Expats can Change a Child’s Visit Visa to Iqama

The general directorate of Passports in Saudi Arabia (Jawazat) has clarified that expat residents can convert their children’s visit visas to residency visas (Iqama).

However, this rule only applies to children under 18 if parents have a valid iqama.

The new rule makes it much easier for expat parents to convert their minor children’s visit visas to a residency visa.

Expats in Saudi Arabia make up 36.4% of the total population, according to a report released recently by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The report stated that the total number of expats in the country is 12.4 million.