Saudi Arabia Work Visa; Business Visas to Visit KSA
85Types of Saudi Visa
If you are going to be working in Saudi Arabia then you will need a Saudi Arabian Work visa or a Business Visa. This article will discuss the types of visas that you need as well as the various problems that you may encounter; I have been thrown out of the Saudi Embassy in London after I was insulted by staff, had documents destroyed, been forced to pay bribes and even ended up as an illegal alien that had to be smuggled out of KSA.
There are 5 main types of Visa that you can apply for when looking to enter KSA for either work or just to visit;
Saudi Business Visa;
this is for business men and women working for companies outside Saudi Arabia so that they can come into the Kingdom to work with or for a Saudi company. The duration can be one, three or 6 months. It can also be used by companies to bring you into the kingdom to work on a short term contract or to try you out during your trial period, although this is not what the visa is for. Often if a company has problems gaining a work visa due to not being able to get authorization due to employing too few local Saudis they will bring an employee in on this visa.
Saudi Work Visa;
this is for those that have been offered a contract to be working in Saudi Arabia, you will require to have medicals and submit educational certificates, all of which have to be legalized. Use an agent to do this as you will have to complete a large amount of paperwork. This visa is valid for 90 days at the end of which the company has to convert it to an Iqama which is your residency and work permit to allow you to stay and work in the country.
Saudi Holiday Visa
It is available, but unless you are Muslim with family in Saudi Arabia to sponsor your visit you are unlikely to get it! They do however want to develop the tourist industry so it will be interesting to see how this develops.
Dependent visa for Saudi Arabia
this is for the family of those that have an approved work visa. Please note however that only legalized marriage will be recognized, you can't bring your girlfriend even if you have been together for 20 years.
Umrah/Haj Visa
this is for those that wish to visit to make Umrah/Haj, religious pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). This is only for Muslims and the visas are limited by number and through approved travel agents only.
This hub will detail out my experiences of getting a Saudi Arabia Visa and the MANY problems that I have encountered, from being "escorted" from the Saudi embassy, having money extorted from me and being smuggled out of the country illegally!
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Useful Links for your Visa
- Saudi Embassy in London UK
This is the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London, You will find all of the information you require to apply for your Saudi Arabian visa here. - The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Homepage US
Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, information and requirements for your visa application. - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), information regarding requirements to enter and work in Saudi Arabia, you can also track your Saudi Arabian Visa here using the visa reference number. - Ministry of Hajj
Information regarding Hajj in Saudi Arabia, a handy website if you are looking to make Hajj allowing you to gain all the information for your Saudi Visa
Application for Saudi Visa
Whichever country you are coming from, read the requirements for the visa very carefully on the Saudi Arabian Embassy website in your country. On the whole you will be far better off using an agent to do the application for you and they can recommend the best places to get medical reports and so on that you will require. The agent can make sure that everything is correct rather than having it rejected by the Saudi embassy.
You will have to submit your educational certificates, all of which will need to be legalized. The process for doing so will be explained on their websites or by the agent, again you can get the agent to do this for you but the costs will start to mount – make sure that your employer will shoulder the expenses, as not all will!
Do not be surprised if no care is taken of your precious original certificates, my pristine well kept degree certificate was sent between two sheets of stiff card to protect it, it was returned after having been totally screwed up and then folded in half to be returned! It is so badly damaged that it is almost unreadable in places! I have learned the hard way that many Saudis have no respect for any non-Saudis!
Get a Saudi Visa to view the Kingdom
The Reality of Applying for a Saudi Arabian Work Visa
The first time I got a visa for Saudi Arabia (KSA) in England was quite straight forward, I took all of my paperwork to the Saudi embassy in London and received it a couple of days later, no problem at all.
The Saudi Arabian visa was a business visa, good for 3 months, which was meant to keep me until they could sort out a residency visa (Iqama) for me. However be careful, they do not tell you, you are supposed to just know, that this visa has to be stamped every month for you to remain legally in the kingdom. Failure to do so could land you in prison for a few weeks while the problem is sorted out, and believe me nothing is done quickly here!
The company that I was working for was having problems with getting work visas so I was sent home after 2 and a half months, the visa section said that I could only have 2 weeks of my last month!
Applied for my Saudi Arabian Business visa in the same way, again no problem and was back in Saudi within a few weeks, back to work. Again visa being stamped every month. This time I was completely refused my third month, only having a week to get out (after pleading and begging!), so I had to cancel appointments and training courses that I was running which I rescheduled for about 3 weeks later.
Returned to England, completed my paperwork, went to the Embassy and handed it all over for processing;
This is what the conversation was like when I applied for my Saudi Arabian Visa
“You can’t give that here” said the guy behind the counter.
“why” I asked..
“We have changed our process, you have to use an agent.”
“Why does your website still show the old way of doing things with no mention of this?”
“I don’t know, it’s not my responsibility”
“can you give me the name of an agent?”
“No”
“Why not?”
“You have to get it from the website”
“can’t you just give me a name or print it out for me?”
“no”
“why did you change the system?”
“because everyone was coming in the office complaining that we were late giving them visas and they were missing flights, now they complain to the agents not us.”
“How long will this take now?”
“I don’t know, maybe 10 days” (it was 2 days before)
“Now I will have to rearrange my flight, you are not making things easy for us to come to your country”
“We don’t want you shit in our country!” – He actually said this, I am not sure what my reply was, I know I was shouting and demanding to see someone in authority as the security carried me out!!
So, my second stay waiting for my third visa took over a month, I had to rearrange all of my appointments again, without being able to give a truly firm date! Not so good for business as you can imagine, my credibility was totally shot!
Finally returned to find that the company still could not get a Saudi Arabian residency visa and that I would be unlikely to be sure of even the second month of my business visa, clients were demanding that I resolve the issue or there would be no business with them! – Eventually I moved company so that I did not have this problem, the next company getting me a residency visa and my Iqama within a few weeks, which is what should happen, but I hear so very many many stories!
Get a Saudi Arabian Visa to see KSA
Bring your Family to Saudi Arabia
Dependant Visas
Not all jobs in Saudi allow you to bring your spouse or children (They now say that all jobs are allowed to bring their families but I still know some people who have been refused as the demand was just too great after this was announced!), check before you take the job if you will be able to bring your family before you travel or you may get a shock! Each visa declares the "job" that the person may be doing, mine stated that I was a "business analyst" (all in Arabic so you can't read it yourself), this is a professional position so I was entitled to bring my family. However some other professional types that I knew had Saudi Arabia Work visas that did not have job titles that reflected their actual position in the companies for which they worked in Saudi Arabia, these titles were often very basic and were not sufficient to allow them to bring their families!
Processing your visa application when you are in Saudi should be fairly straightforward. However not always, my friends that I know here have had no problems, I had nothing but problems – but then I found out why!
Problems getting a Saudi Arabian Family Visa
Most companies will have a government relations guy who will do all of the leg work with the various ministries and departments, he is the guy that usually will take your visas and so on to get them processed. Mine kept coming back with problem after problem, even though it was the same paperwork that was used for me to get my visa to come to the kingdom in the first place. This went on for a couple of months until someone suggest that I should be offering money!
I lost my temper with the government relations officer, after all the documentation was correct so why can’t he get the visa for my wife without me offering money? He was very sympathetic but said that it may be the only way, so in the end I had to agree to paying whatever it would take – within reason!
It cost me 4000SAR ($1067) to get the visa processed, I have no idea if the money went to my company’s relations officer or to the guy in the ministry, I have no way of knowing. But I was basically blackmailed into paying without any other options! I have heard similar stories from others but not other westerners! It took one afternoon to process with the same paperwork that I started with! (and my degree certificate got lost!)
Arrival in Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Visa Nightmare!
This happened to a “friend” (read between the lines); his business visa (because he didn't yet have a Saudi work visa) was not taken for monthly stamping and expired therefore he became illegal, a colleagues family (wife and three children) were in the same situation unbeknown to them, and the husband was given some paperwork in Arabic to sign in amongst other unrelated business paperwork taking responsibility for the problem with his family! Thankfully he asked someone else to read it all before he signed it, as you can imagine he was not too happy with the situation that the company had put him and his family in.
The problem could not be resolved, the visas could not be stamped, the advice given was to try to leave by a specific airport (Dammam) as they were not so good at checking, but if we were caught we could be jailed for 1 or 2 weeks including my colleague’s wife and fined (Although I now know that the fine would have been the responsibility of the company!) We said no as you can imagine – and asked them to find a solution!
No real solution was available, the issue could not be resolved officially once we were illegal that was it! So we had to have a way of getting it resolved that was not through official channels.
Exit Saudi Arabia over Bridge to Bahrain
Escape from Saudi Arabia without a visa
Through a friend of a friend we were introduced to someone who said that they could take us out of the country on a Wednesday night over the causeway bridge into Bahrain without any problem – “guaranteed”. For a small fee of course!
So we arranged to meet this guy in the service area on the causeway before all of the different check points on the bridge about a week later.
We arrived, my colleague, his wife and three children and myself and waited over an hour for this guy, he was late, did not answer his phone and we began to think that he had decided not to turn up, but eventually he arrived an hour later than expected. His English was very poor so we had little idea as to how he was going to achieve what he was going to do!
So we followed him onto the bridge towards Bahrain, us in a large vehicle with our driver and him in a smaller one, we progressed through the first checkpoint which is to check the ownership and insurance of the car before you move to the other checks which check your personal paperwork, customs etc.
After this first checkpoint this guy and our driver swapped cars so that we now had the “fixer” as our driver now that the car ownership point had been passed. We queued for about another 30 minutes heading towards to the next checkpoint, just before the next check he turned between a group of buildings in the centre of the bridge down a small alley way and came out on the opposite side of the bridge, the road coming into Saudi from Bahrain. At this point he drove against the traffic towards the checkpoint that checks the visas of people coming into Saudi Arabia. By this time my friends wife was having great difficulty controlling her tears due to the worry of being caught, which of course was being picked up by the three small girls in the car also!
He stopped just before the checkpoint and were joined by one of the security people from the checkpoint, at this point our passports were taken and the guy paid to have an entry stamp placed in all of our passports basically making them legal as far as a brief examination was concerned!
We then were driven back to the other side of the bridge through another small alley between the officials buildings in the center portion of the causeway, emerging just before the final check for passports and visas. My collegue then had to get out and get the relevant paperwork for his wife to exit from a nearby office using the newly stamped passport, marriage certificate etc. (A woman requires the permission of her husband or father to travel within and out of Saudi Arabia!)
Again his wife spent a very tearful 20 minutes or so while he went to get the paperwork done, thankfully no problem, and we continued towards the final checkpoint!
A tense 30 seconds was spent at the checkpoint as the guard opened and checked each passport before stamping each one with the exit stamp and waved us through, what a relief! I was never so glad to arrive in a hotel and have an ice cold beer!
Visas Checked and Stamped on Bridge between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
king fahd causeway - Bridge between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Visas Checkpoints
Companies Obligations with regard to your Work Visa in Saudi Arabia
Your employer is responsible for ensuring that your visa and residency permit (Iqama) is up to date and renewed etc but this does not stop you from having a major problem when they fail to do their job, often it is you that will suffer not the company!
There are many cases where workers (not normally western, but Filipino, Indian etc) who have not had their residency permits or Iqama renewed by their employers making them illegal, these workers are then afraid to leave the safety of their workplaces, many living where they work, and thus they are kept almost as a prisoner by the employer. There are several cases of workers not going for medical treatment as they are scarred that they will be reported as illegal if they go to one of the hospitals for treatment!
There are reported cases of workers being held like this for as long as 20 years, often without wages!
Saudi Exit Visa
If you want to leave Saudi Arabia you need to have an Exit Visa! You cannot leave without this, this has to be granted through your company. So if your company does not want you to leave you can't leave. Once you are in you are at their mercy, and many maids and the like who should be able to go home each year are not allowed to leave. I have also known westerners who have had their exit visas refused as the company does not want them to leave for various reasons.
When your contract is finished your company will issue a final exit, when you try to leave they will do a full check of your details, if you have any debts, own a car, any fines, disputes or anything you will be detained until these issues are resolved! If your wife walked through the check ahead of you when this happens she will be going home without you, always check your exit first!
But at the end of the day, who would want to leave??
Saudi Arabia Final Exit Visa
If you are going to be leaving your current sponsor/employer and leaving the country then you will need a final exit visa for KSA.
You need to make sure that everything is cleared before you try to leave the country, everything!
You must pay all of your bills, phone, power, housing etc. Keep all receipts.
If you own a car you must sell it and ensure that the name is transferred to the new owner, if it is still in your name you cannot leave! Keep copies of all of the transfer and sales documentation with you.
Check if you have any traffic fines to pay and pay them (they now have speed cameras and you may not know that you have a fine!), again keep all paperwork related to this!
Cancel and pay any credit cards, pay off loans. Keep all paperwork and receipts to prove you have done this. Ensure you do this at least a month before exit if you can.
Empty your Saudi bank accounts, transfer the money electronically if you can or send via western union or equivalent. Do this well before departure to ensure you can check that the money has arrived where it was sent.
Use cash only for the last few weeks of your stay!
When you get to the airport for final exit you will have everything checked, if something is not settled you will be refused exit until it is settled, within my small circle of friends two were refused exit, one for traffic fines and the other for the car not yet transferred into the buyers name.
If you have family with you, consider sending them home a few days before departure so that they are not inconvenienced or shocked if you are detained! Once the stamp is in your passport you are out, so if your wife went before you and her passport is stamped and you are refused she has to leave you behind.
Don't forget your Saudi Gold when you Exit.
![1916 Hejaz [ NOW IS SAUDI ] gold coin](http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/pict/1808687274054040_1.jpg)
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More Saudi Advice
If you enjoyed this article then you may find some of the following links useful in finding out more about living and working in Saudi Arabia.
The following are links to additional articles that may help you if you are working in Saudi Arabia as an Expat or considering working in KSA.
If you need to find Saudi Arabia Jobs then this will help you to find the best places to look for them and the article regarding Saudi Visas will help you with your visa application to either work or visit Saudi Arabia. The following about working as an expat in Saudi Arabia or about the general behavior towards expatriates in Saudi will also be of help if you are considering spending time there.
If you are are going to stay in KSA then you may need a Saudi Arabia Hotel or to learn about Saudi Arabia Compounds as well as to learn about the various alternatives to hotels and compounds and the real truth about living there.
It may be useful to learn about Saudi Arabia Women if you are a woman and are looking to work in Saudi Arabia or if you will accompany your spouse to KSA.
Traveling in Saudi Arabia can be a real experience, the Saudi Arabian Airline review will be of use as will the following regarding Saudi roads, Saudi Accidents, and driving from Riyadh to Jeddah by road. Driving in the kingdom is an experience that is unlike any other country!
You will not be able to pop to the local bar in Saudi Arabia as they are not legal so you may wish to learn about alternative entertainment in Saudi Arabia or maybe you would like to visit the Makkah Clock Tower if you are a Muslim. For those of you who wish to go dating in Saudi Arabia read this first as it is far from easy!
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CommentsLoading...
Extremely interesting and informative!
Pro-Design, thank you for reading and leaving a comment, I am glad that you are enjoying reading about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Maybe you will visit me here one day, I will be happy to help you with your Saudi Arabia Visa if you do.
Thank you for your comments paradigmsearch. If there is anything else that you would like to know about Saudi Arabia let me know and I will try to include it in my future hubs.
I have no plans to visit Saudi Arabia, yet I found this hub thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.
JBeadle, I am glad that you enjoyed your read, the stories regarding my visa issues are all true! Thanks for the comments.
I've never had the inclination to work in KSA - if I ever did I know of a resource that will give me the information I need.
I wonder where that is!
I am sure you would enjoy working here with your sense of humor Humagaia, you have to be able to laugh!
Leanman, maybe you had so many problems being non Muslim or whats your origin ? I heard Saudis are not so friendly to non muslim visitors, is that true ? But no doubt you defintiely had a lot of courage to do all that but do you think after such incident you could have problem entering or exiting through any of the 6 GCC countries or especially KSA visa during next few years if you plan to visit next time ?
Hi LCDGuy, thanks for reading, I have been in and out several times since these incidents without a problem. So I hope all now fine, however I am probably going to be either transferring my work visa of leaving to get a new Saudi Arabia Visa in the next month or so as I am hoping to change my job. Maybe a whole new set of experiences to write about.
Great hub. Thank you for sharing your knowledge about visa for Saudi Arabia.
Thank you for stopping by to comment Artof.. If you ever need to come on over to Saudi Arabia just give me a call..
Excellent reference for Saudi Arabia Visas. The videos are great, too.
Thanks Rookie, glad you enjoyed it. Maybe I can help you with your visa some day.
HI SIR WE TOMUCH PROBLEM ON FLOOD IN PAKISTAN AND NOW I AM LOOKIN FOR JOB IN SAUDI ARABIA AND I CAN SPEEK ARABIC LUNGUEGE I CAN WORK ANY THINK FOR MY SELF BUT KNOW THE FALCONRY WORK ITS A FALCON DISPLAY SO HELP ME CAN I HAVE ANY WORK THERE JOF HAVE JOB
Hi Khadem, thank you for reading. I know that there are many agencies in Pakistan recruiting people for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the middle east. Contact a few of those and I am sure that they will help you find employment and get your Saudi Arabia Visa. Good luck with your search.
Very interesting and informative Hub!
Nice Blog Freind U hits
Thank you Triosol and JogJakarta for your comments.
This should be a great help to those wishing to live and work in Saudi!
Thank your fro reading and commenting Izzy, I know you considered coming here to work as a nurse in the past, if you ever decide to visit again I will help you out with your Saudi Arabia Work Visa.
Hello, i am a muslim girl married to christian guy(civil marriage) my husband is british, has been working in Riyadh for three months now, planning to go to Riyadh to live with him, but i've been told that it's not possible to live in saudi if we have different religions? is it true that they will not grant me a visa unless one of us changes his religion? pls advise...
Hi Lama, The permission for the visa is granted here in Saudi by your husband taking a copy of your marriage certificate and his paperwork with an application form to the ministry, there is no mention of religion on this form at all.
You then take this permission to the embassy in London with the marriage certificate, medical report etc
and the application form which has a very small box in which to declare your religion - you could write anything you like in that box... which would be the simplest way to avoid any issues! - I wrote NA
I am not aware of such a rule, as they would not "allow" a Muslim to marry a Christian, in the eyes of the people here you are not a Muslim, as a Muslim girl would not marry outside her religion!
Get you Husband to check through his employer if you insist on declaring your religion to be sure.
My wife is also Muslim, however it is not declared on any paperwork but my employer knew when dealing with the paperwork and mentioned nothing at all!
Hello, thanks for the info, I'm Lebanese and here in Lebanon religion is mentioned on our ID, the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon have asked for my ID, medical etc.... So i guess i will not be able to hide my religion, plus i'm sure that religion is mentioned on Iqama,incase i got the visa and then Iqama,don't want the Moutaweh to cause any trouble incase we were together and they find out our religions are different. My husband's employers said it's not a problem, but i don't trust saudis.... anyways, will see what will happen, hope i won't get stoned there :D
Many thanks for your reply.
I must admit, not being able to read Arabic I have little idea what is on my Iqama...
However don't worry too much about being in Saudi Arabia, as I said I really know of nothing, my firm knew of nothing and your Husband's firm knows of nothing that can prevent you from being with your husband here in Saudi, go get your visa!!!!
Don't worry too much about the police and the Mutawah here in Saudi Arabia, I have only ever seen or heard of Filipinos, Indians and the like being stopped to have their ID checked, anyone else is very rare.
I think the worst they would do is give your husband a pile of booklets and urge him to convert, too many problems for them would arise if they started causing problems for a British National over something like this, they will not want the press...
vote for u
Thank you for the vote sylicon, I hope you enjoyed finding out how to get a Saudi Arabia work visa.
What an interesting read on Saudi Arabia. Truly enjoyed it and yea, money can get anything done!! I have seen this in India as well!!
rated up!!
Good Hub Indeed!!!!!!
The hub which describes extensively about the 5 main types of Visa that anyone can opt for, when he is looking to enter into the Saudi Arabia. The information like, we have to submit our educational certificates, which necessarily need to be legalized, is immensely fruitful for various aspirants who are wishing to enter into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thanks a lot for sharing such a wonderful peace of text.
Englihtenedsoul, thank you for reading and commenting, it is a pity that so many countries have systems where a little money is required to make things happen.
Thank you for reading Henrykasan, should you ever need any help with arranging a Saudi Arabia work visa just let me know.
Good hub LeanMan with great information and background. A girlfriend has just arrived in Saudi to work at a University so I hope all goes well for her. It seems rather restrictive for women there. Good luck with your new job!
Travelespresso, thank you for reading and commenting. You will have to read some of my other hubs here regarding life in Saudi Arabia.. Did you friend have many problems getting her work visa as a woman?
Is it worth working in Saudi? I see in TVs that many Indians were seen jobless and being thrown out from there.
Like all economies around the world certain industries are suffering and laying off workers. However there is still a need for expats to be coming here to Saudi Arabia on their work visas as there is still a huge demand for expat workers to do the work that local Saudis do not want to do.
I like your hub.You have a nice explanation about different visas for Saudi Arabia.Nice post! Thanks..
Thank you sonyericson for taking time out of your busy phone manufacturing schedule to read and comment on my hub about Saudi Arabian visas.
I had no idea it was like this. I was riveted to your story - great Hub!
I am glad you enjoyed my experiences of getting a Saudi Arabia work Visa MKayo, thanks for taking the time to make comment.
This was a very good write on Saudi visas. I also was riveted to reading this story. Voting this one way up there. If it is so difficult why would one want to go there? Thank you for writing it, i did enjoy it! aloha
I pushed the buttons too. Great insight! Thank you!
Sa'ge and Micky Dee, thank you both for coming by, at least you don't need a visa to visit the page unlike Saudi Arabia. Working here has its benefits such as high untaxed wages, which is why most of us expats are here, we didn't come for the beer that's for sure.
hi, im a british citizen and my husband is a lebanese. we are both working in riyadh and would like to go to bahrain by car. i know we need to bring our marriage certificate in case they ask us at the checkpoint border. do we need to have it stamped or certified at the british embassy? i'm not sure what is their requirements for the married couples regarding marriage certificate. we got married in cyprus and the marriage is recognized in UK. thank you.
Dear Hakela, if you came to the kingdom as a married couple then your certificate will already have been translated into Arabic and stamped by the Saudi Embassy, unless you did not arrive as a couple. Otherwise check with your sponsor who should be able to arrange anything that you need. You will be both needing an exit / re-entry visa to go to Bahrain if you are working here with an Iqama.
how likely is it to get a visa with an employment contract but no degree?
Hi, thanks for writing such a great post, I was not aware that on Business Visa you need to renew every month. Anyways I am in Riyadh, on WORK VIST VISA, my visa has the validity of 90 days, all I want to know is that does WORK VISIT VISA also require a renewal every month, if so then please let me know. And if you don't know and know someone who knows this let me know with their contact.
This response is a bit late, but this is a very useful guide. LeanMan, a question I have is with regards to the visit visa, would one be able to rent in a compound or outside using only a visit Visa that is continuously renewed or is this not possible at all?
Hi Raed, if I am honest I am not 100% sure - my renting on compound has been done through my employer in the past therefore the compound is assured of payment through them should I not return.. Off compound, I have rented a few times and the requirements have been very mixed, one asked me for nothing and the others either a copy of my passport, iqama, or a letter from my employer - no hard and fast rule, just what the individual landlord wants..
Some will not ask much, after all there are many people there who there living and working illegally with no visa or iqama..
Great information!!
I expect to enter the KSA with a work visa in approximately 8 months. The paper work processing will start in a couple of months. Will my wife be able to get a visa and enter the country at the same time, or will she have to follow at a later date?
I thank you sooooooooo uch for the information also thanxx for the topic that can give everyone agreat view of saudia ..~
my pleasure ,,
Saudi does not seem line a place I would like to visit
Great information. But now can you help me? I have a job offer as a senior project manager. But I have no degree and very little qualifications apart from my 29 on the job. do you think i will have any trouble getting my iquama???
LiamOB thanks for reading and leaving a comment. In my experience you will need to have some form of relevant qualification such as a degree to get your work visa. The Saudis can be quite pedantic when it comes to having all paperwork in order with all of the relevant things dotted and crossed.
Talk to the company who have made the offer and get their advice, after all they may have a "more direct route" for getting your paperwork approved! Money talks in Saudi Arabia, more so than in some other countries!
Hi LeanMan,
I need a small favour from you. I was offered a job in Saudi by a bank, I accepted it and my work visa is processed and my flight is after about 3 days. Now, a dubai based company has offerred me a better job, better profile and salary has been increased by 50%.
Now my question is, If I don't go to saudi and send an email to the company that I am not joining. Will they blacklist me from not entering Saudi at all?
Please help.
Regards,
Raj
HI raj, I am not aware of any "blacklist" that you could be put on.. however the fact that you have a Saudi work visa and have not used it may raise some questions if you try to enter again!
However, i assume you are going to the middle east for the money so it would be foolish to turn down a job with an extra 50% on the salary.
assslmu alykum ,,,, i got selection in one king hospital in saudi as a staff nurse ,,,,,,and i am waiting for visa from last 4 month ,,,till now my visa didnt arrived ,,, ministry is senting afew visa ,,,,around 160 candidates they selected through interview,,,,,, around that 40 reached there ,,,remaining still in india......... can we expect vissa,,, i already signed offer letter.......
Hi Can someone work on Business Visa. I Did all the contract paper work for an engineering position with a Saudi based company and I also did the medical as well. I am of Westerner Nationality but originally from a third world country. My religion is Islam. I am wondering if the reason they haven't given me the work visa and instead issued business visa is due to my background? or is this a common thing.
Hi Can someone work on Business Visa. I Did all the contract paper work for an engineering position with a Saudi based company and I also did the medical as well. I am of Westerner Nationality but originally from a third world country. My religion is Islam. I am wondering if the reason they haven't given me the work visa and instead issued business visa is due to my background? or is this a common thing.
Hi HH, the Saudi Visa that you have received will be the one that your company has requested, the embassy will not have changed it to a different type (only deny it if they had a problem with you.) In my experience many companies will issue a business visa as your initial visa during your probation or if they are having problems getting work visas due to the number of expats that they employ.
The Saudi Government is trying very hard to get companies to hire internally within Saudi Arabia rather than bring in foreign workers. So you should ask them why you have a business visa as this may be an indication of problems for you later on - I was issued business visas for 9 months for one company as they could not get me a work visa and I ended up taking employment with another company due to the many problems this caused me with my employment (and I was the GM of a company!)
Hi Lean, I have a unique question for you.I hope you ll be able to help me out.I am already working in Saudi Arabia at a senior management position from the past 7 years.I need to immigrate to Canada with my family .I have got a plan to stay there only for 3-4 years only and come back again to Saudi Arabia.I am 52 years old now ,after 4 years I will be 56+ years,do you think due to my age I might face difficulties in getting a work visa.
Does Saudi law has any maximum age restriction for expat workers?
Some people have suggested me that it depends upon the specific employer,but I need to know what does the Saudi law says about it.
Thanyou for your time.
Hi Expat Guy, I have read the labor law a few times in the past and do not recall any specific age limits, however you should take into account the ongoing push to limit jobs to Saudis and to penalize companies that employ too many expats. I have had a number of friends lose jobs in the last year due to the companies being forced to shed expats.
Are you intending to return to work for the same company, if so I would suggest that you talk with them as they will be the ones who will be applying for your work visa in Saudi Arabia.
If you are looking to return to Saudi after 4 years with a completely new company and position then it is likely that you will face problems with regard to age purely on company discrimination grounds rather than any specific law!
Good luck with your plans.
I am planning my visit these days to saudia riyadh you article helped alot... thanks
I came to saudi arabia 4 months ago on work visa. i have one year contract with my company....it is a good catagory company ...up to 1000 employees. well i want to leave this company and job after my contract is over as im getting much better offer from other company with 3 times more pay than what i am getting now and my own IT field. But i came to know that according to new rules i must spend 2 yrs with current company even if my contract is over. this is very upset situation for me. Can somebody suggest me what is the best for me in such a situation. what if i get exit and want to come back on other company visa...can it be an option? would i need NOC from current company?
Iam currently working in Saudi Arabia. I am a professional but my job title on my iqama is that of Labor. I want to go ahead and change my job title on iqamaa as on labor visa you cannot bring your family.
I have my degrees from UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IN USA.
Can someone tell me what is the procedure to do so and also they have asked for erified degree.
Do i need to send my degree to Saudi Consulate in USA and what are all the other document they will require.
Please kindly email me answer at irfanesheikh@gmail.com
Regards,
Irfan
asslam alai kum
i am muhammad niyaz
i wanna good job in saudi arabiya in jeddah plzzz help me guys and
my cell nomber is 00919956719738 plz
help me sir and mam
i had a difficult inquiry that i know you could help me through i resiside here at the philippines and planning to go in KSA to work bu unfortunately i would like to cancel my visa that was stampped at my passport because i had a greater beed fro the other agency whioch has a great slarary pay, would you think is there would be any problem about that and how the process would go please help thanks
Hi Lean, Topics are very interesting and it is very true, I am from Philippines and I encountered this VISASTER ISSUE, yesterday was my flight date Sept. 21 going to Riyadh KSA, departure time from manila is 3:40pm, I got stock on the immigration checking for some interview, due to my Business Working Visit Visa, I spend 4 hours wasted from this immigration personnel asking me to go back there and ask for this docs, and ask for exit clearance and in the end they disapproved my exit,I offload my baggage and refund the tax payment and cancelled my flight I had no choice but to go home, this flight was waited for almost 4 months, with agent for the stamp and to much documents to deal with, but still a big problem for me, now I am waiting for a new visa a employment one. so sorry for writing a story just want to express my feelings, thanks.
Hi, I have received a visa for 90days.It says "AMAL" meaning work. Occupation is something else. But below it says "AMAL" which means work in Arabic. I even heard if the occupation is mentioned as Amal,it means labour.Is there anything like work visa and labour visa? So basically what do we know whether this is a work visa or .....? I have got an offer as Restaurant Manager.A probabtion period of 3 months exists in the contract.And the contract is for 2 years. I wanted to know why the visa says 90days?Will the employer change it when i reach there?This is for an American based Organization.
Hi Danish, the company has to convert the Visa into your Iqama which is your work and residency permit within Saudi Arabia, they have 90 days in which to do this (your probation period.) Don't worry this is normal.
My visa says the same, but is valid for several years. Your Iqama will be valid for about 2 years and has to be renewed by the company for you to remain in the Kingdom.
i came to saudia working just as a secretary. where as i was IT Manager in Pakistan. My contract is one year. i want to change my job after one year. but i came to know i can not transfer employer before 2 years. what options i have now. if i have an offer, can i go bak to pakistana dn come back immediately on another visa if offered???
Hi Sajjad, as far as I am aware you can basically do anything that your current employer allows you to do! A one year contract in Saudi Arabia is standard practice but most continue well beyond with the period of employment becoming the expiry of your Iqama - which can be renewed repeatedly by the company.
To change jobs your current company must agree and allow transfer - if they don't then you have to leave at the end of your contract and wait I am afraid!
About visa details
Hi Leanman
Thank you so much for the above info. I am currently in working in Saudi, a remote place. I have been offerred employment in another GCC state. I have told my current company that I wish to resign. They are refusing. I have an exit/entry into another gulf state only(UAE), if I run, and enter with an employment visa into the UAE, still with the KSA visa in my passport, will I get arrested?
Thank you for reading about Saudi Arabian Visas youziej, I will be honest that I do not know for sure as they do have some strange visa rules in a lot of these countries in the Gulf.. However, you could always run, "lose" your passport and enter a different gulf state with a new passport which has no Saudi visa stamps! You could always keep photocopies/scans of visas/pages of your passport that you do want to share with others at a later date should you need them!
Having an exit/re-entry visa stamp in your passport and not a "final exit" stamp would also tell a new employer that you ran from your previous employer and therefore may do the same to them!
My female friend would like her spouce / children with her. Does she simply take her paperwork, etc, to the visa office/ agent ? Her employers don't know how to do it but probably would not interfere. I tell her that there are fairly standard levels of profession/salary plus the mood of the office worker on the day and not to be put off.
She will need to take all of her paperwork (certificates, Iqama, Visa, Marriage Certificate, birth certificates) to the office within Saudi Arabia to arrange the visa for her family.
If her employer is Saudi then they are talking rubbish if they say that they don't know how to do it, they could find out in 2 minutes if they got the visa for your friend!
She may encounter resistance depending on her job and her origin..... I am western and had to hand over substantial bribes to overcome imagined problems on the part of the officials there in Saudi Arabia - bribes that were demanded not offered I should add!!
Can anyone tell me what are the rules to be followed for the person on dependent visa inside KSA, if this dependent visa is for male( father) . Will he be allowed to work there? Need some information on the duration of this visa and related information....Can anyone provide the link
Legally the visa holder can only work for his sponsor and as you will be his sponsor he cannot work! Not legally anyway, many dependents take jobs in all sorts of industries from stores to hospitals,
but beware;
I know many people who have gone to work for hospitals and the like, the hospital then delays payment for various reasons for a few weeks up to 3 months and then says that they need a valid Iqama allowing them to work, which of course they do not have!! The hospital gets 3 months free labor and the "employee" has a headache as they cannot complain as it was illegal for them to take the job!
HI,GUES
Could you confirm that Saudi visit visa will issue one time in a year? or same visitors can be enter multiple in a year if applied...........? please reply.......
hi...
i want to intiate my carrer at saudi arabia...so what type of visa is suitable for me....i m from india...plz reply me..on...alokmani.gaurav1989@gmail.com
i want work visa for saudi arab. please tell me the visa agency contact details.
Hello Leanman,
After reading various articles on KSA visa, I found this one best to my knowledge. I need your desperate help.
I am from india and my fiance is too. She went to Saudi in NOV 2009, she is a nurse and she is working in the saudi government hospital. She is on 3 yrs contract bond w/ this hospital. She went to saudi via agent from india.
Now, we are planning to get married in next 6 months. She alredy have completed almost half of the bond and little more when she comes back. She has her residency permit (Iqamma). As per KSA visa rules all her original documents are kept w/ them.
Now my question to you is. What if she deceides to come back to india, leaving her bond? Can she do? What if she does not have exit visa stamp? Will it affect in future, if we want to settle out side india after 2 /3 years like in USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA< UK, etc.
She is affriad that, if she does not have exit stamp. she will get "blacklisted" and will not allow to any conuntry??? Is that true????
Can you help us, how to go ahead about this, we really don't want to stay apart , you know how this is hard...
pls suggest some steps or any agent who can help. we are ready to pay the fees....
Pls help
Thanks,
Mr Worried
Hi Mr worried of India, thank you for reading about visa's for Saudi Arabia and asking some wonderful questions!
If your fiance is planning to exit for a vacation and not return then she will not have a final exit stamp in her passport and she would certainly have problems getting a visa if she wanted to return to Saudi Arabia at a later date and possibly other countries in the Gulf.
However the lack of final exit visa for Saudi Arabia is unlikely to have any effect with regard to gaining a visa to enter any other country, but the lack of references from her employer and so forth may cause problems with finding work at a later stage in her career, after all who wants to employ someone that may walk out on her job? This is more of an issue in my mind.
She should talk to her employer if she truly wants to leave and they may allow her to leave without problem with her accrued benefits.
Or you could wait another year of so for her to finish her contract and have no worries at all.
I was working in saudia and then i went on holidays and could not return back now my iqama is expired and i am in pakistan since 1 year after completion of my iqama it was not my final exit can i can come to saudia again with different visa and different company please help me out in this regard
Hi Naseer, my understanding is that you will be unlikely to be granted a new visa for Saudi Arabia as you will be seen to have broken your contract with your original sponsor by having not returned from your vacation to complete your contract.
You could consult agencies in your home country to see if there are any ways around this as I know people who have returned on new passports, after all it is not uncommon for two people to have the same name!
Help
Hi LeanMan, that is very good information about Working in Saudi Arabia, moreover, there are many of agencies at Saudi Arabia helping and supporting Expats or interesting businessman or even Job seekers to enter the Saudi Arabia with business visas. They are good in doing business visas and open a business opportunities.
I recommend on of them as below:
www.eservices.net.sa
I hope this will help someone,,,,,,,,
Sir i want to check my visa saudi arabia so tell me web sid......im w8ing your Ans....?
my Id
veer.rizwan@gmail.com
veer7878@yahoo.com
Sorry Rizwan I have no idea what your actual question is about your Saudi Arabian visa...
hi leanman my name adil i live in Karachi Pakistan wish to work in Saudi Arabia but here in my country so many recruitment agencies they charged very much amount for work visa and also they make fraud's and cheat people and use wrong working contact which is changed when the person reached in KSA
I AM FINANCIALLY NOT WELL SO I AM SEARCHING PROPER COMPANY OR PERSON WHO GUIDE OR ARRANGE WORK VISA FOR ME WITHOUT ANY FRAUD AND CHEATING SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I DO AND WHERE I GO TO GET CORRECT SUPPORT
LEANMAN I HAVE MY 8 YEARS MENTALLY RETARDED SON FOR HIS BETTERMENT AND REHABILITATION I WANT TO EARN LOTS OF MONEY CAUSE I WANT TO WORK IN KSA PLEASE HELP ME
hi leanman i am syed adil hussain please note
MY ID s_adil_h@yahoo.com
92 21 312 2180895
my family and are interested in traveling to bahrain in order for myself and my children's time on our family visit visa to "restart". The problem is my husband is a student here in saudi with an iqama.His school is not issuing exit/re-entry visas at this time. What I need to know is can he purchase an exit/re-entry visa at the border or does he need on prior to Leaving saudi? We are all American by the way..
Hi,
i`m on business visa in Saudi, i have found different company which i will going to work with them. Question is, if i can work with this visa with different company or i need new business visa.
Sayed; sorry to hear about all of your problems, the only way you will know if an agency is not going to steal your money for a Saudi Arabian Visa or send you to the wrong job on a lower salary is to speak to others who have used the same agency. I know this is a major problem in many countries, please talk to people you know have been to Saudi Arabia and ask them about the agencies they used.
Ruwaydah; your husband can only exit if his sponsor issues an exit/re-entry visa for Saudi Arabia. Without this visa he will not be allowed to exit, and if his sponsor is not issuing them then you have a problem! This is one of the problems within the Saudi system you are totally at the mercy of your sponsor, if they wish to not let you travel then you cannot, you are a prisoner!
Sebastian; Strictly speaking you can only legally work for the company that sponsored your business visa, it is illegal for any foreigner to work for someone that is not their sponsor. However if you current sponsor is on friendly terms talk to them and if you are lucky they will not mind what you do - otherwise you will need to leave and return on a new Saudi business visa, this time sponsored by the new company you wish to work for.
hi leanMan.. I have received a visit visa valid for 90 days from a company in KSA..i want to know that can this visa be extended into a contract or do i have to exit the kingdom first??
N30 a visit visa does not allow you to work, I would be suprised if that is what you have been issued. If you work on a visit visa the company has no need to pay you!!
You should be issued a Saudi Arabian work visa which will be converted into an Iqama as you complete your probation period (90 days).
If you do have a visit visa then yes you would have to exit the kingdom before you could be issued a work visa for Saudi Arabia, a contract to work is one of the requirements required for the visa application.
thanks...actually i am a bit confused by the complications of the process.. The company is sponsoring my visit even my airline tickets..is there any way for me to know whether it is a visit visa or work visa?? i am a professional engineer... and can it be converted to iqama as an engineer.i mean engineers do get sme previliges..kindly let me know..i am all confused.. :-(
actually i am confused by the complications of all this process... so is it possible for me to know what type of visa is this?? the company is sponsoring me and even my airline tickects... i am a professional engineer..so if it is a bussiness visa or that probation period you are talking about..can it be converted to stay as an engineer.as engineers do get special previliges..kindly help me out..i am all confused :-(
Hi again Neo, it should say on your visa application what type of visa it is; I would assume that if you are being sponsored by a company to work that it is either a business visa or a Saudi work visa.
The work visa is straight forward, you will go there to work and after 3 months they will convert you over to your Iqama which is your residency and working permit.
Sometimes companies will bring you over on a business visa, in this case you will have to leave before the visa expires and apply for a new one before returning, a game I played for 9 months as the GM of a company! This is not strictly the way a company should bring you in but many do - especially if they have problems getting work visas due to not employing enough Saudis. The one bonus with this type of visa is that if you decide you wish to leave you can just get a flight and go - once you have your Iqama / work visa for Saudi Arabia you have to get an exit and re-entry visa, something that your employer can refuse to issue!
You can ask your new company what type of Visa you have (unless you know someone who can read the Arabic in your passport), they will be able to tell you as they are the ones who applied for it.
You should also ask them what your job title is on your visa, some (many) companies bring people in with job titles other than the jobs they will work in. So you can have someone who is the GM of a company with a visa / Iqama that says he is "labour", a distinction that can cause problems if you wish to bring family or even at times leave to visit Bahrain.
Good luck - I hope you enjoy your stay in Saudi Arabia, I certainly did!
Thanks alot..you really cleared my mind.. just one last question though... will it be clearly mentioned on my passport that what kind of visa it is?? work visa or Business visa?? coz i am sure now it is not visit..
And also if it is a work visa for 90 days..will it be necessary for me to get my degrees attested and also pass the medical tests?? agency here is not helping at all..everybdy got a different point..
N3O; If it is a Saudi work visa you will have to have the medicals and get your degrees attested. Visit the website of your local saudi embassy (links below for US and UK) and have a look at their pages for visa requirements where they spell them out.
If your agency is really not being any help and they have been appointed by your sponsor in KSA then tell them as they will do something about it!
You should have filled in a form to apply for your Saudi visa - unless the agency did it for you - this will also clearly state the type of visa required. It will be written on your passport when you get it.
Hello,
My friend works in Saudi. He has taken a bank loan there. I am living in india and would like to transfer some indian rupees to him (INR to SAR).
I checked on internet and could not find good info on sending money to saudi arabia from india. If you have any posts or forums can you update those here.
Is there any limit in sending in Riyals for personal use?
Which is safe wire transfer or paper cash outs from one country to another.
Where can i get a good deal in the exchange rates?
If you try to reply early this will be helpful.
Thanks,
Neega
Hi Neega, most people use western union, that is about as much help as I can be! When you send riyals out of Saudi Arabia there are limits based on your visa, profession and nationality.
i got married 6 month back,my husband lives in saudia he has got labour visa,,can u plz guide me how i can get there,i have got my nikkah nama translated and attested by saudi govt,what r the possibilites for me to get a visa
Hi Saam, if your husband has his Iqama then he can apply for a family visa for you to join him in Saudi Arabia. However if his job is "labor" then he may have problems getting approval for you, you should also be aware that you will not be able to legally work if you enter the country on a Saudi family visa.
Excellent hub man.
I actually look forward to open a butcher in Riyadh......any ideas.
LeanMan???????
If you want to be a butcher in Riyadh Fiqi, first get the right Saudi Work visa, and don't sell pork!
thank u very much for reply,i have got MBA degree and vast experience in school admin,n i have heard that husband can not call his wife in saudia as per laws if he has got labour visa and earning is limited
Hi Saam, they announced a few years back that anyone, no matter what their work status, can apply for a family visa for Saudi Arabia - however that is no guarantee that your husbands application to bring you will be granted.
Maybe if you have good qualifications you should apply for a job in Saudi Arabia and be with your husband that way.
Hi Thanks for sharing the details,
I am an Indian working in Bharain.I wolud like to visit saudia. Can you help me and let me know how can I get visit visa for saudi arabia? Can I get visa on arrival also in saudi.
Hi Syed, you must apply for a Saudi Visa in advance of traveling, they will not let you on the flight without one! You must first find a sponsor in Saudi Arabia, either for business, work or for family visit visa. The only other alternative you have is to apply for a visa for religious reasons if you are Muslim.
im waiting for visa for other company, if the visa release.. i going to leave my current company... maybe , how long it takes they can release the visa form other company.?
I am working in architectural cunsulatcy .i m an architect engineer.i get the good offer from an other office,then i go on exit without NOC and then i want to come back within month,then wat is the procedur.is it possible to enter in the kingdom without noc on diff sponcer.
JM, it will depend on how fast the new company will process the Saudi work visa. But you will need to be transferred from your current sponsor if you have not yet completed your contract. If you have completed your contract then you will have to exit first and re-enter on your new visa.
Ahmad, the same goes for you, if you have not completed your contract then you will have to be transferred from your current sponsor to the new one, which of course they could deny. But to exit and try to come back on a new Visa is risky as you could find yourself without either job!
Actually my employment contract in my current sponsor ends this nov. 25, 2011... if the visa is release.. i will resign immediately and come back with new visa, is it possible? do i need a NOC letter for it.
JM. If your contract ends then yes you can leave - but read your contract as you may find that it will just continue if neither party gives notice to end it which is normally the case in Saudi Arabia. But make sure this new job is a sure thing before you quit if you need the work!
As to coming back; contact the company you hope to work for and ask if there are any issues, I keep hearing people saying that they will have to wait a year before they can apply for a new Saudi Arabian work visa to return but I have never seen anything in writing and some of my friends have just left one job and returned in new jobs within 3 to 6 months without issue!
can you guide me how can i get work visa???moreover,,i heard that saudi govt do not issue visas during hajj,,if so than can u tell when do they open again for visas
Hi Saam, if you have read about how to get your Saudi Arabia work visa and the various comments below then you should have a fair idea as to how to go about getting your visa. I can't repeat it all again, go back and read what is above and all of the comments. If you have a specific question then I will be happy to answer it. But basically you need a job offer and your sponsor will apply for your Saudi work visa for you, you then have to get that processed in your home country.
I believe that the Saudi Embassy in your home country will be available during Hajj, although they may be closed for a few days for national holidays but you should be able to find that on their website.
Hi there,my brother was a civil engineer in Saudi Arabia and was on two year contract.He went on vacation to his back home on 23 rd month of his contract and officially his contract was not terminated .He never returned to Saudi Arabia again and now can he go back to Saudi or any other Gulf countries on employment visa.His iqama is already expired.Is is true that if you go to the Saudi embassy in your home country,they would cancel your Saudi visa? I will really appreciate your thoughts on these concerens.thanks
Hi Ken,
Officially if you want to leave Saudi Arabia at the end of your contract you have to go through your final exit process to gain all your benefits and to ensure that all of your debts have been paid up and so on. Failure to do this basically means that your brother ran out on his sponsor - this will not look good to any new employer in the gulf!
I don't think you will have any problem getting a job in any other country in the gulf and applying for the relevant visas but trying to get a new Saudi work visa without having done a final exit may be difficult! It may also be wise to have a clean passport (get a new one) before applying for a visa with any country that knows about the Saudi visa system.
Hi LeanMan,thanks a lot for the advise.You are awesome.
Ken
Hi LeanMan Thanks for the article, i have a complicate case i hope you can advise me haw to follow it, i got a commercial multiple visa for KSA on September 9th, when i checked the first time i got it , i found that the validity is written 30D while i checked the duration of stay mentioning 180 days and written multiple entries, i checked with the guy at the saudi embessy and he advise that is not an issue and the important that duration of stay is 180 days,i traveled in september i spent 30 days in KSA and everything went fine , yesterday i traveled again and i did the checking from my home country i took the flight as usual and during the bording at the transit country for the flight departure to Riyadh , the guy at the gate told me that my visa is not valid "or better to say as i got it in the report wrong visa " , the point here my wife was with me and she got a single entry visa and it is written in her passport that she is in my company and her visa was issued reference to my visa, they refuse as well to let her to travel alone despite her visa was 100 per cent correct , i tried to explain them that if the visa is wrong why they have allow me to take the first flight and they provide me the boarding pass also why they have allow me to travel in september if the visa is wrong "it is the same airline" and it is my 6th trip to KSA with this airline bt before i was getting a single entry visa, anyway they requeset me to try to contact to Embessy and to get a fax from them explaining that it is miss tape, it was impossinle for me to get the embessy as it was a weekend , i spend a night in the hotel of the airport and i booked a way back to my home country so far the mistake of 30 days has cost me 1200 euros . my question here normally we have wright or wrong visa but not something between? and if i will calim all the cost accumlated do i need to claim them aganist the airline or the Embessy? , i will follow up with the embessy om Monday and i am interested to take this to the court aganist the airline company as the way haw i was treated is so rude, Thanks for your advise.
Cheabdu,
I am sorry that you have had such a bad time with your Saudi Visa - I too have had problems with Saudi Business Visas; but I ended up trapped illegally inside Saudi Arabia rather than not able to enter. Half the time the sponsoring company and the embassy do not know what they are doing with the Visas.
If you have a sponsor inside of KSA they are the ones who should have checked your visa and ensured that it was correct for what you were doing, if the visa is at fault then it is their problem - but whether you could get any money from them will very much depend on them!
If this is an arrangement purely through the embassy and your visa is not what you asked for then I suggest you take it up with them, but I would not hold your breath if you are looking to get money from them!
If your visa is still valid and the airline is at fault then the airline should compensate you fully - if you persist!
Good luck, I wish I could help more but the only people who can really help you with your visa are your sponsor and the embassy. They will be able to tell you the full details of what you can and can't do with your visa.
As to your poor wife; if her Saudi visit visa is linked to your current visa and it is invalid then you will have to get a new one!
LeanMan much appreciated for the kind answer!i will let you know the answer from the Embessy.
Hi leanman, thanks for your informative hub. i have a friend from US marine corps whose presently based in London and would like to visit me here in jeddah, ksa before the year ends. i have no idea if it would be possible for him to come here, i know the difficulty in obtaining a visa. can you advise what he can do? thanks and best regards.
Hi Merlyn, it will be very difficult to get a visit visa as he will need to be sponsored by someone who is family within Saudi Arabia. There are some Saudi Visit visas allegedly available through selected travel agents for package tours in KSA but I really have no idea about these and don't know anyone who has actually met or even knows of anyone has taken this option!
The only real option that I can think of is if you are in the military too you could get who ever sponsors your unit within KSA to sponsor a Saudi Arabian Business visa for your friend.
Hi LeanMan,
AM working in saudi arabia from last 8 months....i want to resign from my present job and want to go to europe. if the employer is not giving exit can i go in exit rentry visa.my contract is for 2 year...will be there any probelems for me.
hi hub, nice work man actually i want to work in saudi arabia , i completed my college , and also having 1 year of experience as a office assistant , so please guide how to come and work in saudi arabia with full details please..
Hi Sonaaa, your employer may allow you to leave your contract earlier but don't expect any benefits! Talk to them, but be aware that if they will not release you they may also withhold Saudi exit / re-entry visas to prevent you from running out on your job.. If you do skip your contract don't expect to get issued a new work visa for Saudi Arabia at a later date.
Hi Mohd, I have another hub about finding work in Saudi Arabia, just go to my profile top right and follow the various links from there.
Hi leanMan, I have received a temporary work visa valid for 90 days..i just want to know wether it can be converted into permanent residence or iqama..my profession being engineer..it is also mentioned on my visa..or do i have to leave the kingdom and re-enter with iqama..cuz i am not giving any medical reports now..so how can they convert my visa to iqama without checking my medical records..m confused :-(
Hi Adnan, I am not sure exactly what type of Saudi Visa you have.. In normal circumstances the company will get you a Saudi Arabia work visa that allows you to stay and work for 90 days, before the end of the 90 days the company must convert your visa into an Iqama - you will do the medicals in KSA (as well as having done medicals outside Saudi Arabia to get into the country!)
Alternatively you may have a Saudi business visa in which case you will have to leave and reapply.
Ask your Saudi sponsor as they will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do.
thnx for replying..is it possible for me to know from the invitation letter i got from the company in kingdom?? or when my visa is stamped?? on the invitation letter it is written "ziyaara amal laday"..i donot know what it means..
if it is business visit shdn't it be like "ziyaara al-tijaara" or smething..the agency isnt co-operating at all..nd the company isnt reponding to my messages..i donot want to get stuck in the kingdom..nd m afraid that on a business visit they might not even pay me..
Hi Adnan,
I am not sure what it means.. Your agency and company should be able to tell you, be firm but polite and ask for a response about what Saudi Visa you have been given.
If you receive no reply despite follow ups then you will have to make a decision as to whether you travel to Saudi Arabia or not.
Asalam Aleykum!. Thank you very much for sharing your experience in KSA that might be very useful for people who are interested in working there. May God bless you for helping others.
My husband and I are planning to move from the US to Saudi with our kids. We are a muslim family and our intention is to reside in an islamic country, In God's willing. He has no company sponsoring him, since he works in retail here, no college degrees either. He has a cousin who lives in Riyadh on a labour iqamma and has told him, that since we are american citizens, we can go on a visit visa, and once we're there, get a job and later turn the visa to work visa. Sounds very hard for me to believe that. I would really appreciate it if you can tell me if you've heard about this, or if we have any other choices. How about setting a bussiness there?? Is there any minimun amount of investment required for a foreigner??. Thank you so much in advance :)
Hey LeanMan,
You seem to know more about this subject than our Saudi HR guy!!!
I am a British national working currently in Riyadh and probably will leave before my 2 year contract expiry. I am not sure if you would know anything about my query below.
If I leave with a Final Exit from my company, will I be able to come back on a new VISA and how soon?
Thanks a million in advance.
i want work visa for saudi arab. please tell me the visa agency contact details. my e mail adress is. smlbhtt@gmail.com or cell phone number o3244405057
Muslimah,
Currently there is a 10%+ rate of unemployment amongst the Saudi population and they are trying hard to reduce this by restricting the number of foreigner workers. To work there you would have to find a sponsor / employer, you can only work for that sponsor - not yourself! With no degrees your husband would find it hard to find anything other than a labor type job and the wages for those are very much aimed at the third world countries, around $250 to $350 per month is not unusual!!
You cannot get a Saudi Visit visa without a sponsor unless you are going on a vacation package through an approved agent - so it would be very difficult to find yourself a job.
Some people "sell" Saudi work visas, the idea being that you come there and work for yourselves or find work whilst you are there - but this can be very expensive and there is a chance that you could actually be trapped into cheap labor with your sponsor as working for anyone else is illegal! So beware!!
Hi Jack,
You should be OK as long as you have a Saudi final exit visa, a few of my friends have recently been "sacked" from good positions as companies have tried to remove foreign workers.. two of them have returned with new employers and work visas within six months without problem.
Ismail,
I offer free advice here but I am not a recruitment agency!! If you want to find an agent search the internet or read my article on finding a job in Saudi Arabia; the link is below.
Cheers mate...
Hi LeanMan,
Thank you for sharing.
I have 2 questions for you:
If you are given 180 days visa, does that begin with issue date for the visa or when you first go to KSA?
If I go by the end of these 180 days, can I stay a day or two after it is over or do I have to leave before no matter what?
Thanks
Alhasan, your duration of stay is 180 days from when you enter, if you exceed your 180 days you are liable to fines and possible imprisonment! Also check with your sponsor as on previous business visas that I have had they had to be officially stamped every 30 days or I had to exit and return each month, otherwise they would become invalid!
hello
hope some one can help me giving advice regarding this below issue. my friend left baharain on holiday but after sometime riots starts there so he couldnt go back ,the company he worked lost their business as well.now he was trying to go to another country so he called up his sponser to cancel his visa but he refusing to cancel his visa.is there any other option to cancelhis visa with his old sponser please advice...
Hi Mr SK,
The visa will only be recorded in the country in which he was working and his lack of official exit will only matter in that country.
Applying for a Saudi work visa or any other gulf state visa should not be a problem. If stamps in the passport are an issue and you wish to hide them to avoid questions at a latter time just "lose" the passport and have a new one issued..
Hi Mr SK,
The visa will only be recorded in the country in which he was working and his lack of official exit will only matter in that country.
Applying for a Saudi work visa or any other gulf state visa should not be a problem. If stamps in the passport are an issue and you wish to hide them to avoid questions at a latter time just "lose" the passport and have a new one issued..
hello guys. i have a question regarding to saudi visa. my employer asked for a visa in saudi arabia, he only aksed for my passport copy. is that enough without the medical check to obtain the visa?
Hi Zalan, not 100% sure where you are in the Saudi Visa Application Process; if you are in the process of being offered a position then the sponsor will have to apply for your visa within Saudi Arabia (maybe only a passport for this part of the process). They will then send the paperwork to you and you have to meet all the requirements for the Saudi Embassy in your country to issue the visa to you including medicals.
Is this what you asking? Please feel free to clarify if you need more information.
Hi LeanMan
Thank you for your informative hub and for sharing your experiences and providing all your advice.
My husband works in Saudi Arabia and has been there since February this year, in and out on the various visas. He has been working there on his iqama for the last 6 months, which unfortunately reflects that he is labour.
After months of waiting and a year spent apart, all documentation has recently been submitted for my dependant visa but his company has just informed him that the rules have just been changed again and under no circumstances will wives and children be allowed to join their husband who is in the country as labour force. Are you aware of this recent change having been implemented?
How do we go about dealing with this and who would be the best party to speak to in terms of motivating or even paying for it if need be.
Thanks for your help.
Hi TCGal,
If your husband's company has a government liaison officer who's task is to go do all the leg work to chase through visas and other official government related paperwork get your husband to talk to him directly rather than just HR. He may know a way to expedite your Saudi family visa.
Most HR departments are staffed with Saudis who have little idea of HR as HR is now a Saudi only job and they have got rid of many true expat HR professionals so many don't know what they are talking about!!
Failing that tell your husband to go directly to the government department / building that deals with the issuing of family visas and talk directly to someone there (just ask around and someone will know where to go). He may get lucky and find someone who is willing to help as most Saudis actually respect the family unit, and an under the table gift - but don't offer a bribe, they will ask or make very clear indication that it is required!!!!
Failing that if your husband's profession is far from Labor he can petition his company to update his Iqama accordingly, although this will also rely on the companies relationships with the government in getting this done.
hi leanMan.. i am a fresh civil engineer..my cousin in saudi arabia is willing to send me an "azad visa" or "independent visa"..what it is?? and do i have to consider somethings before actually buying it..it's cost is 15000 SDR...is it also by profession..it is for 3 years..if i get a job in some company can i transfer it immediately...plzzz help..it's a big decision for me.. :)
Hi Sahil, find a job by using some of the many services on the internet (there are some links below). If you find employment your sponsor will pay all of your expenses!
All Saudi visas have a sponsor, and you can only work for your sponsor. This means that if you work for someone who is not your sponsor it is illegal, a sponsor can also deny a request to transfer sponsorship, force you to work for them, deny you holidays and so forth! Better to get a Saudi Arabian work visa through a reputable company than rely on some dodgy deal!
my one friend is wanted (Harouf) form his sponsor,
and he want to go back home country,
so , my question can he come back in saudi arabia on new visa, if yes then , is there any special requirement from his ex-sponsor.
Your reply is appreciated.
Hi LeanMan,
i have one question!
My one friend is working in riyadh, his sponsor living in hasa, his sponsor gave the Harouf (wanted) without any reason. it means his visa has been expired.
now, what shall he do, i told him go back pakistan and come again with new visa from another sponsor,
so, i want to make sure with you, is it possible or not.???
Hi Shahzad, If his Saudi visa has expired then he will have trouble being able to exit as no one will be able to give him an Saudi exit visa! His sponsor will be liable for fines for failing to renew your friends Iqama, but I guess he will claim that your friend is a runaway after all he is now working illegally in Riyadh rather than for his sponsor!
You friend faces imprisonment and deportation unless he can find a way to get an exit visa or get smuggled out of the country some how!
Many people in his situation just continue to work as best they can and continue sending money home until they get caught or they go and sit under the bridge in Jeddah to await deportation.
Alternatively your friend can go to his embassy for advice and help but don't hold you breath for too much help - I have seen huge crowds of illegals outside various embassies over the years waiting to be sent home!!
If your friend does get sent home, he can return but use a NEW passport without any Saudi stamps etc as the Saudi system is not smart enough to know you have been before if you have a new passport number! Unless of course you friend has had his fingerprints and eyes scanned!!!
If his bio data has been taken then he can only return if he gets a final exit without problems!
There are many other countries to work in within the Middle East so not all is lost!
Hi , i'm a British national on a 90 day business visa in Dammam , and i'm considering taking a new contract in another Gulf country .
The issue is that my sponsor wants to extend my business visa for another 90 days without me leaving KSA , ( he says this is possible ) and i want to ask you if this , or do i have to go to Bahrain for 24 hours and re-enter ?
if i decide to leave the country and go to another gulf state , do i need a final exit stamp even though i'm on a 90 day business visa - Do i need permission from my sponsor to leave the country on a business visa ?
if not , do you think the authorities in another Gulf country would stop me entering on the basis that my saudi business visa is still valid ?
Also , my sponsor hasn't been taking my passport to get it stamped every month , and its due to expire in 3 weeks . can they imprison me for this ?
I had no idea about the monthly stamping process before reading your comments to others ;
k.bentoua@hotmail.co.uk
many thanks !
khalid from Bournemouth
Hi Khalid,
If you are on a business visa you can leave anytime, your choice you don't need your sponsors permission. It will not affect your ability to enter another country in the gulf.
Ask your sponsor about stamping, maybe it is not required now, my last business visa was 3 years ago and everyone had to either leave to Dubai and Bahrain every month or get someone to stamp the visa.
Dear Mr. LeanMan
thanks for your effort so far.
As you discussed above, Actually his sponsor is regret now, and he is agreed with him to send him back home, and also he is ready to give him N.O.C (no objection certificate). in that way, i think he can come on new visa on the same passport without any difficulty. In Addition, he don't have any police case, like murder, rubbery, so 5 years bond case are also not applicable on this person,
Pls suggest,
waiting for your reply.
Many Thanks.
Hey leanman , thanks for your quick reply ! Just one more thing .... if another firm within saudi wanted to employ me could i realistically transfer over to them if i'm on a business visa ? i know that you explained that i could leave the country without my sponsors written consent , but could i re-enter immediately on a new business visa and go work with another firm in another saudi city for a better salary ?
is there anything to stop this happening , and would i have to go back to Britain in order to get the new business visa to work for a new firn , or could it be done by going to BAHRAIN ?
my current boss has stated in my contract that if i try and leave i will have to re-pay all expenses and that he will try and claim compensation if i work for one of his competitors up to 2 years from the date that i leave him but in reality , could he find me and implement this - especially if i switch firms and cities within KSA ?
many thanks
khalid
Shahzad,
He should have no problem in getting a new visa to return then once he has left as long as he can find a new sponsor. Good Luck
Khalid.
No problem in getting a new Saudi business visa to come and work with a new company, you could do this from Bahrain, I have known others get new visas from there and Dubai over the years rather than going to UK.
Your current employer could cause you problems if he finds out that you are working for a competitor, Saudi is a country in which no one wants to upset anyone else so you could have a problem if your current employ contacts your new employer! In Saudi most firms are family owned and it is surprising the links you find that exist between these familys and businesses!!
I need your help. I have worked in Saudi Arabia fir 2 & Half year. I have signed my job contract for 2 Yrs. After completion of Job Contract employer has offered me new contract which i have refused. After that employer has informed me that my new contract offer is under reconsideration. Before verbaly they informed me that you will get good salary & post in your new revised contract. After that for SIX month there was no any message from the HR department. When i was doing follow up with HR dept. they have given same answer like your new contract is under reconsideration. After that my vacation came & i went on vacation. Before coming back from INDIA after vacation HR people has informed me that there is no any change in your Revised contract. So i have refused the new contract & informed them that i will not come back. Now i don't have EXIT visa & i want to know how i can get the EXIT visa. I have contacted my employer for NOC but they are not ready to give. Now i have one JOB offer in K.S.A. & i want to go again in Saudi Arabia but i am not able to enter because i don't have EXIT/NOC. Please tell me how i can get EXIT/NOC. Thanks : Sajid
Hi Sajid, if you did not have your fingerprints and eyes scanned then you can just lose your passport and start again, if however the Saudis have your biometric data then you will have problems getting a new Saudi work visa.
You don't say how long ago you left Saudi Arabia, is it possible to return to your "current" employer and officially resign your position and thus get an official final exit visa from Saudi Arabia?
If not then you are very much at the mercy of your employer and if they refuse to help you then there is little you can do apart from apply for jobs elsewhere in the Gulf region.
i need your help. i got new visa from a company and i want to go and comeback in new visa. my current employer ready to make final exit without any problem. my i am afraid for saudi new law (nidaqat). becz i am here already 8 years completed. kindly advise me is there any problem in i am enter in saudi? i hope you will give good advise.
Hi Resmin,
If your new company has a Saudi visa for you already then there is no problem, they would not be able to get the visa if there were. If you are worried talk to them I am sure they will advise you.
thanks for good answer. and i want to asked to you one more.now days saudi government ruling nidaqat program. it will deffec the new visa comer or not?
When i am enter in the airport Nidaqat program will stop my enter ? becz i am here 6 years completed. i heared about that. kinldy clear me plz plz
Hi Resmin, if the company you are going to work for has had your visa approved then there is no problem.
Sir,
my son is under my sponsorship and my wife an other company sponsorship. i want to come back again new visa so i want to transfer my son under my wife sponsorship it can be or what document we have to submitted?
Hi Resmin,
First get your wife to check if she can sponsor your son, not all jobs will allow you to sponsor family despite what they say publicly - there are still people being refused family visas because they are "labor".
Go to the same place you went to to sponsor your son originally and go from there.
hi leanman
thats a grt thing u doin in clearing doubts that might not be answered otherwise correctly by many.
i just need to know if the profession on the visa is changeable aftr a while on entering saudi.
thnx
Hi ABC,
Thanks for the compliment.. It is possible to change your profession on your Saudi Iqama once you are in the kingdom but it will come down to your sponsors relationships with the relevant ministry, the availability of a position with the right job title and if your sponsor wants to make the effort - most would rather just say they can't change it and do nothing!! It is unlikely that you would be able to get it changed in my experience and from mail that I receive!!
thnx
Is it possible to buy a company visa for an engineer in kingdom?? if someone is settled there..can he do that?? nd to be clear i am not talking about the "Azad Visa or independent visa"... the company contract based visa for an engineer..is it possible??
Hi Mr. LeanMan,
Your comments, views and experiences were very much helpful to Hundreds of readers...my sole question is that; I was recently (7th December to be precise) shortlisted by Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah for a Skype interview which I attended online, 2 days later, I was also directed to take a proctored written assessment test online, which I also did, the next email I received from them was that I should send my passport for them to be able to process a visit visa for me to come for "Selection Interview" in January, this I was not clear with, so I contacted the guy that proctored me for the written test, he told me that, that is good news for me, but what I am curious of now is that this is my 'FIRST' time of hearing anything such as "Selection Interview" what are all the previous ones conducted called? anyway, the issue in contention is: with this visit visa, does that mean I would have to get out immediately after their so-called "Selection Interview" or if I continue staying, does that make me illegal?
Thanks.
Ubaid, Nigeria.
Hi Tahir,
You cannot officially buy a visa in Saudi Arabia as your visa is gained by a sponsor (either an individual or a company) and you can only work for and be paid by your sponsor.
The visas that are "for sale" are from individuals and small companies who sell their visa entitlement to make money - this is not legal, and in theory you should only be able to work for them!
If you want to work in Saudi Arabia apply for a job and work hard to get one..
Hi Ubaid,
A Saudi Visit Visa will have a defined length of stay, maybe 30 days. Your potential employer will tell you how long and they should arrange your flights and accommodation within KSA for your interview.
Good luck, many companies have long drawn out interview procedures and they all differ. However if they are going to the expense of bringing you to KSA for an interview they obviously think highly of you.
Why would anyone want to visit in such a hate filled, backward, gender apartheid, racist, terrorist and racist teaching(read what they teach to their children in schools), fundalmentalist teaching, slavery , inquisition and witchcraft era tactics filled country. The soon the US gets out and all expats get out the better the world will be without Saudi or it's disgusting clerics. Let them live or die on thier own without the west's help or interference. GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS COUNTRY. STOP FUNDING TERRORIST.
Hi Other... Glad to see that you are an open minded understanding type of guy yourself, not the sort of person to make sweeping generalizations!
@LeanMan
Thanks for all the information. As a Muslim I find it really heart breaking to see such a country going against fundamental teachings of Islam. And then everyone starts to view Islam as a fanatic religion because of it's misrepresentation. Allah (The One and Only God) has a severe warning for those who oppress and spread injustice whether it be against muslims or non muslims.
Please watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsmYQl3xy_Y
have a good day :)
Hi "A Muslim" and thank you for reading, not sure if you need a visa for Saudi Arabia or if you are already there! Many of the people in Saudi need a good lesson in what it means to be Muslim as most are Muslim in name only not action!
Thank you for all this beneficial information! My question is, if you are in Saudi on a business visa for 3yrs and your sponsor continues to have your visa stamped every 30 days, are you able to stay for that entire duration? Will they begin to think that you are trying to reside there and force you to leave?
Hi Stephanie, a Saudi business visa is generally only valid for 3 or 6 months, after that you have to leave and apply for another visa which can take a week or more depending on where you are. I have had my business visa refused before and had to leave within 5 days despite having over a month left on the visa. This is not a good way to do business in Saudi Arabia as I then had to cancel all of my appointments with clients and so on.
I used a business visa for almost a year (four 3 month visas) without too many problems. But if you are going to be staying 3 years then it is better to get a Saudi Work visa.
Thanks for the useful information. I have recently received a "work visit visa" invitation letter from a saudi company. On the invitation letter my profession, name and nationality etc are mentioned (in arabic). There is also a column for validity or duration ( m not sure cuz written in arabic)..It says "30 days-single entry"..now i want to know that my duration of stay in kingdom is same as the validity of visa?? i am confused.please help..
And also i have heard that now they are also issuing "work visit visa" for 11 months also..do you have any intel on that?
Hi Hamid, the best thing to do with your Saudi work visa is to just ask your sponsor (employer) what it is valid for, after all they will be the ones that are in the most trouble if they allow you to overstay etc. I have not heard of a "work visit visa" unless you are talking about the column heading which is for both work and visit visas.
Check what your profession is on the visa also so as not to have any surprises later on, it is quite common for even engineers or management to have a profession of "labor" on their visa as the company is using it to get around restrictions for non-Saudis doing various jobs for which they cannot get visas.
They are now pushing hard to reduce the number of expat workers by reducing the job positions open to them, the length of stay etc.
thanks. yes "work visit visa" is new type of visa. It is same as "business visa".. bt it specifically for work purposes for an employer not for business..my profession states " Quantity calculator".. i am an electrical engineer..and one condition is to have a degree in the profession stated..i am not sure in which category this job lies..will it be a problem..my uncle forwarded my CV in the company and they sent me the invitation letter through email..so what's your say on the profession issue?
and regarding "work visit visa"..it is clearly stated on the invitation letter issued by mofa..in the "type" column.."zyaara amal" which means "work visit".
im interested in a filipino girl but she is christian im muslim.. i wana marry her.. is there any legal way in saudi arabia??
Hi Hamid, as long as you have a degree then there should be no problem even if it does not match exactly the profession. My visa said I was a business analyst which was nothing to do with the job I was doing. You are not "labor" so you should not have any problems with regards to family and getting exit/entry visas for weekends in Dubai etc.
Hi Asad, go with her to the Philippines embassy and enquire there. There should be no problem as long as you can provide the required paperwork which they will detail for you.
Hi Mr. LeanMan,
That was a great article I have ever read so far about Saudi Arabia aside from the topic of bad driving. It is very informative and I couldnt agree more esp. about lost certificates. My husband's company lost all of his precious certificates and blamed it on some agency. But at least, they finally came up to a solution after my husband went to the roof for their carelessness. I am a Filipina living with my husband (who is an American) here in Riyadh. He is working as Director which made us eligible to bring my mother from the Philippines to visit us here in Riyadh for several months. My question is, since it will be my mother's first time to enter the Kingdom, will there be no problem if we fly her from Philippines to Bahrain passing through the causeway to enter Saudi Arabia? We have a friend (American) who is also working here in Saudi, brought his wife and kids for a one month visit through Bahrain coming from London, and there were no problems at all, and he said it was a lot easier and faster as compared to arriving in Dammam or Riyadh airport (im sure you know how Saudi Arabia airports are..). Does family visit visa owner needs to be issued iqama or of some sort? He said his wife and kids were taken some pictures and did some documentation but were not clear on what documents were issued to them. Another thing is that, our friend's wife and kids are British citizens, and my mother is a Filipina, I am afraid that Filipino citizens who are first time to enter Saudi Arabia needs to be arriving in Saudi airports for registration purposes. Honestly I am thinking that if our friend's wife and kids can enter without any problem, why would there be any for my mother? But sadly, it's not always the case, especially for a Filipino.... If you can give me any information or advice about this matter, it would be gladly appreciated. Thank you so much.
Hi Maria, I will be honest I know little about the facilities for "new" arrivals on the causeway with regards to Saudi Arabian visit visas. However I have never had any problems or major delays in the airports, my wife (also a Filipina) came through very quickly and some of my friends families also were processed quite quickly.
My only experience with the causeway was massive delays, which is the opposite of your friend so I guess things vary considerably!
As to paperwork there is no Iqama for Saudi visit visa holders.
I just wanted to thank you so much for all the patience and help you have rendered all these people on here! Your The Man, LeanMan!! I would love to move to Medina, how easy is it to find an apartment and what kind of income would I need to make to live comfortably with 4 kids, and any info on schools in Medina?? Thank you! Thank you so much in advance Goodman
Hi Wafa thank you for reading about Saudi Arabian Visas, as to Medina I know very little first hand if I am honest as I am not allowed to enter there. Assuming that the cost of living is similar to the rest of the country then you can find a comfortable apartment for 30-40 thousand SAR per year. Maybe another reader can give some more up to date info on Medina.
Hi, My daughter wishes to go to work as a nirsu in Saudi and she has been offered a job by a compamy there. The problem is that she has received all the necessary Visa's and paperwork associated with her job, but now they are insisting that she has to travel to Kenya to get her Nursing Certificate stamped, and this is apparently only done in Kenya. This means that she has to travel from UK to Kenya just to get this stamp. Do you have any idea or suggestions regarding this. My e-mail is fwlouis@live.com if you have any suggestions for me to pass on to her. Thanks
Hi Frank, I guess the nursing certificate was issued in Kenya. Why not just get it sent through a reputable mail carrier and have it done that way unless your daughter wants a vacation there, I spent 6 weeks there a few years ago and I loved it!
The Saudis can be quite pedantic about paperwork for Saudi work visas, i went through all sorts of problems with them with regards to paperwork whilst inside KSA. When I applied for my wife's visa to join me in Saudi they refused saying that my educational certificates needed to be stamped by the Saudi embassy in the UK. The Saudi UK embassy refused saying that they don't stamp certificates and promptly lost my certified original and I had to get a new certificate and get it all certified again.. In the end it turned out that the department in Saudi were just pushing for some money!
Hi Frank, I guess the nursing certificate was issued in Kenya. Why not just get it sent through a reputable mail carrier and have it done that way unless your daughter wants a vacation there, I spent 6 weeks there a few years ago and I loved it!
The Saudis can be quite pedantic about paperwork for Saudi work visas, i went through all sorts of problems with them with regards to paperwork whilst inside KSA. When I applied for my wife's visa to join me in Saudi they refused saying that my educational certificates needed to be stamped by the Saudi embassy in the UK. The Saudi UK embassy refused saying that they don't stamp certificates and promptly lost my certified original and I had to get a new certificate and get it all certified again.. In the end it turned out that the department in Saudi were just pushing for some money!
dear sir assalam oalaikum i ma muslim ineed warkvisa to saudiarabia jaddah for 1year visa
Good day! I would just like to ask if it's possible for my employer to get a visit visa for my girlfriend and find a job here in saudi? actually we have 2 kids but cannot marry cause we are both legally married. This is a big problem for us and also I want to bring my kids here
Hi Aldwin, it is highly unlikely that your employer will allow this as it goes against everything they believe! You cannot bring a girlfriend to Saudi Arabia!
Even if she finds a job and gets her own Saudi visa to work in Saudi Arabia it would still be very difficult for you to see her unless you managed to arrange things to be on the same western compound.
dear sir
i need your help.can you send me reply about saudi work visa how many days before we can renewal.
thanks & regards
Hi Badrul, you will need to ask your sponsor and your local Saudi Embassy how long it will take them to process your Saudi Work Visa renewal as they are the ones that process. Your sponsor should do the bulk of the work for you.
AOA
Is there any way we check our submitted visa status online by IQAMA number??
Hi Mrs Ali you can check the progress of your visa application on the MOFA website, the link is in the useful link section below.
Hi Lean,
I had been living in KSA from 1985-2007, then I moved to my country and now I live in England.My friends parents who are in Bangladesh now are wanting to get a visa for Hajj, however, it seems difficult for him to afford a hajj visa for his parents.Can you please suggest me on this as I do not know the visa rules nor do i know if companies sponsor a hajj visa....
my email id is zas1bee@bolton.ac.uk
your suggestions will be highly appreciated
Hi Zeenat, companies do not sponsor a hajj visa. You apply for them through an authorized travel agent, the cost however is on the person making hajj or their family.
Hey Lean,
After long research on net, i found your blog is the best help i can get.... I am married and my wife is working in one of the Saudi government hospital as nurse in ICU. Her bond is for 3 years and that will get complete in AUG 2012.
But due to family issues, I have asked her to give emergency resignation and she is trying for the same. NOT sure here how soon they will leave her.
The hospital staff told her bunch of non-sense as follow
1 They can not accept emergency resignation? They are saying it's a new RULE.
2 If they do, then she will not get the EXIT stamp.
3 She will loose her gratuty money for her 2 years and 6 months service.
4 She will not get the experience letter from hospital.
5 She will not get the NOC letter.
This is most worried as we are planning to settle down in USA, USK or AUS. So in future she wants to work. But we think since we don't have NOC letter from Saudi no one will give her the job, Is this true?
6 She can take a experience letter from a doctor from the hospital, but does that hold any value?
Pls help us to provide the answers. We are really worried and they have asked us to take a decision in 24 hers. Hence we need your blessings.....
Pls help us, we are waiting for the answers eagarly.....
Mr Worried.
Hi,
I have joined the company 7 months ago at Riyadh. I got the Iqama but the contract was not signed may be due to the reason that the company has new setup in KSA. I was asked for signing on fres offer letter 10 days ago.
I have better job offer from other company giving good salary and profile.
Please advise on how can I proceed?
Your support will be highly appreciated!
Hi Mr Worried India,
The problem in Saudi Arabia is that in general the employer / sponsor has all of the power. Saudi Labor law is actually quite fair and on the whole favors the employee but many companies will disregard it knowing that it is both difficult and very time consuming for an individual to take them to court over it and therefore most employees just accept what they can get!
A company can refuse to let you go until the end of your contract, without their co-operation you cannot get an exit visa!
The NOC letter has no purpose outside Saudi Arabia, so if your wife is not looking to return then no problem. However if she wants to get a new Saudi Work Visa then she will need this if she wants to return within one year.
It would be better if possible if she could remain to finish her contract both with regards to her bonus and also having a recommendation letter for future employers!
Hi Kumarin,
It does not matter too much if your contract is signed or not, you cannot transfer sponsorship unless your current sponsor will agree to it. Without his agreement you will have to leave the kingdom for a year before you can work for someone else.
Hi
This is Akbar, i was applied Saudi visa but still i am not get it, please tell me , how to do check my online status
Akbarali go to the MOFA website (link in the section below) and you can check from there.
Firstly, thank you so much for your article and responses, I have read them all! My husband is British and has been in Saudi on. 6 month business visa, but has to leave every month and re-enter. I am an Australian living in the UK and would like to visit him. Is he able to sponsor me on a business visa for a visit? I rang the Saudi embassy in London today and the lady said I would need a letter from the MOF and his employer and fill in the online form. I am not sure she uderstood me, but I did say he was on a business visa. Can he still sponsor me to visit him if he doesn't have his iqama? We are both Muslim and if I was granted a visa to visit him, do you know if I would be allowed to join him for umrah while I am there. Your help is very much appreciated, thank you!
Hi Tala, your husband could not sponsor your Saudi visa as he is only on a business visa, but his sponsor could if they are willing. Once you are within the kingdom you are pretty much free to do what you like within the restrictions placed upon you as a woman in KSA. (carry a copy of your marriage certificate whilst you are in the kingdom to prevent problems!)
Hi LeanMan,
My wife is a teacher, I am retired and both British Citizens. My wife has been offered a position in Riyadh by a recruiter. The recruiter has sent this message last week:
Are you aware of the laws in Saudi Arabia?
your husband will not be able to accompany you to Saudi Arabia for at least three months if you get the job.
My wife has responded with the following as yet no reply:
I would be very concerned not being able to travel with my husband as it part of my culture that married females are accompanied by their husbands.
Reading your hub and the embassy visa section it seems that as long as my wife is sponsored, I can be added as a spouse on that same sponsorship. I would just submit my paperwork with my wifes for entry into Saudi.
Or am I being to simplistic, will my wife have to travel to Saudi, then submit paperwork for me from within the country or should this be done before she travels.
Great informative site.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Kevin,
normal practice is for a worker to enter the country on a work visa for a three month probation, at the end of which the Saudi work visa is converted to an Iqama or residency visa. Once you have your Iqama you can apply for dependent visa for your spouse and any children which could take anything from a few days to three months in my last attempt!
Most companies will not allow your spouse to join during your probation period, I recently had the opportunity to change sponsor, but they wanted my wife to return home during my probation which put a stop to the transfer as far as I was concerned!
You could ask your wife's sponsor to provide a visit visa until she has her Iqama. You should also check if your wife's position will allow her to bring her husband as not all job holders are allowed despite what they say! You should also check where she will be housed as I have had communication from a couple of women teachers at universities in the kingdom who have been moved onto female only compounds by their employer and now have minimal contact if any with their husbands!
A warmth thanks to your informative hub.
I have one question. Does it really require to settle my credit card before leaving/exiting the kingdom? can i pay it back home? thank you very much.
Yanexis, before you will have your Saudi final exit visa issued you must ensure that all debts are settled. If you are leaving on a normal exit reentry visa for a holiday then no problem as no checks are made.
Salam alaykum , i want you to help me in getting the saudi arabian visa .. can yu help me ?
Hi Nur, I don't offer job finding or visa services but there are many agencies that can help you with your Saudi Arabian Visa. Make sure you select one through references as there are many less than reputable companies out there.
Hi LeanMan,
My sister is working in Saudi ministry as a nurse. Now she resigned and got the final exit. She is Indian nationality. My question is whether she can exit to any other country or final exit to home country (India) is compulsory? She is planning to visit UAE in a visit visa. Can she come directly from Saudi???
Hi Joy, your sister can go anywhere she likes to go, however her company are probably paying for and purchasing the ticket so she should discuss this with them.
Thank you soo much for your quick responds Leanman!! Thanks
What is the maximum age to get labour visa for saudi arabia. Pls give me correct age some one waiting for visa.
Hi Rayyan, I will be honest I have no idea off the top of my head. Get yourself a copy of the Saudi Labor law (just do a google search) and have a quick read.
Hi. I want to know " Is visa validity and duration of stay the same??..in case of visit visa?? and both of these are mentioned on passport or just one??
Not always, sometimes the validity is longer than the duration of stay.
Can i get driver visa in 22 years old age
Hi Raheel, yes you would be eligible to get a work visa for Saudi Arabia if you meet all of their other requirements and can find a sponsor.
Dear friend ,
By god's grace you are so helpful .Helping all those who had issues. Thank you very much..
Is it possible to extend saudi visit visa without leaving the kingdom?? what's the procedure and how long it can be extended?
Ahmad, I tried to find out if I could extend a business visa without leaving and was told no, I would assume that the same would be true for a visit visa nut it may be worth contacting your embassy to find out.
Hi, Very good article and helpful too... Im not sure if someone has queried this already, but does the company take your passport and keep hold of it?... i am about to pay an agent for a contract in tabuk KSA. They want all documents ofcourse and im paying 500 quid for everything... hope i dont get ripped off.
Thanks
Hi, wonderful article and info there.. interesting missions you have gone through too. I have been accepted for a Job in Tabuk KSA. The contractors forwarded me the agent they deal with. I am to go and provide the necessary docs. plus i have to pay 500 pounds for the medical report visa etc from my own pocket, so i hope its not a rip off. I was wondering do companies keep employee's passport once in ksa?..i would rather have it in my posession.. i dont want it all screwed up and folded and returned to me in the end. Do you know any info regarding this?
Thanks
Hi Zara, yes once you are in Saudi Arabia your sponsor / employer will take your passport, this is normal practice. Mine was covered in stickers by the company and had various things stapled to it and looked like it had been in a war!
As long as you are going with a reputable agency then not a problem your employer should refund that when you get to Saudi Arabia, but medicals are required for the Saudi work visa. That being said, their requirements in the UK are very expensive, when you are in Saudi the tests done for your Iqama are supposed to be the same but take about 5 mins and cost a very small percentage of what you pay in the UK..
Thanks for that info Leanman...wow i did not really want my passport to be taken and covered in stickers and staples lol. It just makes one feel a little insecure. Yes it is working out to be expensive here in London. I did do as much checks as i can to see if the agent and clinic they are sending me with is reputable, hope im not wrong. Thanks alot for being helpful, your time is much appreciated.
Good luck with getting your Visa Zara, do you already have the paperwork from your sponsor in Saudi for the visa?
Thank you, yes i received the contract from AL KHALEEJ UNIVERSITY...I signed the contract and sent it back. They then sent me some documents such as the medical report form and visa form that i have to take with me on monday when I have my blood tests etc. The agent who is processing my visa said they charge that much because they do things quick and their clinic is registered to be accepted my saudi. They also told me to bring my passport, i guess i will receive it through the post once stamped... sometimes i feel like im asking basic questions that should be obvious, but i like to make sure as some countries just dont do things you expect.
I had big problems finding somewhere in the UK to do the medical tests and I think my first time cost far more than you are quoting. I am sure you will be fine, it is very different to getting a visa for most other countries but the financial rewards when you get there are very worth it.
Thanks a lot for that, you actually made me feel better :)
I better not complain then as you have had it harder and yet appreciate the benefits you received. I will go along with it..I told my friends i just found a great hub with all the answers....how kind of you... appreciate it!
Good luck with your Saudi Visa, let us know how you get on and how life is in Saudi for you when you get there.
All the best to you too..thank you..i shall give an update once i get there..should be interesting, hopefully! :)
hello my Friend, i need advice from you regarding DUBAI visit visa, well am working in KSA since 10 months in private firm as MARKETING MANAGER my iqama profession is BUILDING ELECTRICIAN, I want to visit Dubai for 5 days for some personnel work. i would like to know the procedures of getting visit visa to Dubai.
thanks
hussain
Hi Hussain you should not have any problems getting your visa, as long as your company issues your Saudi Exit and re-entry visa.
thank you Mr LeanMan, i appreciate your advice and your blog :-)
thanks
hussain
Mr Leanman, thank u very much for ur advices, really amazing, God bless u..
My husband is working in saudi on a labor visa, we got married in my country (morocco) n of course its not possible for him to bring me on a family visa, so he bought me a maid visa..m actually so worried n aksing lot of quetsions, i hav an MBA n work experience and my husband doenst appreciate teh idea of me working there..m actually afraid of any complications once i am there, my husband keeps telling me that he wants me there fast and that i shouldnt worry, that once i am there we will get married again in saudi n he will transfer me on his iqama..
what do u think of this situation..thank u:)
Hi Mrsworried, it is possible for you to both get married there and that would not be a problem, however even if he is on a labor visa he may be accepted to bring you on a family visa with your current marriage certificate.
Also who is the sponsor for the maid visa, I had a friend that bought a girl through a Saudi who then "kept" the maid for a year as they decided they needed a maid!
we have saudia visas for people seeking jobs in saudia.in case of anybody with interest contact me on har.moha@yahoo.com or from 0725701613 {kenya}
Hi harun, thanks for your message, however anyone that is tempted beware of cons as there are many out there - if you asked for money up front then it is likely you will just lose your money!
Hi, Please letme know if there will be any problem in future for getting UK/US/EUROPE visa stamping if my passport is having Saudi Visa stamped. I came to know UK/USA visa gets rejected if we work in Saudi. Thanks
Hi Sachin, As far as I am aware a Saudi Visa in your passport will not affect you ability to go to either USA or UK.
need an advise from you Mr LeanMan.i am from mauritius.. i am trying my best to settle in saudi arabia with my husband and 2 kids please help me sir what should i do to get a minimum 3 years visa
Hi Sabina, I assume that your husband is working in Saudi Arabia so he will need to apply for a family visa in Saudi Arabia so that you can accompany him. His sponsor / employer will be able to help him in this.
hi ,
im working in a Contracting COmpany in Saudi Arabia. Im on Student visa & Working illegally , One day Suddenly some labour officers came n took my iqama & took a copy of it with them. so will i be facing any penalty or direct exit?
Hi Omer, its hard to say unless they communicate with you. What does the company you were working for say as they are likely to be the ones in trouble for employing you illegally?
Hi Leanman... its me again.. ok i have another query if you know....apparently i was told by the agency that before i go to the clinic for the medical report i might as well wait for a letter from the institute in saudi. The letter they are referring to is called a 'power of attorney' ..why would i need that?... they have not replied to me yet. thanks
Hi ZaraOh, have you spoken to the institute directly? Look them up on the internet and contact them to ask them if you are worried about the agency. I cannot see what the purpose of a power of attorney could be when trying to get a Saudi Visa, I am sorry but this sounds a little wrong!
Thanks LeanMan, i was curious as to what the power of attorney would be used for?.. the company seem legit as far as i can see...but that just confused.. the agent who are dealing with the visa said they are waiting for a visa block number as well...i was wondering what would be a standard check list after a company offered a position to get a visa? i know the obvious passport.. certificates.. medical report and letter of confirmation to say i have been offered the job. I have not paid anything yet.. i will double check again i guess... thanks a lot.
When a sponsor (employer) applies for a Saudi Visa for an expat visa they are given a visa number when it is approved which becomes your "sponsorship letter" when you apply for your visa. Until you have that there is no point doing anything as nothing is yet agreed - many companies are having problems getting and renewing visas in KSA due to new rules which prevent them if they have not employed enough Saudis. As to the power of attorney I really can't see a purpose for that!
Oh ok thanks a lot.. what you say makes sense.. hopefully they mean a sponsorship letter and not power of attorney... i will give them a call later and hopefully clear things up.. appreciate your time..thanks!
i would like to inquire is there any restriction impose on issuance of work visa on certain cetegories, if so which are those jobs against protection of local peoples job.
Hi Fahad, there are restrictions on many positions now with regards to them only being available to Saudis (Such as Human Resources) and also restrictions placed on companies with regards to how many expats they can now employ in relation to the number of Saudis. Many companies however if they can still get visas will employ an expat for one position but gain a visa for another that is allowed so many do not follow the rules anyway!
Hy dear respected sir my question is just new over there he dint like the job there mainly what agent person promise him about job he dint get job can he return with in two days back to country or stil he need to take exit visa from his sponser or what please suggest me how he can come back to india my family is to worry about him
Hi Irfan, if he does not have his iqama yet he still has the option to leave, however his employer could insist on him paying back air fare etc before he leaves so be careful. I have known people who have got on a plane and just gone home in their first few weeks in the kingdom.
Hi Lean man...great hub and great info.thanks.Just wondering, I have been offered a teaching position in Saudi for a year but I dont want to stay for a year for a umber of reasons. 3 to 6 months is ideal. If you leave after this amount of time, can an employer stop you....or if it after the 90 days, are you alowed to leave to get your permanent visa. Do employers usually retain a percentage of income to lock you into the country as well as refusing exit. What is the best way to play it if you want to go for a short stint? Is that possible? thanking you for your answer in advance.
Hi, just to follow up on my previous question, the company is Aramco. Doe it make a difference which employer you have to make it easier to leave after 3 months? I have heard that after 3 months you need to leave the country and go back to the UK to get your permament visa. If so that would be perfect for me but I am wondering how easy it is to cut adn run at that stage. Thanks again.
I only have a degree from a brasilian university, and im having trouble getting it attested. Would it be worth trying with a fake degree and attestment? Or would that have dire consequences?
Hi Pargar, when you take a job in Saudi Arabia you will be given a contract for the number of months they expect you to work and they expect you to stick to it! When you arrive they will take your passport (most companies) and you will only be able to leave if they return it and of course once you have your Iqama (Saudi residency and work visa) you will have to have an exit re-entry visa to travel which is issued by your sponsor.
If they get an idea that you are going to "run" then they are unlikely to allow you an exit if they need you in your job. If you do run you will also find it impossible to return if you want to work for another employer!
It is also not good practice nor fair on any employer to leave before the end of a contract!
Pargar, if your initial entry is on a work visa then you will not have to leave to get your work visa converted to an Iqama.
Saudi Aramco is one of the best companies to work for in Saudi, if you have no intention of working your contract then do not go! You just make things more difficult for those of us who do want to work a full contract.
Hi John, I would guess that would depend on how good the fake was!
Hey i applied to Aramco..i would love to take the contract if they gave me a job... most positions want male...but if you dont want the contract pargar...hand it over to me lol. By the way i got the visa block number for Al Khaleej Tabuk University. There is no power of attorney letter... i think they confused the wording.. Now all of a sudden i have read some negative reviews ...oh well i guess there is only one way to find out huh.
Hi Lean,
Great job, Could you kindly help me by advising me that
I have received and accepted an offer from saudi company. Do you know, How long it takes to my sponsor to send me visa slip for Electrical enigneer.
Warmest Regards
Good luck Zara, I hope that it all turns out fine for you..
Hi Mohsin, it depends very much on the company as to how quick they are in processing your Saudi work visa number, it could take a few days, it could take months.
Thanks,
Until now, It has taken a month approx.
Any way thanks a lot for your response.
Keep it up.
take care
Try contacting the company directly to see what is happening, if you chase them then they may hurry along if they think that you may go elsewhere..
I am offered a visa as a driver while I am being hired as a Manager Admin. How tricky is it? I am told that their factory is still under construction and only once it is operational will the VISA's be issued for regular employees. Is it true? I smell something fishy here. I am thinking of not accepting the offer. Am I right?
Hi Rakesh, it is often the case that people will be issued visas that do not reflect the jobs that they do, I have met western CEOs with Iqamas that say they are electricians and engineers. But this is not ideal, a Saudi Visa as a driver is about as low as you can get in the pecking order so you could be denied many basic rights such as travel and face problems sending larger sums of money home as well as problems if you wish to bring your family. In my experience once you have your Iqama the company will do nothing to update your job title. I am sure if they thought about it they could get you a visa with a more suitable job description even if it is not the final one that you would end up with.
hi sir my husband is working in ksa as an accountant i want to go there with my 3 years old baby so plz tell me the process of visit visa and requirement peper.
Hi Priya, your husband should speak to his sponsor and they will help him to arrange your visa.
Hi LeanMan,
Can a Saudi company apply for a visit visa directly from the MOFA in KSA. They want me to visit them for an interview. However when applying from another GCC country, in my case Qatar, they require a no objection letter from my sponsor here. (kind of difficult to get a no objection letter from them for a visit to KSA for a job interview i could imagine). Hoping you know
thank u very much 4 ur help
Hi Bernie, the visa is granted through MOFA in KSA and you will be given the visa number and told to process that through a Saudi Embassy by providing all the relevant paperwork. I have never heard of the requirement for a letter of no objection being asked of from a company outside of Saudi Arabi for a visa.
Hi,
I am currently working in UAE and my company has offered me a job in one of our new projects in Jeddah and have agreed to transfer me to KSA. The offer is good and I want to move to Saudi. I don't want to cancel my USE residence visa and I want to know whether I can get keep my UAE residence along with the KSA work visa?
Regards,
Sid
Hi Shahid, I don't know anything about the residency permit process in the UAE, but the Saudi one you would have to have your sponsors permission to leave and the maximum time you would be able to leave for would be 90 days.
Hi, leanman great job man.I have one question. I was workinh with a contracting company in KSA with 2 years contract.The company ended his last project in november and was nat have any more project hence there was no over time infact the salary was not paid properly, so I declare emergency and came back to my home country on my own expenses on exit/re-entry.now I am at my home from last 2 months my re-entry is expire also my iqama is expire. now can I apply for new wok visa in KSA or any other gulf country plz reply
Hi Shahid, if you did not leave on a final exit visa you will have to wait for a full year before you return to Saudi Arabia as long as your employer has not filed a case against you as a run away; go to the MOFA website and enter your Iqama number to find if there are any problems. Also if you had any loans or credit cards or other bills that were not paid you could end up being arrested when you return. The year wait will not apply to any other country so there is nothing to stop you working elsewhere.
thanx
Hi Mr.Leanman, Just got home last Jan.20,2012 with final exit From KSA. Now I got a new employer, sent all my documents & passport for stamping but was rejected due to no middle name in my passport.I already presented my previous passport& my birth certificate but still rejected.I have worked for almost2.3yrs already how come i was given a visa Before and now they keep on rejecting it..Any suggestion for my situation? Any possible documents need to show them?
Godbless
Hi Venus, they can be quite pedantic about minor things when applying for a Saudi Visa. If you have no middle name and that is clear on all of your documentation I suggest you try again or try phoning the embassy to talk with someone directly.
thnks again..Godbless
hi sir
i want to do job in ksa so what kind of job i wii find there as a foreign girl.can i do teaching there? how can i find job there
Hi Leanman,
Hoping to get some advice on my girlfriend who is employed as a private nurse (still domestic helper). She is a Filipina national and wants to get out of KSA immediately. She contacted the Philippine consulate and spoke to someone in their POLO division on what options she might have. Basically she is without many options. Seems like it is up to her sponsor on whether she is released. Just wondering if you have any suggestions for someone to get deported very easily. Her indentured servant job needs to end soon. I look forward to your advice.
Hi Priya, there are teaching jobs for women in Saudi arabia and you would be able to get a Saudi work visa for this if you can find a sponsor. In the section below there are some links to other articles, one is about finding jobs in KSA.
Hi Will, to leave KSA you need an exit visa, either a Saudi final exit visa or an exit re-entry visa, both of which require your sponsors co-operation to be issued. Many domestics and other workers especially from countries like the Philippines and Indonesia are refused holidays by sponsors as they fear they will not return (plus the sponsor should pay the ticket!) She really is at the mercy of her sponsor and this is one of the problems of taking employment in Saudi Arabia. Her options are to persuade her employer to let her leave or to work till the end of her contract. If she runs away then it will become harder and more dangerous to leave as she will become an illegal with no valid visa or Iqama and likely to be arrested and put in jail.
If you have money then it is possible to be smuggled out (but this can also be risky), I had my wife sent back to the Philippines (I am married to a Filipina) as she had visa problems but it cost me almost 10,000SAR. If you want to contact me directly use the "contact leanman" button below my profile picture top right.
Thanks for this very informative article. I would like to ask you that what is the minimum time taken to return to Saudi Arabia, if someone goes on Final Exit from a company and wants to return on the work visa of another company.
Hi Muhammad, if you have a letter of no objection from your previous sponsor you can return any time, otherwise you will have to wait at least one year.
Very nice job dear, hats off to you. what i have noticed that getting a Saudi work visa is something very tough. you are getting people aware, that's worth praising.
actually i am from Pakistan, and want to work in Saudi Arabia, but im afraid i cant stay there for years, i want to have a work visa that allows me to come back to my country at-least twice a year. can you tell me if this is possible?..... and addition plz it u can tell me how much a business graduate can earn monthly while working on an entry level job being a fresh graduate. Regards....
Hi Hamid, the number of times you can return home and the length of your holidays are something that you would have to agree with your employer (sponsor), within Saudi Arabia they are the ones that will process and grant you a Saudi exit and re-entry visa allowing you to go home and then return. However be aware that some unscrupulous employers may make promises that they later fail to keep and there is little you can do about it!
As to wages you can check on Bayt.com the wages that others are paid for various jobs within KSA.
Thanks alot dear,
Regards........
Thanks! This was very helpful info.
this is not so much of helpful,because i just searched for the age limit for any employee who want to go for some employment from Indian region,but it was missing and lot was missing here and sorry to say,it is not that much helpful who search for some thing in practical sense so try to inject useful information in professional manner...
Hi Mahabub, if you want to read up on Saudi Labor law then please find an article about such, this is a webpage giving advice about getting a work visa for Saudi Arabia and gives links to just about any obscure piece of information that you may wish to find through places such as the Saudi Ministry of Affairs and various Embassies. There are many rules and requirements and they can differ from country to country and also vary over time and depending on the job you wish to apply for and so forth. Trying to put a comprehensive list of everything on one webpage would be just about impossible and make for very boring reading, however follow the various links and you may just find what you are looking for.
Search google for Saudi Labor Law (english translation unless you can read arabic) and somewhere within its 245 articles you should find what you seek. However even if says 60 for male workers under article 74 section 4 that does not mean that an individual company will accept workers at that age.
hi i would like to ask for your advice. I am going vacation with a reentry visa and i might not come back if i will be hired in kuwait but i have a loan in the bank. I do not want to escape from that loan. I really wanted to pay it but after 1 year. is it possible for me not to come back to kingdom but i will pay the loan after one year if ever i will get hired in kuwait?
Hi Missy, it is illegal for you to not pay a loan in Saudi Arabia and you would be arrested if you returned to the country having not paid it. That being said if you never return or you pay the loan from outside the country then that will solve the problem.
Hi LeanMan, you are putting great information very useful. i only keep reading ur comments these days.
Please guide me.
I am offered a one University Teaching job in Damam, What things i shud be careful. Also tell me My passport is valid upto 2015 but it is full with other visas only one page is left balnk for the next visa which i keep for saudi arabia..is it oki for them please respond
Hi Imran,
If I were you I would go get a new passport with extra pages - the Saudi visa takes up a full page and they will want another blank page to make all their stamps.....
As to taking a job in Dammam it is a nicer part of Saudi Arabia and far more relaxed than Riyadh. It may be worthwhile contacting others that work there through sites such as linkedin so that you can get first hand information about your potential employer. You can also check wages through bayt.com to see if you are being offered the market rate for the job.
Dear sir please sanctioned and approved an appointement in Jiddah Airport
Dear Lean ..Its a great job u r doing.Your hubpage is really a treasure for the seekers.Hearty congrats!!..I am planning to start a business in KSA and I got a sponsor also.We are 4 partners and the sponsor is one among us.Is there any legal contract in KSA to be registered with Govt. which protects the interests of the investors?..Its a workshop we are launching and is it difficult to get indian visa? (I am an indian).The visas provided by our sponsor was rejected since they were unskilled category (House driver and plumber) as we already worked in Qatar as engineers which is skilled category .The embassy people ask why an engineer in Qatar want to go KSA as a plumber now..How to over come this problem??.. Pl advise...
Hi Mr.Ambitious, you could use a business visa (multiple entry for 6 months) to be able to build and run your business. I am not sure of the specific rules regarding the formation of a business with a Saudi partner but I am pretty sure that the Saudi would be the one with all of the control. All businesses have to be registered and it would be the Saudi partner who would do this all in Arabic. Once the business is registered it would be able to sponsor you for a work visa relevant to the business, if you employ less than 10 people the number of Saudis employed under current rules would not affect visa eligibility. Once you employ over 10 there are rules regarding how many Saudis you HAVE TO employ.
Good luck with your business, I hope that answers your question, if not please feel free to get back to me.
Many thanx Lean...This is really helpful and of course I will be seeking your comments for the problems to come
Hi Mr Leanman,
Remeber me 4 months back lol... I finally received my visa last week and my ticket. Gosh, i started off smooth and had some blocks to jump in the way... it took them 3 months to correct a typo that occured their end. I even told them to cancel everything and return my 550 quid i spent for my medical and attestations etc.. but somehow they managed to correct a letter. YEY!.. now lets see how things goooo.. here goes.. wish me luck!
Just thought i'd let you know :)
Thaks again!
Hi ZaraOh,
Good luck, hi hope that things work out OK after the initial visa problems. I hope you enjoy Saudi.
Hi Leanman,
Very Helpful info.
Can a Business visa be converted to work/iqama staying within KSA, i mean not returning back?
Hi Kazimo,
Unfortunately you have to leave to apply for your new visa..
Useful Links
Here are some useful links that may come in handy if you are within Saudi Arabia or looking to visit Saudi Arabia and need a Saudi Arabian Visa;
Saudi Arabian Airlines Saudi Airlines (Saudia) is the national airline within KSA and most of your internal flights and even incoming or departing flights are likely to be with this airline.
Saudi Arabia Embassy in the UK, lots of links and details to help you with getting your Visa for Saudi Arabia, use this website to find all of the entry and documentary requirements for your visas.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs KSA (MOFA), links here will enable you to monitor the progress of your Saudi work visa or any other variation of Saudi Visa by using the reference number you will be given for your application..
Saudi Government Links is a Saudi Government website, it has many links to other government sites which will help you with finding other information that you may require for your visit to Saudi Arabia..
Saudi Arabian Embassy Washington is the main Saudi Embassy in the US, here you will find all the information required for your Saudi Visa.
British Embassy in Riyadh is the UK Embassy in Riyadh, very useful if you have questions about Saudi Arabia or need any help. I have found them very helpful when I have needed advice, plus they hold events for us Brits in the country at which they serve BEER!
US Embassy in Riyadh is a helpful link for those of you from the US should you be visiting the country. As with the UK embassy they have events and lots of advice for entering KSA.
Philippine Embassy in Riyadh just to help those of you coming from the philippines to work on a visa in Saudi Arabia.
Indian Embassy in Riyadh Indian Embassy in Riyadh
Embassies in Saudi Arabia has Contact Details for All the various Embassies in KSA should your individual embassy not be listed above.
Saudi Arabia Travel Advice is US Travel advice for Saudi Arabia which is equally applicable to any other nationality who may be considering gaining a visa to visit Saudi Arabia.
Arab News Arab Newspaper
Haj Travel Information Saudi Arabia Haj Information
Muslim Sacred Sites in KSA to visit when you have your Saudi Visas.
Entertainment in Saudi Arabia Things to do in Saudi Arabia
Learn to Speak Arabic Learn to speak Arabic online.
Arabic words and phrases Some Handy words and Phrases.
Muslim Date Conversion Saudi Arabian Muslim Date Conversion
The above links may come in handy if you are visiting or an Expat working and living in Saudi Arabia, I hope you are successful with getting your Saudi Arabia Work Visa.
Pro Design Source 21 months ago
Wow, what an extensive set of hubs on Saudi Arabia. Great job!