JEDDAH, 4 February — Expatriates in the Kingdom will be able to change the residence status of family members from visit to Iqama by paying SR2,000 for each member, sources at the Passport Department told Arab News.
The sources confirmed that the department would charge SR2,000 each for an expatriate to include the names of his wife and children above 18 years of age in his iqama.
"The fee is charged for individuals who come to the Kingdom on visit visas and then change them into residence or work visas as well as for those who receive entry visas from Saudi missions abroad," they explained.
The sources said an expatriate could now pay the fee for the iqama of his family members at the time of adding their names to the iqama instead of paying it in advance at the Saudi Foreign Ministry or at Saudi embassies.
Maj. Gen. Fahd Al-Dakkan, director of the department's general affairs section, earlier said that doing away with the SR2,000 fee charged for expatriate families was being considered. He said a high-level committee was studying a proposal made by the department for the cancellation of the fees.
