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Saudi family visa with your work visa: who can come in 2026
Travel tipPublishedUpdatedBy Anas Ismail, Safrova

Saudi family visa with your work visa: who can come in 2026

Quick answer

On 6 October 2026 Saudi Arabia announced that skilled workers moving to the Kingdom will be able to get entry visas for their spouse, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters while their own work visa is still in process. The start date, fees and platform are not published yet.

On 6 October 2026 the Ministry of Interior said that skilled expatriate workers no longer have to finish their own work visa before starting their family's. Entry visas for the family can be issued while the worker's employment visa is still being processed, as long as every requirement is met. The ministry made the change together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, according to the Saudi Press Agency report carried by Arab News.

Who can come with you

The announcement names three groups: your spouse, your sons under 25 and your unmarried daughters.

Parents, brothers and sisters, married daughters and sons aged 25 or over are not on that list. If you hoped to bring a parent, this change does not help, and you will need a separate visa for them.

What changed

Until now, the worker finished his or her own visa first, travelled, and only then started the family's paperwork. Under the announced rule both will run at the same time. Once the family arrives, their residence permits are issued in Saudi Arabia under the usual rules.

In practice, a family can plan to travel on the same trip as the worker or soon after, instead of waiting months.

Do you count as skilled?

Not defined yet. The announcement says "skilled" workers but does not say which work permit level qualifies. Most reports used the same word, and Gulf News wrote "highly skilled".

Since July 2025 the Ministry of Human Resources has put every foreign worker's permit into one of three levels on Qiwa: high-skill, skilled and basic. The level depends on qualifications, experience, technical ability, wage and age. Your employer's HR team can see your level in Qiwa. Until the ministry publishes the conditions, ask them two things: which level your permit is in, and whether they can file your family's visas alongside yours.

What has not been announced

The ministry has not published fees, a document list, a start date or the online platform for these applications. It has also said nothing about whether family members may work after they arrive. One headline called the new process cheaper, but the article under it gave no fee at all, so treat that claim with care.

Getting ready

  • Ask HR for your Qiwa skill level and whether family visas can go in with your work visa.
  • Start attesting your marriage certificate and your children's birth certificates in the country that issued them. The ministry has not listed documents for this route yet, but these papers are usually requested for family visas and attestation can take weeks.
  • Check that every passport has plenty of validity left.
  • Do not buy non-refundable tickets until the visas are issued.

Booking the family's flights

When the visas are issued, compare fares for the whole family on Safrova flight search. Choose a fare you can change, because start dates at a new job often move. A family moving house carries more luggage than a holiday trip, so check the checked bag allowance for each fare. Our baggage pages list it for 15 airlines that fly to Saudi Arabia.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my parents under this new rule?

No. The announcement covers only a spouse, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters. Parents need a separate visa.

My son is 25. Can he come on this route?

No. The limit for sons is under 25. For daughters the condition is that they are unmarried, and no age is given.

Can my wife or husband work after arriving?

The announcement does not say. Ask your employer or a licensed adviser before you plan around a second salary.

Last checked: 30 October 2026

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