residency
Dependent Visa Saudi Arabia — How to Sponsor Your Family on Your Iqama
If you are an expat working in Saudi Arabia on an Iqama, you can sponsor your spouse and children to live with you as dependents. A dependent visa allows your family to reside in Saudi Arabia legally under your sponsorship. The process involves applying for an entry visa from abroad, then obtaining a resident Iqama for each dependent after arrival. This guide explains eligibility, the application process, costs, and what to do after your family arrives.
Highlights
- ★You can sponsor your spouse and unmarried children (typically up to age 18, or older if in full-time education) as dependents on your Iqama.
- ★Your employer must approve dependent sponsorship — some employment contracts or company policies restrict or delay this right.
- ★The dependent visa process starts with an entry visa application through Absher or your employer's PRO, before your family travels to Saudi Arabia.
- ★After arrival, each dependent must obtain their own Iqama (resident permit) — this is a separate step from the entry visa.
- ★Dependent Iqama renewal fees apply annually — costs are per person and add up for larger families.
- ★Daughters can remain on their father's Iqama as dependents regardless of age, as long as they are unmarried and residing in Saudi Arabia.
Who Is This For?
Expats on a valid work Iqama in Saudi Arabia who want to bring their spouse and children to live with them, whether applying for the first time or renewing existing dependent Iqamas.
Step-by-Step Process
- 1Confirm your eligibility: you must have a valid Iqama, a minimum salary that meets your employer's dependent sponsorship threshold (typically SAR 3,000–4,000/month minimum, varies by company policy), and your employer's approval.
- 2Gather documents for each dependent: valid passport (minimum 6 months validity), recent passport-size photo, marriage certificate for spouse (attested), birth certificates for children (attested), and medical fitness certificate from an approved centre.
- 3Attest all documents: marriage and birth certificates must be attested by your home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Embassy. See the attestation guide for the full process.
- 4Log in to Absher (absher.sa) → Services → Dependent Services → Request Entry Visa for Dependent. Enter each dependent's passport details and upload the required documents.
- 5Alternatively, your employer's PRO can submit the dependent visa application on your behalf through the Absher Business portal.
- 6Pay the dependent entry visa fee through Absher. The visa is issued digitally and linked to the dependent's passport number.
- 7Your family member travels to Saudi Arabia using the issued entry visa — ensure they travel before the visa expiry date (typically 90 days from issue).
- 8Within 90 days of arrival, visit a Jawazat service centre or complete the process through Absher to register each dependent and obtain their Iqama.
- 9Pay the annual Iqama fees for each dependent. Fees vary by nationality and age.
- 10Renew dependent Iqamas annually, aligned with your own Iqama renewal cycle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Not checking your employment contract for dependent sponsorship conditions — some contracts restrict dependent sponsorship for the first year or require employer approval.
- ✗Sending family to travel before the entry visa is formally issued — always confirm the visa appears in Absher before booking flights.
- ✗Letting the entry visa expire before the dependent travels — entry visas are typically valid for 90 days from issue. If travel is delayed, you must apply for a new visa.
- ✗Not obtaining dependent Iqamas within 90 days of arrival — overstaying without a valid Iqama results in daily fines.
- ✗Forgetting to attest marriage and birth certificates before applying — unattested documents will cause the application to be rejected.
- ✗Not renewing dependent Iqamas on time — expired dependent Iqamas attract the same daily fines as expired main Iqamas.
Timing & Fees
Dependent entry visa fee: approximately SAR 200–500 per person (varies). Dependent Iqama issuance fee: SAR 650 per year for expat dependents (as of 2026, subject to change). Medical fitness test: SAR 150–300 per person at an approved centre. Full process from application to dependent Iqama in hand: typically 4–8 weeks depending on attestation and processing times.
Practical Tips
- 💡Start the attestation process for marriage and birth certificates well before you plan to apply — attestation can take 4–8 weeks depending on your home country.
- 💡If your family is already in Saudi Arabia on a visit visa, it may be possible to convert the visit visa to a dependent Iqama without them leaving — check with your employer's PRO or a Jawazat service centre for the current rules.
- 💡Children born in Saudi Arabia to expat parents must be registered at the hospital and then added as dependents through Absher within a short window — your employer's PRO will guide you through this.
- 💡Some nationalities require a medical fitness test (blood test and chest X-ray) at a Ministry of Health approved centre before the dependent Iqama can be issued. Check the current requirements for your nationality at the nearest Jawazat office.
- 💡Keep all dependent Iqamas and passports in a safe place together — you will need them frequently for school enrollment, hospital visits, and other services.
- 💡Dependent Iqama renewal dates may not align perfectly with your own Iqama renewal — track each dependent's expiry date separately and renew before expiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sponsor my parents as dependents in Saudi Arabia?
Sponsoring parents is possible but subject to stricter conditions than sponsoring a spouse and children. You typically need a higher salary threshold, your employer's approval, and the sponsorship may be limited to a specific visa duration. Parents are not automatically included in standard dependent sponsorship — check with your employer's PRO or a Jawazat office for the current requirements for your nationality.
What is the minimum salary required to sponsor dependents?
There is no single official salary threshold set by Saudi law for dependent sponsorship. In practice, many companies set their own internal policy — typically requiring a minimum monthly salary of SAR 3,000–5,000. Some large employers (Aramco, hospitals, government contractors) have their own dependent sponsorship programs with specific criteria. Check your employment contract and HR policy.
Can my spouse work in Saudi Arabia on a dependent visa?
A dependent visa does not automatically grant work rights. For your spouse to work, they need their own work permit transferred to a Saudi employer. Since the 2021 Kafala reforms, dependents on a spouse's Iqama can apply for a work permit transfer to an employer — but they need a job offer and the new employer must sponsor their work permit. Your spouse's residency status then moves from dependent to work-sponsored Iqama.
What happens to my dependents' Iqamas if I change jobs?
When you transfer your work permit to a new employer, your dependents' Iqamas remain valid and automatically transfer under your new sponsorship. You do not need to reapply for dependent Iqamas when changing employers — the system updates when your own work permit transfer is completed through Qiwa and Absher.
Can my children attend school in Saudi Arabia on a dependent Iqama?
Yes. A valid dependent Iqama is required for school enrollment in Saudi Arabia, whether in a government school, international school, or private school. International schools typically also require the Ejar rental contract as proof of address. See the schools and education guide for more.
What happens to my dependents if my Iqama expires or I lose my job?
If your Iqama expires, your dependents' Iqamas also become invalid. If you lose your job, you have a grace period (typically 90 days) to find a new employer and transfer your work permit. During this period, your family can remain in Saudi Arabia. If you cannot find a new employer within the grace period, your family must exit Saudi Arabia with you.