Bring your family permanently to Saudi Arabia. Full Istiqdam office process, document checklist, fee breakdown, Absher upload steps, and yellow slip guide — all in one place.
There are two distinct paths to bring your family to Saudi Arabia permanently, depending on whether they are applying from your home country or are already inside Saudi Arabia on a visit visa.
Prepare all documents below before visiting the Istiqdam office. Missing even one document will result in your application being rejected on the day.
All key documents (marriage certificate, birth certificates, degree) must be officially attested before they are accepted in Saudi Arabia. This is the longest step — start it 4–8 weeks before you plan to visit the Istiqdam office.
After your attested documents arrive in Saudi Arabia, get them translated into Arabic by a certified Saudi Arabic translator. Most translation offices near Istiqdam offices handle this — cost is approximately SAR 50–200 per document. The translation and attestation must be done before submitting to Istiqdam.
After Arabic translation, take your translated + attested documents to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) office for the final legalization stamp. Book your appointment online at the MOFA website — walk-ins are rarely accepted.
Log into your Absher account and book an appointment at your nearest Istiqdam office. Do not go without an appointment — you will be turned away.
Arrive at the Istiqdam office on your appointment date with all original documents and 2 photocopies of each. Obtain a token number at the reception and wait for your turn. Present all documents to the officer for review. The officer will verify everything — allow 30–90 minutes.
Once your application is accepted by the officer, you will be given a payment reference number. Pay SAR 2,000 using the SADAD payment system — available through any Saudi bank's online banking, ATM, or mobile app. Return to the Istiqdam office with your payment receipt.
After payment verification, the officer will call you back to the desk and hand you the Yellow Slip (الورقة الصفراء) — your official visa document. Before leaving the desk, verify all details carefully:
After receiving the yellow slip, check your Absher account after 3 days. The visa details for your family members will appear in your Absher residents list. Once visible in Absher, the process for your family to travel can begin.
If the visa does not appear after 7 working days, return to the Istiqdam office with your yellow slip to follow up.
Once the visa appears in Absher, send the yellow slip to your family in your home country. They visit the nearest Saudi Embassy or an authorized Tasheer agent to get the visa stamped on their passports. After stamping, they can travel to Saudi Arabia.
| Fee Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Family visa issuance fee | SAR 2,000 | Per family application (if all applied together first time). Per dependent if added separately later. |
| Iqama card printing | SAR 200 | Per Iqama card (wife + each child = separate cards) |
| Health insurance (mandatory) | SAR 1,200–4,800/yr | Per person, per year. Class C basic = SAR 1,200. Class A = SAR 4,800+ |
| Dependent levy | SAR 400/month | Per dependent per month. First 90 days FREE after arrival. |
| Dependent levy (annual) | SAR 4,800/yr | Per person. Wife + 2 kids = SAR 14,400/year ongoing. |
| Arabic translation (per document) | SAR 50–200 | In Saudi Arabia, certified translator |
| Saudi MOFA stamping | SAR 50–100 | Per document, in Saudi Arabia |
| Total first-year cost (wife + 2 kids) | SAR 24,000–30,000+ | Visa + Iqamas + health insurance + 9 months levy |
It depends on when you apply. If you apply for your entire family (wife + all children) in one single application at the same time, the SAR 2,000 is a flat fee covering all of them. However, if a family member (e.g. your wife) is already on Iqama and you add new dependents later (e.g. a newborn child), the SAR 2,000 applies per new dependent added separately. To save money, include all dependents in one application whenever possible.
The yellow slip is your official visa approval document. It contains the visa/document number, names of all sponsored dependents, their nationalities, sequence numbers (border numbers used when they first land), and the arrival city. It is essential — your family will take this to the Saudi Embassy or Tasheer agent in your home country to get the visa stamped on their passports.
Realistically, allow 6–12 weeks total: 4–6 weeks for document attestation in your home country, 1–2 weeks for translation and Saudi MOFA stamping in KSA, same-day for Istiqdam office visit (if appointment is ready), 3–7 days for visa to appear in Absher, then 1–2 weeks for your home country embassy to stamp the visa. Your family can then travel.
For children under 18: yes, their visit visa can be converted to an Iqama at the Jawazat office. Cost is SAR 2,000 per child. For wife: the visit visa cannot be directly converted. She must exit Saudi Arabia and re-enter on the newly issued residence visa. See our Visit Visa to Iqama conversion guide.
Yes — your degree certificate must be attested through the full chain: HEC (if applicable in your country) → MOFA in your home country → Saudi Embassy/Cultural Mission → Saudi MOFA in KSA. The degree must match your current Iqama job title. If there is a mismatch, the application will be rejected.
The dependent levy of SAR 400 per person per month starts after 90 days from your dependent's arrival in Saudi Arabia. The first 90 days are free. After that, it is charged monthly and must be paid as part of the annual Iqama renewal for each dependent.
Wait at least 7 working days. If it still has not appeared, return to the Istiqdam office with your yellow slip and ask them to check the system. In some cases, a data entry correction is needed. Keep your yellow slip safe throughout this period.