If you live in Saudi Arabia on an iqama and you want to fly home for a holiday, visit family, or travel for work, you cannot simply book a ticket and leave. First, you need a Saudi exit re-entry visa. This permit is what allows a resident to leave the Kingdom temporarily and come back again without losing their residency.
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Get the dates or the fee wrong and the consequences are serious: travellers are stopped at airports, visas expire while people are abroad, and a worker who does not return in time can face a ban on coming back on a new work visa.
This guide covers the single vs multiple choice, the full fee table by duration, how to check your status in Absher and Muqeem, how extension works from abroad, and what happens if the visa expires before you return.
What Is a Saudi Exit Re-Entry Visa?
A Saudi exit re-entry visa, known in Arabic as khuroj wa awda, is an electronic permit for iqama holders who need to travel outside Saudi Arabia for a limited period and return. It is issued through Absher or Muqeem and recorded against your iqama and passport. There is no passport sticker, although printing a copy for travel is sensible.
Every resident needs one before travelling: employees, business owners on investor iqamas, spouses, children and domestic workers. Each person, including each child, needs their own separate visa, and the fee is paid per person.
The visa is always issued while you are inside Saudi Arabia. You also need to be on your sponsor’s record, have no other unused exit re-entry visa already active, and have your fingerprint registered. The period you choose can never run beyond the validity of your iqama, so if your iqama expires soon, renew it first and apply afterwards.
Single vs Multiple Exit Re-Entry Visa
There are two types, and choosing the right one saves money.
A single exit re-entry visa covers one trip. You leave once and you must return before the visa’s return date. It suits a single planned journey, such as annual leave to your home country.
A multiple exit re-entry visa lets you leave and return as many times as you like during its validity. It suits frequent business travellers and anyone whose plans may change. If you expect two or more trips in a few months, one multiple visa is usually cheaper than repeated single visas.
- Single: one exit and one return, base period up to 2 months
- Multiple: unlimited exits and returns, base period up to 3 months
- Both: validity can never exceed your iqama expiry date
- Both: a separate visa and fee for every family member
Saudi Exit Re-Entry Visa Fees
The fee structure is set by the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) and is the same for workers and dependents. For fee calculation, one month counts as 30 days, so a trip of 31 to 60 days is charged as two months.
| Visa type | Base fee | Base period | Each extra month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single exit re-entry visa | SAR 200 | Up to 2 months | SAR 100 |
| Multiple exit re-entry visa | SAR 500 | Up to 3 months | SAR 200 |
Worked examples make this easier to use:
| Trip length | Single visa total | Multiple visa total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months | SAR 200 | SAR 500 (covers up to 3 months) |
| 3 months | SAR 300 | SAR 500 |
| 6 months | SAR 600 | SAR 1,100 |
| 12 months | SAR 1,200 | SAR 2,300 |
So six months costs SAR 200 plus four extra months at SAR 100 (SAR 600) as a single visa. One year as a multiple visa costs SAR 500 plus nine extra months at SAR 200 (SAR 2,300). These totals only work if your iqama stays valid for the whole period.
Two money rules catch people out. First, fees are non-refundable: Jawazat has confirmed the money is not returned even if you cancel or never travel, so only pay once your dates are firm. Second, if you do not travel, cancel the unused visa through Absher within 90 days of issue or before its return date, whichever comes first. Leaving an unused visa to lapse can bring a fine of SAR 1,000.
Fees can change, so confirm the amount in Absher before paying. Payment is made through the SADAD government payments system in Saudi banking apps, under the iqama number of the person travelling.
Who Issues the Visa? You Cannot Issue Your Own
This is the point many new expats misunderstand. An employee cannot issue or extend their own exit re-entry visa. For workers, the employer issues it through Absher Business or the Muqeem portal. For dependents and domestic workers, the head of the family or sponsor issues it through their own Absher Individuals account, under Family Member Services or Worker Services.
In practice the steps look like this:
- The fee is paid through SADAD against the traveller’s iqama number.
- The employer or sponsor logs in to Absher Business, Muqeem or Absher.
- They open Visa Services and choose the worker or dependent.
- They select single or multiple, then set the duration or the return date.
- They confirm, and the visa is issued electronically, usually straight away.
Before issuance, clear anything that blocks the system: unpaid traffic fines, an unpaid dependent levy, or an iqama that is too short for the dates requested. The return date can be set at the latest seven days before your iqama expires, so keep that buffer in mind when you pick your flights.
Keep your passport validity healthy as well. Sources differ on the exact minimum the system demands, and Absher will simply block an application if a document is too short, so travel with at least 90 days left on your passport as a safe margin and renew early if you are below that.
How to Check Your Saudi Exit Re-Entry Visa Status
Always check the visa before you travel, and check it again before you fly back. A quick exit re entry visa check takes two minutes and prevents the worst surprises.
Check in Absher
- Log in to your Absher account.
- Open the services for family members or workers, depending on who the visa belongs to.
- Choose Inquiries, then the exit re-entry visa status option.
- Enter the iqama number, passport number and visa number when asked.
- Review the status, the departure window and, most importantly, the return-before date.
Check and print through Muqeem
Employers use Muqeem to view and print an employee’s visa. Ask HR for a printout if you want a paper copy for the airport; a screenshot of the Absher result also works for most travellers.
Can you check without Absher?
Many people search for an exit re entry visa check without Absher, because older Ministry pages once allowed a public check. Those pages have been closed, so today the options are your own Absher account, your employer’s Muqeem or Absher Business access, or the head of your family checking for a dependent. The check itself is free through official channels, so be careful if someone charges you for it.
How to Extend a Saudi Exit Re-Entry Visa While Abroad
Plans change, flights get cancelled, and suddenly your return date is too close. An exit re-entry visa extension is possible while you are outside Saudi Arabia, done electronically by your sponsor, not by you.
The extension steps for the sponsor are:
- Pay the extension fee through SADAD.
- Log in to Absher, Absher Business or Muqeem.
- Open Visa Services for the worker or dependent.
- Select the extension, choose the extra period and confirm.
Three conditions matter. First, you must be outside the Kingdom when the extension is processed. Second, you must still be on your employer’s or sponsor’s record. Third, your iqama must cover the new return date, keeping the seven-day buffer before iqama expiry. For dependents, the head of family can renew the iqama first if needed and then extend the visa, even while the dependents are abroad.
Extension from abroad costs double the normal monthly rate. This doubling was applied from January 2025, and it surprises many people:
| Extension from outside Saudi Arabia | Fee per extra month |
|---|---|
| Single exit re-entry visa | SAR 200 per month |
| Multiple exit re-entry visa | SAR 400 per month |
Try to extend before the visa expires whenever you can. Jawazat statements indicate that a sponsor can still extend a visa after expiry in some cases, as long as the person remains on the sponsor’s record, but other guidance says late requests can be blocked, so never rely on a last-minute rescue. Contact your sponsor as soon as your plans change, not on the final day.
What Happens If Your Exit Re-Entry Visa Expires While You Are Abroad?
If the return date passes while you are abroad, you cannot re-enter on that visa. For a worker, failing to return can lead to a ban of up to three years on returning on a new work visa, counted from the expiry date. Reported exceptions are narrow: dependents are treated differently, and returning to the same employer is not the same as joining a new one. Treat the return date as a hard deadline, because sorting out an expired visa from abroad is slow and uncertain.
If you see a problem coming, call your sponsor first, ask for an extension through Absher or Muqeem, then rebook around the new confirmed date. Do not go to the airport hoping an expired visa will be waved through. It will not be.
Exit Re-Entry Visa vs Final Exit Visa
These two are often confused, and the difference is permanent. An exit re-entry visa is for a temporary trip: your iqama and residency stay alive, and you return to the same job and sponsor. A final exit visa ends your residency: once you leave, your iqama is closed and you can only return on a completely new visa. Always read the visa type on the confirmation before you travel, so a final exit is never issued by mistake when you asked for a holiday visa.
Before You Travel: A Short Checklist
- Confirm the visa is issued, active and for the correct person.
- Note the return-before date and set a phone reminder a week earlier.
- Check your iqama expiry covers the whole trip plus the buffer.
- Check your passport validity, and renew it early if it is short.
- Keep a printed or saved copy of the visa with your passport.
- Clear traffic fines and any dependent levy before applying.
- Think about what you are carrying, too. Gifts, electronics and cash in your luggage are covered by Saudi Arabia duty-free allowance rules, so check the limits before you pack rather than at the customs desk.
- If you are travelling to another GCC country, remember your iqama generally needs at least three months of validity for that trip.
One last habit: all visa dates follow the Gregorian calendar, and the date that matters is the return-before date shown in Absher, not the date discussed with your employer. Check the screen, trust the screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I check my exit re-entry visa status?
A: Log in to Absher, open the services for workers or family members, choose Inquiries and then the exit re-entry visa status option, and enter the iqama, passport and visa numbers. Employers can also check and print the visa in Muqeem or Absher Business. The check is free.
Q: How much is an exit re-entry visa in Saudi Arabia?
A: A single visa costs SAR 200 for up to two months, plus SAR 100 for each extra month. A multiple visa costs SAR 500 for up to three months, plus SAR 200 for each extra month. For example, six months costs SAR 600 as a single visa or SAR 1,100 as a multiple visa. Each person pays separately.
Q: Can I extend my exit re-entry visa from outside Saudi Arabia?
A: Yes. Your employer, or the head of your family if you are a dependent, can extend it through Absher, Absher Business or Muqeem after paying the fee through SADAD. You must be outside the Kingdom and still on the sponsor’s record, and your iqama must cover the new return date. Each extra month costs double from abroad: SAR 200 for a single visa and SAR 400 for a multiple visa.
Q: Can I check my exit re-entry visa without Absher?
A: Not through the old public pages, which have been closed. Use your own Absher account, or ask your employer to check in Muqeem or Absher Business, or the head of your family if you are a dependent.
Q: Is the exit re-entry visa fee refundable?
A: No. Jawazat has confirmed the fee is not refunded, even if the visa is cancelled or never used. If you do not travel, cancel the visa within 90 days of issue or before its return date to avoid a possible SAR 1,000 fine for an unused visa left to lapse.
Q: What happens if I do not return before my exit re-entry visa expires?
A: You cannot re-enter on that visa. A worker who fails to return can face a ban of up to three years on returning on a new work visa, counted from the expiry date. Dependents are treated differently, and returning to the same employer is an exception, but you should always arrange an extension before the date passes instead of relying on exceptions.
Q: Does my family need separate exit re-entry visas?
A: Yes. Every dependent, including children, needs their own visa, issued by the head of the family through Absher, with the same fee structure per person. Pay any outstanding dependent levy first, because issuance is blocked while it is unpaid.
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