Saudi Family Visit Visa for Pakistanis (2026): How Your Relative in Saudi Arabia Invites You

Do you have a brother working in Riyadh, a son in Jeddah or a daughter married in Dammam? The Saudi family visit visa is how most Pakistanis visit relatives who live in the Kingdom. It works differently from a UK or Schengen visa: the application is started by your relative in Saudi Arabia, not by you.

This guide is for parents, spouses, brothers and sisters in Pakistan, and for the relatives in Saudi Arabia who are inviting them. By the end you will know who applies, which documents each side needs, what it costs as of October 2026, how long it takes, and how to avoid the mistakes that delay files.

For an overview of every Saudi visa route, including business and tourist visas, see our Saudi Arabia visit visa guide. This post covers only the family route.

What is the Saudi family visit visa?

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) runs a single visa platform called KSA Visa. On its family and friends visit visa page, it describes the visa as permitting "entry into Saudi Arabia for the purpose of visiting family members and friends residing in Saudi Arabia".

The same page lists what you can do on it:

• visit family or friends
• attend events and tourist activities
• perform Umrah
• not perform Hajj

It is a visit visa, so it does not allow work. If your relative wants you to take a job, that needs a work visa, which is a separate process.

Who can invite you from Saudi Arabia?

The host must be someone living in Saudi Arabia: a Saudi citizen or a resident holding a valid residence permit (Iqama). KSA Visa states that "in order to apply for a family or friends visit visa, you have to login with Nafath". Nafath is Saudi Arabia's national digital identity login, which only citizens and residents have.

In practice, this means:

1. Your relative starts the request, not you. There is no way to open a family visit application from Pakistan on your own.
2. Their Iqama must be valid. If it is close to expiry or under renewal, sort that out first. In the files we see, an expiring Iqama is one of the most common reasons a request stalls.
3. They enter your details exactly as in your passport. Name spelling, passport number and date of birth must match your passport character for character.

How does the application work, step by step?

Here is the full process as of October 2026, combining the KSA Visa steps with what happens in Pakistan.

1. Host logs in to KSA Visa with Nafath and creates a family visit request, adding each relative being invited.
2. Host enters your details and uploads what the platform asks for, such as your passport copy and photo.
3. MOFA reviews the request. KSA Visa says the host is notified by email when it is approved, and that applications are processed within a maximum of 3 working days after the fee is paid, sometimes longer.
4. Medical insurance and the fee are paid online by the host on KSA Visa.
5. You submit your passport in Pakistan at a Tasheer visa centre and give fingerprints (biometrics).
6. The visa is issued and linked to your passport. Track progress using the application tracker on KSA Visa.
7. Travel within the validity shown on your visa, and leave before the permitted stay ends.

Where are the Tasheer centres in Pakistan?

Tasheer is the network of Saudi visa application centres. The Visit Saudi tourism authority's visa page lists Pakistan among the countries where visitors can use Tasheer visa facilitators. As of October 2026, there are centres in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta, operated in Pakistan by Gerry's Visa. Check the centre address and appointment rules on KSA Visa before you go, because they can change.

What documents do you need?

Your host and you each have a part to play. Use this as a starting checklist; the platform or the visa centre may ask for more.

From you (the visitor in Pakistan)

• Original passport valid for at least 6 months, as KSA Visa requires
• Clear copy of your CNIC (NADRA B-Form or CRC for children)
• Recent colour photo on a white background, matching the one uploaded
• Proof of relationship: NADRA Family Registration Certificate (FRC), Nikah Nama or Marriage Registration Certificate, or birth certificate
• Copy of your host's Iqama or Saudi ID, and the application number of the approved request

From your host (in Saudi Arabia)

• Valid Iqama or Saudi national ID and a Nafath login
• Your correct passport details and relationship to you
• Payment for the visa fee and medical insurance
• Their address in Saudi Arabia, where you will stay

A practical tip: the NADRA FRC is the simplest relationship proof for parents, brothers and sisters, because it shows the whole family on one document. Check that the names on it match the passports. If there is a spelling difference, sort it out with NADRA before the request is filed.

How much does it cost and how long does it take?

Item	Amount or time (as of October 2026)	Source
Visit visa fee	SAR 300 (shown as US$80 on KSA Visa)	KSA Visa
Visa digital services fee	US$10.50, non-refundable	KSA Visa
Insurance digital services fee	US$10.50, non-refundable	KSA Visa
Medical insurance	Mandatory; price depends on the insurer chosen	KSA Visa
MOFA processing	Up to 3 working days after payment, sometimes longer	KSA Visa FAQ
Tasheer centre	Its own service charge and turnaround	Visa centre

These are government amounts. The Tasheer centre adds its own charges, and the total your host sees at checkout is what counts. KSA Visa's FAQ page adds two refund rules: if an application is rejected, the refund is processed within 45 to 60 business days; once a visa is issued, the fee cannot be refunded.

Is it single or multiple entry, and how long can you stay?

KSA Visa lists two formats for visit visas:

• Single entry: valid for 90 days, with a stay of up to 90 days.
• Multiple entry: valid for one year, with stays of up to 90 days.

For Pakistani nationals, the Express Tribune reported in early 2025 that Saudi Arabia had begun issuing tourist, business and family visit visas as single entry only from February 2025. We have not seen an official notice reversing this as of October 2026. So plan on one trip per visa, and go by the validity and length of stay printed on your own visa, not by what a relative was given years ago.

Can you perform Umrah on a family visit visa?

Yes. KSA Visa says Umrah is permitted on this visa, and its FAQ points visitors to Nusuk, Saudi Arabia's official pilgrim platform, to book it. Many Pakistani families combine a visit with Umrah, especially when the host lives in Jeddah or Riyadh.

What you need to know:

• Book an Umrah permit in the Nusuk app for a date and time when you will be in Makkah.
• Book a Rawdah permit separately if you want to pray in the Rawdah at Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah. Slots go quickly.
• Get your vaccinations. Saudi health rules for pilgrims apply; see our guide to Umrah vaccination requirements for Pakistan.
• No Hajj. A visit visa never allows Hajj.

If Umrah is the main purpose and no relative is inviting you, an Umrah visa through a licensed operator is usually simpler. Our Umrah visa and Nusuk guide explains that route.

Family visit visa or another Saudi visa?

Your situation	Usual route	Who applies
A relative lives in Saudi Arabia and is inviting you	Family visit visa	Your host, on KSA Visa
You hold a used US, UK or Schengen visa	Tourist eVisa	You, online
You want a holiday and have no qualifying visa	Tourist package eVisa through an approved provider	You, through the provider
Umrah is the main purpose	Umrah visa	A licensed Umrah operator

A family visit visa is often the most natural choice for close relatives, because it is built around the host. But if you already hold a qualifying US, UK or Schengen visa, the tourist eVisa can be faster because no invitation is needed.

Children, women and elderly parents

• Children: KSA Visa says applicants must be at least 18 years old unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Each child needs their own passport and is added to the request individually.
• Women: wives, mothers and daughters are invited in the same way. Use the Nikah Nama or MRC for a spouse, and the FRC or birth certificate for a mother or daughter.
• Elderly parents: medical insurance covers emergencies, not ongoing care. Carry enough of any regular medicine in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Name mismatches. "Muhammad" in the passport and "Mohammad" in the request is enough to cause trouble. Copy names from the passport's data page.
• Expired or nearly expired Iqama. Your host should renew first, then apply.
• Passport with less than 6 months' validity. Renew your passport before the request is filed.
• Wrong relationship documents. Bring an FRC, Nikah Nama or birth certificate that clearly links you to your host.
• Assuming multiple entry. Plan on single entry unless your visa says otherwise.
• Overstaying. Leave before the stay printed on your visa ends. Overstays can affect future applications.
• Paying an "agent" to "guarantee" a visa. Nobody can. MOFA decides every application, and KSA Visa warns visitors to avoid unauthorised individuals or companies.

How Sky Raah can help

Sky Raah Travels helps families in Lahore prepare the Pakistani side of a Saudi family visit: checking passports, CNICs and NADRA relationship documents against your host's request, and guiding you to the right Tasheer centre. If you also want to perform Umrah, we can arrange flights and hotels around your visit. See our Saudi Arabia visit visa services or contact our team to talk through your plans.

Official sources

• KSA Visa (Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs): family and friends visit visa
• KSA Visa: frequently asked questions
• Visit Saudi (Saudi Tourism Authority): visa requirements and Tasheer visa offices
• Nusuk: official platform for Umrah and Rawdah permits
• Supporting news report: Express Tribune, February 2025, on single-entry visas for Pakistani nationals

Rules as of October 2026. Saudi visa rules change often, so confirm the latest requirements on KSA Visa, or with the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad, before your host applies.