RIYADH: If you are amongst the ones who have relocated to Saudi Arabia and now want to travel out of the kingdom, you must know that expatriates living in the country need to have an exit/re-entry visa if they wish to travel outside the country for work or leisure.
The exit/re-entry visa is granted for a period of three months and can be extended too but few of the aspects need to be kept in mind in this regard which are elaborated under:
How to apply for exit/re-entry through Absher
Absher platform can be used for exit/re-entry. The platform is a central support application introduced by the government which can be accessed through the website (absher.sa) or through the ‘Absher’ app. You can apply for the exit/re-entry visa through Absher.
Steps needed for exit/re-entry
To apply for the exit/re-entry visa for yourself, you can log in to your Absher account, and you will be redirected to personal dashboard, which has your residency details, as well as those of any dependents under your sponsorship.
Now, if you are applying for your own visa, press ‘Services’ under ‘My services’, select ‘passports’ and then click on ‘visa requests’. After this, you must select ‘Create request for visa’ and click ‘Exit Re-entry visa (Single)’. Next, you should tap on confirm.
After these steps, the request will be sent to your employer, who is your sponsor, for it to be approved. Once the request is approved, you can then apply for the visa through the same platform.
Apply for the exit/re-entry visa for your dependents
For this, you need to first pay for the visa, depending on how many people you are applying for as well as the type of visa (single or multiple). You can do this through the app of your Saudi bank or through a local ATM.
Afterwards, log in to your Absher account and then you will be redirected to your personal dashboard, which contains your residency details, as well as those of any dependents under your sponsorship.
Now under ‘Family members’, click on ‘Services’ and select Visa services. You will then see a list of all the family members who are under your sponsorship. At this stage, select the member for whom you wish to apply for the exit/re-entry visa.
Now you should press ‘issue visa’. You can then select the duration for which you wish to apply for the exit/re-entry visa. Once you have entered the details, click on ‘Issue visa’. It is to be kept in mind that you should select the duration of the visa depending on the payment you have made through your bank. The system will then provide you with the details of the visa application. Review the details and click on ‘Confirm’. Finally, you can take a print out of the visa once it has been issued.
Cost of exit/re-entry Visa
Single Exit/Re-entry visa fees are as follows:
• SR200 (Dh195) for first two months (or any duration less than two months).
• SR100 (Dh98) for each extra or additional month until the Iqama expiry date (if you are inside the country).
An amendment to the residency law in Saudi Arabia has doubled the fee for the additional month if a resident is outside the country.
Multiple entry exit/re-entry visa fees are as follows:
• SR500 (Dh489) for three months
• SR200 (Dh195) for each additional month (if you are inside the country).
As per the amendment mentioned above, if the applicant is outside Saudi Arabia, the fee for the additional month will be doubled.
It is to be highlighted that the fees are non-refundable and your passport should be valid for at least three months when you are applying for the visa, confirming that you should first be sure of whether you need the visas or not. The Absher platform also announces that you are permitted to stay in Saudi Arabia for up to 90 days from the issuance date or until the exit before date.
Please keep in mind that you are not allowed to enter Saudi Arabia if your Iqama has expired or after the Exit/Re-entry visa expiry date (whichever comes first).