Saudi Visa on Behalf of Children or A Group

Introduction

If your family or friends are in search of a fascinating new place to visit, Saudi Arabia might be the next destination for you. It’s home to vast natural wonders and rich cultural heritage, as well as one-of-a-kind experiences such as desert safari excursions and hiking activities. For first-time travelers to Saudi Arabia, they might wonder how they can apply for a Saudi visa on behalf of children or a group? What’s the process like? What are the requirements?

In this article, we share how you can apply for a Saudi visa on behalf of children or a group.

Obtaining a Saudi e-visa

Before we delve into the details of how to apply for a Saudi visa on behalf of children or a group, it’s important to know what kinds of visas are available to minors. What Saudi visas can they apply for?

The good news is that children are eligible for Saudi Arabia’s electronic visa or e-visa, which was launched in 2019 to help make the visa application process easier for more people all over the world.

Gone are the days when the only way you could apply for a visa was to make a personal appearance at a Saudi embassy or consulate and manually submit your supporting documents. Under the new e-visa system, travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia don’t need a visa sticker stamped on their passports.

Instead, these are replaced by a printed e-visa featuring a QR code. This QR code will contain all the essential data and information about the passenger, effectively functioning as a digital visa.

Eligibility

As mentioned, Saudi Arabia has made it easier for more people to apply for a Saudi visa, through the e-visa. The following individuals can apply for an e-visa:

1. Citizens of the following countries:

North America: Canada, Panama, USA, Saint Kitts, and Nevis

Europe: Andorra, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom,

Asia: Brunei, China (Including Hong Kong And Macau), Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Tajikistan, Turkey, Thailand, Uzbekistan

Africa: South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles

Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

2. Permanent residents in the USA, EU, or the UK

3. Holders of visit visas (Schengen, US, UK)

4. Residents in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates)

Note that dual citizenships from the mentioned countries also make you eligible for a Saudi e-visa or visa on arrival.

If your kids or travel companions meet the above criteria, then they can apply for a Saudi e-visa. If not, you may apply for the Saudi e-visa for the children via a VFS Tasheer center or a Saudi embassy/consulate.

Validity

Generally, Saudi visit visas are valid for either 90 days (single entry) or 365 days (multiple entry) for a total stay duration of 90 days.

Applying for an e-visa

For the e-visa, you can apply for it in the comfort of your home. Simply log on to KSA Visa, Saudi Arabia’s new unified platform for visa applications.

The website uses a smart search engine to help users identify available visas, along with a centralized system that details visa requirements and application procedures. Users can set up a personal profile to simplify future applications. The platform uses AI (artificial intelligence) and other new technologies to help ensure accurate verification of data and overall efficiency.

To apply for a Saudi e-visa, create an account on KSA Visa, select your preferred visa, and fill out the online visa application form, selecting an insurance provider, before paying the visa fee and waiting for your e-visa. It’s that easy.

Applying on behalf of children or a group

Once you have your own approved e-visa, you may start applying for a Saudi tourist e-visa on behalf of your children. If you are their legal guardian, then you should apply for the children’s tourist e-visa using your account. Simply tick the box “apply on behalf of someone else” and indicate your name as their guardian.

Note that the child’s nationality must match that of the guardian and the guardian must have first secured his/her own tourist e-visa before he can apply for the child’s tourist e-visa.

If you’re applying for an e-visa on behalf of a group, click “Save and add applicants” to add the other group members. If there are children in the group, just fill out the same guardian form. Note that the nationality of the one applying for the group must match those of the group members.

If there are different nationalities within the group, apply via a VFS Tasheer center or a Saudi embassy/consulate. VFS, which stands for “visa facilitation services”, assists in the administrative tasks related to visa, passport, and consular services. They help in the collection of visa applicants’ documents and requirements so that embassies and consulates can focus solely on the task of assessing applications and approving or rejecting them.

Note that if you are applying for a Saudi visa through the VFS Tasheer or the Saudi embassy/consulate, you may only apply on behalf of the children and not for the other adult travelers. They will need to apply on their own, submit their documents, and have their photo taken, and fingerprints scanned.

Requirements

• Typically, you’ll need to have the following for a Saudi visit e-visa:
• Passport with at least 6 months validity
• Digital passport photo with a white background (in JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, or BMP file formats; not bigger than 100 KB; and 200×200 pixels in dimension)
• Accomplished application form
• Health insurance

If you are applying via a VFS Tasheer or Saudi embassy, you may be asked to also provide proof of your sufficient funds as well as details of your flights and accommodation in Saudi Arabia.

Processing time

You’ll know that your Saudi e-visa has been processed once you receive an e-mail from KSA Visa. Assuming there were no issues with your visa application information, it commonly takes anywhere between 30 minutes to a maximum of 48 hours for a Saudi tourist e-visa, for example, to be issued.
If you are applying for a Saudi visa on behalf of children via a VFS Tasheer or the Saudi embassy/consulate, the processing can take one to two working days to issue a visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

While we’ve tackled the topic of how to apply for a Saudi visa on behalf of children or a group, we’re certain you may still have other questions in mind. The following are some answers to frequently asked questions.

How can a family apply for a Saudi visa?

If the family is applying for a Saudi e-visa, then one of the parents can apply for the e-visa on behalf of the children, provided they are below 18 years old. They will just need to create an account on KSA Visa, Saudi Arabia’s unified platform for visa applications, select their preferred visa, fill out the online application form, pay the visa fees, and wait for the visa to be issued.

Note that only citizens and permanent residents from eligible countries, as well as active US, UK, or Schengen visit visa holders, may apply for a Saudi e-visa.

If ineligible, families may apply for a Saudi visa through VFS Tasheer centers or the nearest Saudi embassy or consulate.

What is the family residency visa rule for Saudi Arabia?

The family residency visa is for families who wish to live in Saudi Arabia with a member such as the father or husband who is a working resident in the kingdom. Before they can apply for a family residency visa, the sponsoring resident must acquire authorization from the Saudi Ministry of Affairs. Note that only spouses, sons below 18 years old, and unmarried daughters are allowed to apply for a family residency visa.

Should the guardian who applied for the minor’s visa accompany the minor when traveling to Saudi Arabia?

No, it is not necessary for the guardian who applied for the minor’s visa to accompany him/her to Saudi Arabia. The child may visit the kingdom as long as he or she is accompanied by a first-degree relative such as his/her father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, or grandmother.

Is it possible to amend my data after submitting the visa application?

You cannot make changes to a Saudi e-visa if there is a mistake in the visa holder’s declared information apart from his/her nationality or passport number. As you cannot modify an e-visa, it will need to be canceled and you will need to re-apply for a new e-visa.

If, however, the embassy issued the visa with an incorrect nationality or passport number, then a new visa with the correct nationality or passport number can be issued for a fee. It won’t be necessary to cancel or revoke the old visa.

If I have a Saudi tourist visa, can I visit Makkah and Al Madinah?

Note that you may only visit Makkah if you are a Muslim visitor, while Al Madinah is open to all tourists. As an alternative, you may want to check out the many sites around Makkah to learn more about Saudi Arabia’s rich culture and heritage.

Conclusion

With its many natural wonders, rich cultural heritage, and variety of activities available to tourists, families may want to consider Saudi Arabia as their next holiday destination.

With the launch of the Saudi e-visa program in 2019, it’s now easier for more nationalities to visit Saudi Arabia for a variety of travel purposes, from tourism, visiting family and friends, seeking medical treatment, and participating in business engagements, to performing Umrah.

If eligible for a Saudi e-visa, legal guardians may apply for a Saudi e-visa on behalf of children. Adults may also do the same for their fellow adult travelers accompanying them on their trip to Saudi Arabia. If ineligible for a Saudi e-visa, they may apply via VFS Tasheer centers or the nearest Saudi embassy or consulate.

For more information on how to apply for a Saudi visa on behalf of children or a group, visit KSA Visa.

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