Saudi Arabia Announces Official Start Date for Free 6-Month Visit Visa Applications
- Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Passports announced when it would begin a two-month status regularisation process for Yemeni nationals
- Yemeni nationals without valid documents are eligible for a free six-month visit visa as part of the regularisation exercise covering all regions of Saudi Arabia
- The two-month process spans four categories of affected individuals, with applications handled through digital platforms and 23 dedicated centres nationwide
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Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Passports officially set Sunday, October 11, 2026, as the start date for a two-month status regularisation exercise targeting Yemeni nationals residing in the country without legal documentation.
The announcement, published by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on October 10, 2026, confirmed that the process would run across all regions of Saudi Arabia in coordination with relevant government authorities.
Source: UGC
The directive was issued following guidance from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in response to a formal request from the Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi.
Who Qualifies and What They Receive
The regularisation exercise covers four distinct categories of affected individuals. Yemeni nationals who do not hold valid documents or passports are eligible for a free six-month visit visa.
To access this, they are required to book an appointment through the Absher platform, select a regularisation centre, and appear in person with proof of Yemeni nationality, such as a passport or embassy-issued travel document.
Those holding expired visitor IDs or visas whose biometric data is already on record in Saudi systems will have their status extended electronically for six months, without needing to visit a passport office, provided they hold a valid passport.
Individuals with expired residency permits, known as iqamas, whose travel documents remain valid can transfer to new employers through the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Human Resources digital platforms, including Absher, Qiwa for professional workers, and Musaned for domestic workers.
Those who prefer to leave the country may apply for a final exit visa with no restrictions placed on future re-entry.
The fourth category covers individuals reported as absent from work. They can resolve their status by having the absence report cancelled and transferring to other employers through Qiwa or Musaned, depending on their type of employment.
Centres Opened Across Saudi Arabia
To accommodate the two-month exercise, the General Directorate of Passports confirmed that 23 status-correction centres would operate across Saudi Arabia's regions. Riyadh will host four of these centres, while Aseer and the Eastern Region will each have three. Makkah, Jazan, and Al-Jouf will each operate two centres, with one centre each in Najran, Madinah, Al-Baha, Northern Borders, Tabuk, Qassim, and Hail.
Saudi Arabia launches digital service
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Saudi Arabia published an official payroll structure for foreign engineers, covering three qualification levels under a royal decree.
The salary scale includes a basic pay component and an experience allowance, with a 15% cost-of-living adjustment applied across all grades.
Source: Legit.ng
