From http://www.geocities.com/jeddahinfo/visainfo.htm and adapted for Hijrah to Madinah, our notes in blue

Stage One - Residence Visa 

Before you get involved in this process, your potential employer will have requested a visa for you from the Ministry of the Interior in Jeddah.  Once this request has been approved, a visa number is sent from the Ministry in Jeddah to the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in your country, awaiting the arrival of your completed residence visa application form, sent by you.  To get to that stage you need to do the following: 

·                     Get 'Visa Medical' - this is best done by a specialist 'visa medical clinic' - your GP will be able to advise you where you can get this done.   (Requires three photographs) For those of you coming from the States, you will need to get 3 copies of the medical report made, with results attached, and then  get each of them signed and stamped by your doctor, with his medical license number on the FRONT page of the medical report, and then get it stamped by your local health department. (Be ready to pay several hundred dollars for the tests and x-rays, and then about $20 to get all the medical reports stamped by the health department). For those of you in the DC/VA/MD area, we used a nice Muslim doctor named Imtiaz Choudhary, MD in infectious diseases,  who runs a private travel clinic at nights. 

            His info is: Imtiaz Choudhary, MD

                            Travel Clinic

                             6281 Franconia Road

                            Alexandria, VA 22310

                            703-313-5060

            We mailed 3 copies of our results and  medical report to the Fairfax County Health Department, and had them back in a week alhamdulilaah.

·                     Obtain Residence Visa application form from Saudi Embassy

·                     Get 60 colour passport size photographs of yourself (yes, 60! See important note under 'Stage Five - Driving Licence), 10 colour passport photographs of your family (together in one photo, without you in the picture) and 10 colour photographs (standard 6"x4") of you WITH your family  We used a photo shop owned by a Muslim brother named Zaheer in Laurel Mall, and he gave us an incredible deal on photos, like less than $5 for each set of 2 photos, compare that to $9.99 or $12.99 at CVS or Kinkos.

Send the following to the Saudi Embassy: 

Depending on your employer the following may be handled by your personnel department.  It is just as well to be familiar with the process though, in case you need to chase them up. 

·                     Your passport - check that it has at least six months until expiry

·                     Residence visa application form, with two photographs

·                     'Visa Medical' results all 3 copies

·                     Copy of higher education, degree certificate/s (these need to be notarised)

·                     Copy of contract

·                     Company letter in Arabic confirming your appointment

·                     Copy of visa payment slip (from employer)

·                     Visa fee

·                     No objection certificate - if you have worked in Saudi Arabia before within a set amount of time, your previous employer must confirm that they permit you to return to work in the Kingdom 

Your application is matched to the visa number from the Ministry, your visa is stamped into the passport and you are free to travel to Saudi Arabia. 

Be prepared to have to make a few reminder telephone calls to the Saudi Embassy in your country. You may even have to visit it in person to ensure prompt completion.  Any flights that you book should be 'changeable'! 

Take the following with you to Madinah: 

They must be originals - NOT copies. 

·                     Birth certificates for the whole family - make sure they are notarized, and authenticated by your state authentications dept., as well as the US state department

·                     Marriage certificate same as above

·                     Educational certificates - they have to be certified by the Saudi Embassy

·                     Driving Licence

·                     And all those colour photos mentioned earlier! 

Stage Two - Your Iqama

Allow eight or nine days 

Your main focus, apart from getting to grips with your new job, will be to get the family to join you as soon as possible.  You will need equal measures of diplomacy and determination to keep the process rolling.  There is a lot of paperwork and 'to-ing and fro-ing' before your family's passports will be stamped with their residence visas - keep as organised as possible to keep on top of the situation. 

The first step is getting your work and residence permit, otherwise known as your 'iqama'.  This is an extremely valuable document and you should consider arranging insurance for replacing it, once it is in your possession. 

On your first day in your new job, get cracking on the Iqama Checklist: 

·                     Iqama medical

-                      check with the personnel department which hospital or clinic they use. Results will

take two to three days.

·                     Request personnel to produce company letter and copy of your contract

·                     Gather together iqama medical results, passport, two photographs, company letter and copy of contract - either you or the Government relations officer will have to present these documents to the Passport Office (Al Jawazat) 

Once you receive your iqama (green for Muslims and brown for non-Muslims), make photocopies of it for your files.  Carry your iqama with you at all times - your employer will usually keep your passport in the company safe while you are in possession of your iqama.  You will now need an exit/re-entry visa every time you travel outside the Kingdom.

Stage Three - Family Visa

Allow five to six weeks 

We're getting there!  Once you have your iqama, you can start the process of obtaining a family visa. 

Family Visa Checklist 

·                     Send copy of contract to your wife

·                     Wife to get visa medical in home country

·                     You need to get official Arabic translations of all birth, marriage and educational certificates.  These must be done by a 'recognised translator' - ask your personnel department or government relations officer to recommend one.  Allow two days.

·                     Certificates attested at your country's consulate

-                      take photocopies of the original documents and the translations (suggest at least two copies)

-                      the attestation will recognise that your certificates are genuine and the translations are accurate.  Allow two days and check fees beforehand to ensure you have the correct amount with you.

·                     Prepare Arabic application form and company letter

-                      if you need to get the form yourself, there is a Service office in Madinah.

Istekdam Office Checklist 

·                     Iqama

·                     Application form

·                     Company letter

·                     Certificates/translations - take your copies to leave with the department and originals to show to the clerk 

It is best to get to the Istekdam Office for when it opens at 8.00am.  Go to the main room of the building on the left.  Do not take a number - there is a seated queue of foreigners along the back wall and a sort of musical chairs takes you closer to the clerk. 

·                     Application is processed and passed to Foreign Ministry - 10 days

·                     Foreign Ministry forwards the family visa number to the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in your home country - 10 days

·                     You collect family visa number from Foreign Ministry

·                     Advise your wife that family visa number is with the Saudi Embassy or Consulate 

Embassy in Home Country Checklist 

It is worth knowing that the numbers arrive once a week by diplomatic bag, so if the visa isn't there the day after 'arrivals day' then it will be one more week.  There are many agents in the capital cities who do the leg work of 'visa getting' for you, for a fraction of the cost in hotels, train fares, petrol, parking - and stress for your wife!  Ask your Consulate here who they recommend. 

The following need to be delivered to the Embassy or Consulate: 

·                     Wife's and children's passports

·                     Residence visa application form, quoting visa number

·                     Wife's visa medical results

·                     Copy of your contract

·                     Copy of marriage certificate (together with a letter of 'no objection' from former spouse if children from a previous marriage will be travelling)

·                     Visa fee 

The passports can be collected within two to five days - this may be longer during Haj or Ramadan.  If you can prove that you have flights booked when you put the visa in ie by presentation of tickets, it is possible that the turnaround time can be reduced to 24 hours.  There is no guarantee however! 

Stage Four - Family onto Iqama

Eight or nine days 

They've arrived!!  You may think you can relax now - but you can't!  All members of your family need to be added to your iqama - they can't leave the country until they are.  Your wife will need to have an iqama medical. 

Family onto Iqama Checklist 

·                     Iqama

·                     Application form

·                     Iqama medical results

·                     Previously attested certificates

·                     Company letter

·                     Family photographs - two 6"x4" 'entire' family and two passport sized of just wife and children 

You should make a copy of your iqama for your wife to carry with her as identification. 

Stage Five - Driving Licence 

Some national driving licences are valid within the Kingdom for three months from arrival.  After this point you will need a Saudi driving licence. 

Driving Licence Checklist 

·                     Translation of national driving licence - this does not need to be attested at your Consulate as there is an office at the Driving Licence Office (DLO) which will translate your national licence and certify it 'OK'.

·                     Get green hanging file folder from personnel department and place in it a copy of your national licence, a translation of your national licence, a copy of your iqama, company letter and application form

·                     Four colour passport size photographs.  PLEASE NOTE: When you present yourself at the DLO you have to look exactly as you do in your photograph ie if you wear glasses to drive and need to wear glasses to complete your eye test, then you must be wearing glasses in the photographs you give to the DLO.  If you do not, you will not receive your Saudi Licence and will have to complete the entire process again!

·                     Take green hanging folder to DLO

·                     Have blood test at DLO (your blood type is shown on your Saudi Licence)

·                     Have eye test at DLO

·                     Pay fee

·                     Collect licence 

Notes: Some nationalities will be required to complete an actual driving test.  

Well done!  You now have all the paperwork completed!! 

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