Can we get school admission on a visit visa?

Many expats bring their families to Saudi Arabia on a visit visa and keep them here for a longer period of time. Can children get admission to schools in Saudi Arabia on a visit visa? We have answered this in detail below.

Ministry of Education guidelines

According to the Ministry of Education guidelines, only a child with a valid Iqama can get admission to a school in Saudi Arabia, except for Syrian and Yemeni nationalities.

Therefore, as a general rule of thumb, children cannot get admission to any school in Saudi Arabia if they are on a visit visa.

Why is it so?

A family visit visa allows your family to live in Saudi Arabia on a temporary basis. The primary purpose of children coming on a visit visa to Saudi Arabia is to meet their parents on a temporary basis.

Since the entire system is temporary, the government does not allow children on a visit visa to get admission to any Saudi school.

Can they take tuitions?

Although we do not encourage it, some parents opt to pay private tuition for their children so that they can stay with them and study as well. This might work for you if your children are studying up to grade 5, but it will be difficult to manage as the classes progress.