How to convert family visit visa to Iqama?

You can convert a family visit visa to Iqama or a permanent family visa in Saudi Arabia for your children only if the following two requirements are met;

1. Both parents have an Iqama.
2. Children are below 18 years old.

You cannot covert a family visit visa to Iqama for your wife, mother, father, mother-in-law, or father-in-law. Moreover, you cannot convert a visit visa to a work visa.

Fact Check

Some people will quote news that a Family Visit Visa cannot be converted into an Iqama. This is true in all other cases but does not apply to Iqama-holder parents with children on visit visas.

In a tweet, Jawazat also confirmed that the visit visa for children can be converted to an Iqama if both parents have a valid Iqama.

Requirements

1. Children’s Birth Certificate attested by the Saudi Embassy + MOFA KSA.
2. Children’s Original Passports.
3. Passport-size picture of the child.
4. Iqama copies of parents.
5. Passport copies of parents.
6. Medical Insurance for children. You can take it from the agents sitting outside Jawazat.
7. Marriage certificate attested by the Saudi Embassy + MOFA KSA.
8. Filled out the visa application form to convert the family visit visa to Iqama.
9. Payment of SR 2,000 fee/child.
10. Jawazat Appointment.

Convert family visit visa to Iqama

Step 1: Jawazat Appointment

You need to get a Jawazat appointment with the option “Resident Services” to enter the passport office.

• Riyadh: Jawazat King Fahad Road.
• Jeddah: Jawazat Rehab.

Step 2: Visit Jawazat.

Once you have all the above-mentioned documents, go to the Jawazat office in your city, which handles family matters. 

Submit all your documents within the prescribed window. The Jawazat officer will verify them and request the cancellation of the Family Visit Visa on your child’s passport.

Step 3: Pay the fee.

The Jawazat officer asked me to pay SR 2,000 fees twice: once online and once through a bank draft. So it became SR 4,000.

I don’t know why, but he said one payment is for one kid, and the other is for the other kid. I got the bank draft from the bank and submitted it at the check-receiving counter.

Step 4: Second Visit Jawazat.

After almost one week of submitting the passports, visit the same Jawazat office again to check if your request has been accepted. He will ask you to pay another fee.

Step 5: Pay the dependent fee.

If the request is accepted, pay the dependent fee up to your Iqama expiry date for all your children.

Step 6: Convert Family Visit Visa

Go back to the same window with the payment proof, the Jawazat officer will convert the family visit visa to Iqama or a permanent family visa in Saudi Arabia and issue you the following document.

Step 7: Print the Iqama.

Now take this paper to the window where Iqama is printed, the officer will immediately print the Iqama copy. That’s it you have successfully converted your family visit visa into a permanent family visa.

Source: Arab News