Living in Saudi Arabia

2020-11-05T08:41:00.001+03:00

END OF KAFALA SYSTEM - YES OR NO

Saudi ministery is working on initiative to put an end to Kafala system. This is one of many new inititives in Kingdom.

Details From: Alarbiya.NET

Details From BBC

Details from Bloomberg

2020-11-05T08:27:00.001+03:00

CURRENT COVID CASES IN SAUID ARABIA

Whats App Calls Enabled in KSA

2016-02-07T12:11:00.001+03:00

SOURCE ARAB NEWS http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/876621

The calling service of whats app has been enabled in Saudi Arbia. This post has been published to discuss about this service. A very useful service for all expats living in Kingdom. Many thanks to CITC and decision makers.

SR 2400 fee for IQAMA Renewal (Labour Card)

2013-01-02T00:15:00.000+03:00

Government of Saudi Arabia has endorsed SR 2400 fee for Labor Card renewal, required every year with the IQAMA renewal. The fee is applied from the beginning of the new Islamic year (1st Mahurram 1434), that is from 15th November 2012 as per Gregorian calendar.

The main reason this decision has been taken is to encourage the private companies to increase the number of their Saudi National employees. This is one of the step for reducing the unemployment for Saudi Nationals.

This post has been published for an open discussion about 2400 SR fee for all expatriates working in Saudi Arabia. If you know any information that is worth sharing with other expatriates or have questions about this, please post here. Your knowledge and experience in this regard will be definitely helpful for others.

Visit Visa Extension Procedure

2012-06-29T14:06:00.000+03:00

1. Pay 100 SAR fees online using Border Entry Number, this is a hand written number beside entry stamp on the passport.

(We know one case where border entry number was not written, in this case go to Jawazat visit visa department and they will write it. PS: It is not required to get token to get border entry number, just request the officer he will write it.)

2. Visit http://moi.gov.sa go to E-Forms and download “Extending Visit Visa” form.

3. Fill the form or get it filled by some Saudi outside Jawazat (in 10 SAR) and attach the following documents.

a. 1 Snap

b. Photo copy of First page and visa page.

c. Sponsor IQAMA copy. (You are sponsor in this case)

d. Keep Original Passport of visitor with you.

4. Go to Jawazat Visit Visa Department, and get the token.

5. On your turn, present your documents with Original passport.

6. INSHALLAH officer will stamp one month extension on the passport. Even in case of Exit (Mughadara Nahaiya) normally they give 10 days’ extension.

Getting a Permanent Birth Certificate for Baby Born in Saudi Arabia

2012-06-29T13:42:00.000+03:00

This posts explains the procedure to get permanent birth certificate for the children born in Saudi Arabia. The procedure requires to have an appointment from MOI and to present original temporary birth certificate in the AHWAL UL MADNI office on the date of your appointment. Following is the step by step procedure.

1. Get appointment from MOI website.

I. Visit http://eservices.moi.gov.sa

II. Click on English link or directly browse to https://eservices.moi.gov.sa/ES/LogInPages/LoginEn.aspx.

III. If you are a registered user enter your registration details or enter your IQAMA ID number and image code in the unregistered user’s login.

IV. Click register later if you have been presented with SMS registration page, you will see following screen.

V. Click on Appointment Services on left side.

VI. Your Iqamah number will appear in Civil Number, enter Image Code and your date of birth in Gregorian Birth Date, as appeared on your IQAMAH. Then click on Appointments.

VII. Select sector (AHWAL UL MADNIYAH), DISTRICT (Your District), City, Office (AHWAL UL MADNIYAH office near you), and in service select KHIDMATE SHAMLA LILMUQEEMEEN. Click on Appointments Table.

VIII. Select the appointment that suits you from the available appointments table and click Reservation. You will be shown a confirmation screen.

IX. Select ASDAR SHAHADA MEELAD ASLIAYAH LIGHAIR AL SAUDEEN and click ADAFA button. Click on TAKEED ALHIJZ and you will get your appointment, print the appoint page.

2. Visit Ahwal ul Madni office.

X. Visit the AHWAL UL MADNI office with following documents on your appointment.

i. Printout of the appointment.

ii. Original Temporary Birth Certificate.

iii. Copy of your and mother’s IQAMA and passport. (Keep original with you)

iv. Copy of vaccination certificate with 1 year vaccination completed. (Keep original with you)

XI. Get the token and submit your documents, normally they ask you to come at 4PM again to receive the certificate. Get it same day from same window or later they will tell you to visit a different room.

NOTE: Now for new born babies the procedure is same as above. The only difference is you have to attach SHAHDA WILADAH issued by Hospital instead of Temporary Birth Certificate and while taking appointment you have to select TASJEEL WAQIAH MEELAD instead of ASDAR SHAHADA MEELAD ASLIAYAH LIGHAIR AL SAUDEEN.

Madina Munawara - Places to Visit with GPS Coordinates

2011-07-20T13:13:00.002+03:00

Masjid-e-Nabwi(SAW)
N 24.468333
E 39.610833

Masjid Al-Quba
N 24.439167
E 39.617222

Masjid Al-Qiblatain
N 24.484086
E 39.578908

Masjid-e-Fatah
N 24.4775723
E 39.5956654

Midan-e-Ohad / Graveyard Ohad
N 24.503333
E 39.611667

Wadi-e-Jin
N 24.72266
E 39.44327

Getting a Visit Visa for Family (Mother / Mother in Law)

2010-11-24T11:48:00.000+03:00

Fill family visit visa form online at MOFA.GOV.SA.
Print the filled form from MOFA.GOV.SA. All form should be filled in Arabic, other than the visitor's name. As it is in English on Passport. No spelling mistakes on Name.
Take a photo copy of this filled form and keep it safe, you need it for visa inquiry.
Introduction letter from Kafeel, must mention salary and purpose of visit. (ABOVE TWO (filled form and introduction letter) SHOULD BE ATTESTED FROM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
Your Iqama, passport first page, and passport visa page copy.
Wife's Iqama, passport first page, and passport visa page copy.
A letter from hospital / Dr attending. (ARABIC - Optional in case of pregnancy support)
Copy of Arabic translation of Nikkah Nama.

Submit all above to MOFA, and check the status of the visa online after 2 to 3 days.

This post relates to:

Family Exit Re-Entry Visa Process

2010-11-24T11:42:00.000+03:00

Family Exit Re-Entry Visa Process

You can get exit / re-entry visa for you family your self. Most companies faciliate for such visa, but if you are in hurry or your company is not doing it for you. Following is the process for applying for the exit reentry of your family.

Pay 200 SAR per family member (PER PASSPORT), against there IQAMA ID online, using SADAD services.
Get a form from Jawazat, form is easily available with all typist / shops outside jawazat. They fill it if you if you want for 10SAR.
Separate form is required for each family member.
Form should be filled in Arabic. Duration is important in the form, you can mention 30, 90, 180 or more days. Must remember that duration will start from the day of exit / re-entry visa issuance.
Attach one passport size photo with white background.
Get the form stamped from your company. Two stamps - one covering photo on the form, and other in the box, for Kafeel signature and stamp. (KHATAM and TOQEEH)
Attach following documents.

Your IQAMA's Copy. You are kafeel of your family.
Family member's IQAMA copy.
Family member's passport copy.

Go to jawazat with original passport, filled and stamped (Company) form and wait in the queue.
There are normally three queues in Jawazat 30 days, 90 days and more than 180 days queue. Sit in appropriate que.
These queues are very fast, if there is no MUKHALFA etc you will easily get EXIT / REENTRY in 1 hour maximum.
They will verify the form, enter IQAMA number and give you a stamped white printout which has duration and maximum exit / reentry dates mentioned.

Verify the details before leaving the counter.

This post relates to:

Getting a Birth Certificate for Baby Born in Saudi Arabia

2010-11-24T11:35:00.002+03:00

New: Get an appointment from http://eservices.moi.gov.sa
Fill the arabic form, very easy to fill form.
Attach following

Your Iqama Copy
Wife Iqama Copy
Your Passport Copy
Wife Passport Copy
Orginal Birth Anouncement letter from hospital
Keep Original Vaccination card with you.

Go to MOI office, submit the documents, you will receive birth certificate after 30 to 50mins, get it signed from MUDEEER(Department Head) and thats it. This is only birth registration slip, you can continue further procedures for getting passport from your local emabassy on this. However a permanent birth letter will be issue after one year when one year's vaccination of child has been completed.

This post relates to:

Registering SIM Card on Your IQAMA

2010-11-24T11:30:00.000+03:00

Registering SIM Card on Your IQAMA (post compiled by Mr. Umair Ahmed)

SIM purchased from open market (any store other than mobile operator office) are usually unregistered in KSA and you need to register it on your name to avoid disconnection, and to avail online services.

To register the SIM you have to visit any STC / Mobily office. I visited one at Dabab street beside Chamber of Commerce building in Riyadh.

There was an information counter , where I explained my case(I bought SIM from a shop , when I did not have IQAMA and now I want it to be register on my newly issued IQAMA) .The person at information counter issued me a ticket with two forms.( one form was in English and the other in arabic)

I filled those forms partially (Name, Cell number, Date, IQAMA number and Signatures) and get photocopy of my IQAMA. (photocopy machine was available there) .Then i waited my turn on service counter.

Support person on service counter completed the form and update my details on STC system. And that’s it. The Sim purchased from shop is transferred on my name.

Documents required:

1. SIM Card

2. IQAMA

Family Residence Visa Process

2010-11-24T10:40:00.000+03:00

KSA - Family Residence Visa Process

This process involved mainly two to three parts. One part has to be done in your home country (E.G. PAKISTAN) and second part to be done in KSA. Following are the main steps involved. These steps are detailed enough to do whole process yourself, but now a days agent do these all things for you in PAKISTAN. As in PAKISTAN you need to get things attested from CULTURE and SAUDI EMBASSY and ARABIC translations which take time, and agent do that all for extra charges.

First step is to prepare to get family visa from KSA. Things you need are

Your original degree / diploma certificate
Your original marriage certificate
Copies of Birth certificates of your children
Arabic translation of your marriage certificate
Arabic translation of your degree / diploma certificate

All above things need to be attested from your HOME COUNTRY.

Note that all of these have to be done in your home country. For your degree certificate, you must first get the same attested by the HRD Ministry or the Ministry of Education (where applicable) of your home country's government. Once this is done, it has to be re-attested by the Saudi Embassy in your home country.

Once you have all above you need to bring them to KSA. The first part of your family visa case in completed.

The Second step is to prepare an application in KSA. Things you need are

A permanent family visa application form, this form is in ARABIC and is easily available from WAZARAT-E-DAKHILIA (MINSITRY OR INTERIOR). Fill this form very carefully take help from someone who know good ARABIC. (In Riyadh you can get this form from Ministry near HAI-UL-WAZARAH area on ABDUL AZIZ road)
While filling form you have to mention names in ENGLISH, same spelling as they appear on the passport. All other things are ARABIC. THIS FORM HAS TO BE ATTESTED FROM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Once form is filled attach following things.
Copy of your IQAMA.
Original salary certificate / introduction letter from your company in Arabic with salary details attested by the Chamber of Commerce.
Copy of the passport for each family member. (children and spouse)
Copy of your own passport, first page and visa (IQAMA) page.
Copy of birth certificate for each of your children
Copy of your marriage certificate (ATTESTED IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY)
Arabic translation of the copy of your marriage certificate (ATTESTED IN HOME COUNTRY)
Copy of your degree / diploma certificate which has been attested. (ATTESTED IN HOME COUNTRY, SAUDI CULTURE, EMBASSY AND HEC)
Arabic translation of your degree / diploma certificate.
Copy of your work permit card (the original is normally attached to the passport and will be in custody of your sponsor)
If you are going personally, keep ready with you the originals of the following:
1. Original degree certificate
2. Original marriage certificate
3. Original Iqama
4. Original work permit card

Once you have all above you need to go to MOI (WAZARAT-E-DAKHILIA), the best time to go is morning early like 7AM. People queue outside gate from 6AM normally. But going early make you free by 10AM or so. Sometime if you go late they told you to come tomorrow as they are no more issuing tokens for serving on the same date.

If everything goes well, on you turn after verifications of above you will be given a so-called 'Yellow Slip' (FAMILY VISA) immediately. Get a color photo copy of this yellow slip for your records and send the original to your family in your home country along with copies of following. If this guy ask you for traveling station tell him it's KARACHI. This means your visa will be issued to KARACHI embassy. Or get as per near embassy to your home town.

The third and last step is to get this visa stamped from your home country, this is not difficult as the yellow slip is with you every thing else is fine. This is the step where you need an agent, he will charge 5-10K depending what he did for you, service charges are normally under 5K Rs. but if he is getting attestations, translations etc then he will charge separately. The third step process is following.

Following are the things that has to be dispatched to AGENT, Also confirm from Agent.

1. Original Nikkah Nama.

2. Wife's Original degree and mark sheet.
3. Wife's Original passport and ID Card. (And children passports)

4. Wife's and children 4 snaps each

5. Your original National ID Card.

6. Original yellow slip. Visa page. Sometime color photo copy works. Ask Agent.

7. Your Passport photo copy.
8. Your visa photo copy. (the one stamped on passport)
9. Your Iqama photo copy. (Very Important)

10. GAMCA Medical Report.

From GAMCA just go to GAMCA center with Passport, 4 Snaps and Visa Print out other than the one's to be dispatched above. And ask them to issue GAMCA number. To be on save side keep all above in a file with you, so that if they demand then you can show them.

Once you have GAMCA number go to medical center and get the medical done.Once medical is done we have to send the report to agent as well. Get a copy of the report.

Agent will give an E-NUMBER, take that enumber with a photo copy of GAMCA report to medical center, they will upload it and stamp the copy that it is online now. FAX it to agent. The step 10 and it's detail agent can do it for you if you ask him. But do it yourself (family) is better.

That's it, now you have to call him daily for visa inquiry. It will be given in one working week once you have all details.

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