Vehicles drive along the King Fahad road, a principal transport arteries that links the city's southern and northern districts, in the Saudi capital Riyadh on March 3, 2026. Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP
Doha, Qatar: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has enabled highly skilled foreign workers to begin the visa process for eligible family members concurrently with their own work visa procedures.
In a social media post issued in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development on October 6, 2026, the Ministry said that families can enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without waiting for the head of the household to complete residence procedures first.
#Ministry_of_Interior announces that expatriates may bring their families to the Kingdom concurrently with the completion of work visa procedures for highly skilled heads of households. https://t.co/sqrMz0rUtC
— وزارة الداخلية ???????? (@MOISaudiArabia) October 6, 2026
Under the visa arrangement, eligible family members include spouses, sons under the age of 25 and unmarried daughters.
"Their entry visas can be obtained concurrently with the work visa procedures for highly skilled heads of households, provided the required application conditions are met," the Ministry said.
The Ministry said residence permit procedures for family members can be completed after their entry into the Kingdom, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The measure streamlines the process for qualifying highly skilled foreign workers and their families, reducing the need for families to wait until the worker has completed all residence procedures in Saudi Arabia before starting their own entry process.
