa: SAR 10,000+ fines and possible deportation
- Dependent Iqama tied to a sponsor in Nitaqat Red: the entire family residence pipeline freezes until the establishment is restored
Common pitfalls
- Assuming the SAR 4,000 salary floor is fixed - in practice Absher routinely rejects sponsorship of 3+ dependents when salary is below SAR 5,000-7,000, even though no single official number is published
- Paying the SAR 400/month dependent levy for a child under 18 because their name appeared on the SADAD bill - children are exempt and the line should be challenged before payment
- Bringing dependents on Umrah or tourist e-visas and trying to convert them to residence in-Kingdom - it is not permitted; they have to exit and re-enter on the residence visa
- Letting the 90-day arrival-to-Iqama window slip because the in-Kingdom medical was delayed - the dependent has to leave and re-enter, with the sponsor paying for a fresh visa
- Forgetting to add the new dependent to your CCHI policy before triggering Muqeem - the issuance fails the moment Muqeem reads the empty insurance slot
- Believing the apostille shortcut applies to every country - Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Convention in December 2022 but several origin countries still need the full embassy chain; confirm before paying
- Sponsoring a parent without realising they are charged the same SAR 400/month levy as any other adult dependent - older parents are not exempt
- Letting an exit/re-entry visa expire while a dependent is abroad - until mid-2025 this triggered a 3-year ban; the ban is now lifted but documentation around it is still inconsistent across embassies, so confirm before flying back
FAQs
The de facto floor for a Saudi Family Residence Visa on Absher is around SAR 4,000/month for a spouse and one or two children, rising to SAR 5,000-7,000 once you have 3 or more dependents. The threshold is read off your Qiwa contract, not your bank statement, so a salary deposited from a side job will not count. Eligibility also depends on the profession on the work permit (some 'basic' professions are excluded entirely from family sponsorship) and the new skill-tier classification (High-Skilled and Skilled tiers have wider sponsorship rights than Basic). The official numbers are not always published - the Absher application screen is the most reliable real-time check.
The dependent levy is SAR 400 per sponsored dependent per month, or SAR 4,800 per year. It is paid by the expat sponsor (not the employer) through SADAD using bill code 077 or by searching 'Muqeem dependent fee' in any Saudi bank app. Quarterly, semi-annual, and annual payment options are available. Children under 18 are exempt; new arrivals get a 90-day grace before the meter starts on day 91; Premium Residency holders are exempt from the levy on their own dependents; foreign wives of Saudi citizens with disabilities are exempt; dependents of industrial-sector workers were exempt through end-2025 with 2026 status unconfirmed - check the latest MHRSD announcement.
Yes, but with two caveats. First, parental sponsorship is usually only granted for skilled or higher-tier workers whose salary comfortably exceeds the family-residence floor (often SAR 7,000-10,000+/month in practice). Second, parents are charged the same SAR 400/month dependent levy as any other adult dependent, so two parents add SAR 9,600/year to your cost of living. The application is filed the same way as for a spouse: attested birth certificate of the sponsor showing the parents, MOFA + Saudi embassy chain in the home country, residence visa through Enjaz, in-Kingdom medical after arrival, then Muqeem print.
Standard single-entry Family Visit Visas through Enjaz are valid for 30 or 90 days of stay, depending on what the sponsor selects. Multiple-entry visit visas valid for 1 year and 5 years are available for certain relationships and are increasingly used by adult children visiting from abroad. Extensions inside the Kingdom are possible through Absher Individuals > Family Services > Extend Family Visit Visa for up to a maximum total stay of 90 days, paid through SADAD. Overstaying triggers a SAR 100/day fine and blocks future sponsorship until cleared.
From Saudi Arabia's accession to the Hague Apostille Convention in December 2022, marriage certificates from member countries can be authenticated with a single apostille at the country of origin instead of the full embassy chain. The required papers are: an original marriage certificate with the country-of-origin apostille; your spouse's passport with 6+ months validity; recent photos per Jawazat spec; your Iqama and Qiwa contract; a Saher-compliant medical exam result. The sponsor opens the residence visa request on Enjaz, pays the SAR 2,000 issuance fee, the Saudi embassy issues the visa, and the in-Kingdom pipeline (medical, biometrics, Muqeem print) follows after arrival.
Not directly. A dependent Iqama allows residence and access to most services but does not authorise paid employment. To work, the dependent must obtain a separate work permit through Qiwa, which requires a sponsoring employer who issues a block-visa request and converts the dependent Iqama to a worker Iqama. Some spouses keep a dependent Iqama and operate as freelancers under a Premium Residency or freelancer permit programme, but standalone freelance work on a dependent Iqama is not legally permitted. Working without converting risks SAR 10,000+ fines and possible deportation.
Realistically 8-16 weeks from first attestation to printed dependent Iqama. Document attestation in the home country is the longest leg (2-6 weeks if the apostille route applies; longer for full embassy chain). The Enjaz residence-visa approval takes 2-4 weeks. The dependent flies in, completes the in-Kingdom medical (1-3 days for results), biometrics (1-2 hours on site), and Muqeem print (same day digital, 5-10 days for the new 5-year physical card by Wasil). The 90-day entry-visa window is a hard ceiling for completing every in-Kingdom step.
Each dependent needs to be explicitly added to a CCHI-registered policy, even if it is the same insurer and same plan tier. The sponsor adds them through HR or directly through the insurer's online portal. The Muqeem system reads CCHI live at the moment of dependent-Iqama issuance and at every annual renewal, and rejects the application if the dependent is not on an active policy. Maternity coverage is included in tier C (the standard) and above; tier A is reserved for premium plans. Budget SAR 1,000-2,500 per dependent per year for CCHI coverage in 2026.
The dependent levy is SAR 400 per dependent per month, payable by the sponsor before each iqama renewal. Our Saudi dependent fee calculator works out the annual and renewal-cycle cost for any number of dependents and accounts for the 90-day exemption that newly arrived dependents get on first entry.
Across the GCC
Family Visa, in other GCC countries
The same paperwork, by its local name. Tap any country to see the full guide.
Related paperwork
Other services you may need in KSA
These often come up alongside this transaction. Each guide has the same country detail.
Residency Visa
Iqama (Residency Permit)
Issuance, renewal, and transfer of GCC residency permits.
National ID Card
Iqama (Muqeem Card)
The unified resident identity card across GCC states.
Exit & Re-Entry Visas
Exit and Re-Entry Visa (Khurooj wa Awda)
Travel permits for residents to leave and return.
Document Attestation
MOFA Attestation
Legalising educational, marriage, and birth certificates for use in the GCC.
Driving Licence
Saudi Driving Licence (Rukhsat Qiyada)
Obtaining, renewing, or converting a foreign driving licence.
Vehicle Registration
Istimara (Vehicle Registration)
Registering a new or transferred vehicle and renewing yearly Mulkiya/Istimara.
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