Cairo:The Saudi government has approved an amendment doubling fees of exit/re-entry visas, and renewal of iqama (residency permit) for expatriates who are outside the kingdom, local newspaper Okaz has reported.
According to the new amendments, the fee of the exit/re-entry visa is SR200 for a single travel of a maximum of two months, with an extra SR100 charged for each additional month if the expatriate is inside the kingdom, Okaz added. The fee doubles per each additional month if the expatriate is outside Saudi Arabia and the iqama is still valid, it added.
For multiple travels of three months, the fee is now SR500 with an extra SR200 charged for each additional month if the expatriate is inside the kingdom. The fee doubles for each additional month if the expatriate is outside the kingdom within the validity of the iqama. There was no word about the previous fees.
An amendment to the iqama law, published in Saudi Arabia’s Official Gazette known as Umm Al Qura, stipulates that renewing the iqama of the expatriate’s dependents and the domestic workers, who are outside the kingdom can be done via the Interior Ministry’s electronic portal at a fee two times that charged if they are inside Saudi Arabia, added the report without giving specific figures.
Saudi Arabia, a country of around 34.8 million people, hosts a large community of migrant workers.
