UAE
Saudi Arabia
A Saudi family visit visa starts in Saudi Arabia, not Pakistan. Your relative there, a work iqama holder or a Saudi citizen, submits a request on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform. Once it is authenticated and approved, you complete the visa in Pakistan with your passport, CNIC, proof of relationship and the mandatory medical insurance.
Key points
- Your host in Saudi Arabia starts the application on the MOFA visa platform; you cannot begin it yourself from Pakistan.
- A resident host needs a valid work iqama, not a dependant iqama, and the resident service covers first-degree relatives such as parents, spouse and children.
- From your side, the key papers are your passport, CNIC, NADRA Family Registration Certificate and, for spouses and children, the nikah nama and B-Form.
- Medical insurance is mandatory and is added during the visa process.
- Under current rules you can book Umrah through Nusuk outside the Hajj period, but a visit visa can never be used for Hajj.
A Saudi family visit visa lets close relatives of people living in Saudi Arabia visit them, and it works differently from most visas: the process starts with your host in the Kingdom, not with you. Your relative submits a request on the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) visa platform, and once it is approved you complete the visa in Pakistan. Our Saudi family visit guide shows the current official fee and processing time.
Below, we cover who can invite whom, the documents needed from both sides, the steps in order and what you can and cannot do on the visa, including Umrah. If you want the paperwork checked before your relative submits anything, VisaWala's visit visa service starts with a free review.
What is a Saudi family visit visa?
The family visit visa is a Saudi visit visa issued at the request of a host in the Kingdom for a relative abroad. A Pakistani working in Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam can use it to bring parents, a spouse or children for a visit, and Saudi citizens can invite their relatives the same way. Saudi citizens can also request a personal visit visa for friends.
Saudi Arabia's unified visa portal describes the family and friends visit visa, including the entry options on offer, on the KSA Visa platform. It is not the right visa if you:
- Only want to perform Umrah: an Umrah visa through an attested operator or Nusuk is the direct route, as our Umrah visa requirements article explains
- Want to perform Hajj: that needs a Hajj visa through Pakistan's Government Hajj Scheme or a MORA-registered private Hajj company
- Plan to live with your spouse in Saudi Arabia long term: your host needs to sponsor family residence instead
Who can invite you? Host eligibility explained
Eligibility depends on the host, not on you. Before anything else, your relative should confirm that they can sponsor the visit at all.
| Your host in Saudi Arabia | Who they can invite | How they apply |
|---|---|---|
| Resident with a valid work iqama | First-degree relatives, such as parents, spouse and children | Family visit request on the MOFA visa platform, authenticated electronically by the employer or Chamber of Commerce |
| Resident on a dependant iqama | Cannot act as the host | The family member who holds the work iqama must apply instead |
| Saudi citizen | Relatives, and friends through the personal visit visa | Citizen services on the same MOFA platform |
Siblings are a common question. Because the resident service is described as covering first-degree relatives, a brother or sister working in Saudi Arabia should check on the platform whether the relationship is accepted for their case before submitting.
1. Your host checks eligibility and gathers your details
Your relative confirms that their work iqama is valid and that your relationship is one the service covers. Send them a clear colour scan of your passport so that your name, passport number and dates are entered exactly as printed. A single wrong letter can cause a rejection later.
2. Your host submits the request on the MOFA platform
The host signs in to the MOFA visa platform and completes the family visit request, adding each visitor. Every name must match the passport letter for letter and in the same order. Ask your host to send you a screenshot before submitting so you can compare it with your passport.
3. The request is authenticated and approved
For resident hosts, the employer or Chamber of Commerce authenticates the request electronically. Once MOFA approves it, the host prints the approved request with its request number and sends it to you. Keep the request number and, later, the visa number, as you may need both at the visa centre and on arrival.
4. You complete the visa in Pakistan
With the approved request in hand, you complete the visa through the channel the Saudi embassy and consulates in Pakistan currently use, such as an authorised visa centre or an accredited agency. Your fingerprints may be taken, and mandatory medical insurance is added during the visa process. The current fee and timing, with their source, are on our Saudi visit visa guide.
5. Check the visa, travel and leave on time
Check your name, passport number and visa period against your passport before you book flights you cannot change; our flight booking team can hold a genuine reservation while you wait. Travel within the visa's validity and leave before your permitted stay ends. If you need longer, your host can request an extension through the e-service before the visa expires, if the case is eligible.
Saudi visit visa documents: the checklist from both sides
Documents come from two places: your host in Saudi Arabia and you in Pakistan. Missing either half stalls the application.
| Document | Who provides it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Approved request printout with request number | Host | Printed from the MOFA platform after approval |
| Copy of iqama or Saudi national ID | Host | A resident host's iqama must be a valid work iqama |
| Employer or Chamber of Commerce authentication | Host's employer | Done electronically for resident hosts |
| Passport, plus old passports | You | At least six months' validity under the current rule |
| Recent photographs | You | In the format the visa centre asks for |
| CNIC copy | You | Spelling should match the passport |
| NADRA Family Registration Certificate | You | Shows your relationship to the host |
| Marriage certificate (nikah nama) | You, for spouses | Translated and attested if asked |
| NADRA Child Registration Certificate (B-Form) | You, for children | Each child also needs their own passport |
| Polio vaccination certificate | You | If it is on the current checklist |
| Medical insurance | Added during the visa process | Mandatory for the visit visa |
Getting relationship documents right
The FRC is the cleanest proof of relationship because NADRA issues it from the same records as your CNIC. Problems start when spellings differ, such as a parent's name spelt one way on the FRC and another on the passport, or a spouse's name written differently on the passport and the nikah nama. Fix or explain these before the request goes in.
If a marriage certificate needs translation or MOFA attestation, start early. VisaWala's documentation service can arrange certified translations and guide you through attestation.
Can you perform Umrah on a Saudi family visit visa?
Under current Saudi rules, holders of valid Saudi visas other than the Umrah visa can book Umrah through Nusuk outside the Hajj period, and that includes family visitors. You book your Umrah permit in the Nusuk app, along with a Rawdah slot in Madinah if you want one. Our Nusuk app guide explains how the permits work, and the official Nusuk platform carries the latest rules.
Two limits matter. Visit-visa holders are not allowed into Makkah during the Hajj period, and a visit visa can never be used to perform Hajj. Saudi authorities penalise anyone who tries with fines, deportation and entry bans. Hajj from Pakistan goes only through the Government Hajj Scheme or a MORA-registered private Hajj company, as our guide on how to apply for Hajj from Pakistan explains.
If you plan Umrah during the visit, check the Saudi Ministry of Health's current vaccine rules for pilgrims before you fly. Under current rules these include the meningococcal vaccine, and polio vaccination for travellers from Pakistan. Our Umrah visa guide summarises the health requirements.
Common reasons a family visit request is rejected
- The host holds a dependant iqama, or their iqama has expired
- The visitor is not a relative the service covers for that host
- Names or passport numbers on the request do not match the passport
- The employer or Chamber of Commerce did not authenticate the request
- A previous overstay or other violation in Saudi Arabia
- Missing or unclear relationship documents
Most of these are avoidable with a careful check before submission. Overstaying the visa itself is the other costly mistake: penalties can affect both you and your host, and future visits.
Help with your Saudi family visit
The host's side is done in Saudi Arabia, but much can still go wrong in Pakistan: spellings, translations, the visa centre visit and flights. You can compare Saudi visit visa consultants in Lahore or Saudi visa consultants in Karachi in our directory, or read our visit visa from Pakistan guide for other destinations.
VisaWala can review your documents free of charge, arrange translations, book flights and, if you want to perform Umrah during the visit, plan it with you. Everything, including any fee, is confirmed in writing before you pay. Start through our visit visa service or the contact form.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a Saudi family visit visa myself from Pakistan?
No. The family visit visa can only start with a request from your host in Saudi Arabia, made on the MOFA visa platform. Your part comes after approval, when you complete the visa in Pakistan with your passport and documents. If someone in Pakistan offers to 'apply' without a host request, ask exactly which visa they mean before paying.
Can a wife on a dependant iqama invite her parents?
Not as the host. The resident service needs a host with a valid work iqama, so a dependant iqama holder cannot submit the request. In most families the husband, as the work iqama holder, would be the applicant, but whether his in-laws count as relatives the service covers for him must be checked on the MOFA platform before submitting.
Do I need health insurance for a Saudi visit visa?
Yes. Medical insurance is mandatory for the family visit visa and is added during the visa process, so you do not normally buy a separate policy in Pakistan for the visa. Check what the cover includes. If you have a long-term condition, carry a doctor's note and keep your medicines in their original packaging.
Can I get a Saudi tourist eVisa instead of a family visit visa?
It depends on your situation. Tourist eVisa eligibility is based on nationality and on whether you hold certain other visas or residence permits, such as a valid US, UK or Schengen visa, or residence in a GCC country. Check your eligibility on the official KSA Visa platform before relying on that route instead of a family visit.
Can my family visit visa be extended?
Often, yes. Your host can request an extension through the MOFA e-service before the current visa expires, provided the case is eligible. Do not leave it to the last day, and do not assume it will be granted. Overstaying brings penalties for you and your host and can affect future visits.
Can children travel on a Saudi family visit visa?
Yes. Each child needs their own passport and must be included in the host's request. Bring the child's NADRA B-Form and the Family Registration Certificate showing the relationship. If a child is travelling with one parent while the other stays in Pakistan, carry a consent letter from the other parent in case it is asked for.
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