Dubai: If you have recently moved to Saudi Arabia and are planning to travel out of the country, it is important to note that expatriates living in the country need to have an exit/re-entry visa if they wish to travel outside the country for work or leisure.
The exit/re-entry visa is issued for a period of three months, and can be extended, too, in case your trip turns out to be for longer than you anticipated.
Here is all you need to know about this visa.
How to apply for exit/re-entry through Absher
You can apply for the exit/re-entry visa through Absher. Absher is a comprehensive government services platform, which you can access through the website – absher.sa – or through the ‘Absher’ app, which is available for Apple and Android devices.
To apply for the exit/re-entry visa for yourself, these are the steps you need to follow:
1. Log in to your Absher account, using your username or Iqama number, and entering your account password.
2. You will then be redirected to your personal dashboard, which has your residency details, as well as those of any dependents under your sponsorship.
3. If you are applying for your own visa, tap on ‘Services’ under ‘My services’, select ‘passports’ and then click on ‘visa requests’.
4. Next, select ‘Create request for visa’ and click ‘Exit Re-entry visa (Single)’. Next, tap on confirm.
5. The request will then be sent to your employer, who is your sponsor, for it to be approved. Once the request is approved, you can then apply for the visa through the same platform.
To apply for the exit/re-entry visa for your dependents, these are the steps you need to follow:
1. First, you would need to pay for the visa, depending on how many people you are applying for as well as the type of visa (single or multiple). You can do this through the app of your Saudi bank or through a local ATM.
2. Once you have made the payment, log in to your Absher account, using your username or Iqama number, and entering your account password.
3. You will then be redirected to your personal dashboard, which has your residency details, as well as those of any dependents under your sponsorship.
4. Under ‘Family members’, click on ‘Services’. Next, select Visa services. You will then see a list of all the family members who are under your sponsorship. Select the member for whom you wish to apply for the exit/re-entry visa.
5. Select ‘issue visa’ and click ‘ok’. You can then select the duration for which you wish to apply for the exit/re-entry visa.
6. Once you have entered the details, click on ‘Issue visa’. Remember to select the duration of the visa depending on the payment you have made through your bank.
7. The system will then provide you with the details of the visa application. Review the details and click on ‘Confirm’.
8. You can then take a print out of the visa once it has been issued.
Cost
Single Exit/Re-entry visa fees are as follows:
• SR200 (Dh195) for first two months (or any duration less than two months).
• SR100 (Dh98) for each extra or additional month until the Iqama expiry date (if you are inside the country).
As per an amendment to the residency law in Saudi Arabia in December 2022, if a resident is outside the country, the fee for the additional month will be doubled. Read more about the announcement here.
Multiple entry exit/re-entry visa fees are as follows:
• SR500 (Dh489) for three months
• SR200 (Dh195) for each additional month (if you are inside the country).
As per the amendment mentioned above, in the event the applicant is outside Saudi Arabia, the fee for the additional month will be doubled.
The fees are non-refundable. Also, it is important to note that your passport should be valid for at least three months when you are applying for the visa.
Also, according to the Absher website, you are allowed to stay in Saudi Arabia for up to 90 days from the issuance date or until the exit before date.
You are not allowed to enter Saudi Arabia if your Iqama has expired or after the Exit/Re-entry visa expiry date (whichever comes first).
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When you take a print out of your visa, you will be able to see the following details:
1. Visa number
2. Passport number
3. Iqama number
4. Iqama expiration date
5. Visa holder’s name
6. Exit before date (this is the date by which you should exit the country)
7. Return before date (this is the date by which you should return to Saudi Arabia)
8. Number of dependents included in the visa
How to check visa validity
Once you are outside Saudi Arabia, if you want to check the validity of your exit/re-entry visa, you can do so by visiting the Muqeem website’s visa validity service here: https://muqeem.sa/#/visa-validity/check
Simply enter your Iqama number and in the next drop down menu, select any other identity detail that you wish to use to cross-verify your identity.
This could be any one of the following details:
1. Visa number
2. Passport number
3. Name
4. Date of birth
5. Iqama expiry date
6. Visa expiry date
Click on ‘check’.
The platform will then provide you details of your exit/re-entry visa, including whether the visa status is still valid or has expired, the visa type and number, the visa duration, visa issuance date and validity.
