Important Points for Final Exit Visa – Leaving Saudi Arabia- Sending Family back from KSA

Ever since the increase in the cost of living for expats in KSA, many prefer to send families back home. The imposition of the dependent fee as well as price hike for oil and electricity has also contributed to the same. So in case you are planning to send your family back or are planning to exit the country your self along with them, here are some points to bear in mind:

Scenario 1: Only sending Family on Final Exit

Check iqama Validity

Make sure all the Iqamas are valid when you will be processing the final exit for your dependents. You might need to renew iqama so plan a few months in advance. This is because the exit visa cannot be stamped if iqama has already expired.

Employed Spouse must Resign

If your spouse was employed make sure they have already resigned and served the notice period.

Process TC for kids studying in School

Similarly, if your kids were attending school, be sure to p[rocess their Transfer Certificates and collect all their marks cards, report cards, qualification certificates etc in advance. You might even need to get these attested by the embassy of your country before you leave.

Arrange Air Tickets

Make sure to secure the most comfortable flights at reasonable prices by booking in advance. This will ensure that your family has a safe and comfortable travel even if you can not accompany them.

Make arrangements for their reception and Stay in Home Country

Make sure that there are family and friends who will receive your family upon their arrival in the home country. Also, make sure you have already transferred money they will require. You should also take care to make arrangements for their stay during the period they have to live without you. If your kids are in school-age make sure to speak to local schools in advance in order to get them adjusted.

Issue Final Exit Visa on Abshir Portal

When you are ready to begin the process of sending your family back, visit Abshir, login and follow the steps to issue the final exit. You will also require to pay the dependent fee per dependent right until the end of the exit visa validity (minimum 65 days=250SAR).

In order to know the exact steps of how to issue final exit for all dependents please read our article detailing the process.

Scenario 2: Exiting the Country After Sending Your Family

In case you will be following your family back  home, there are some additional measures you will have to take:

Submitting Resignation and Notice Period:

The first step required is to submit a resignation to your employer/ company and serve the required notice period which is usually 30 days.

Ending Rent Contract and Vacating Apartment:

Communicate with your landlord about leaving the country and if your rental contract is almost coming to an end good, otherwise you have to terminate it earlier. Also bear in mind this requires that you empty your flat and you might have to put up at a friend;s or relatives place during your last days.

Clearing all Bills and Outstanding Dues

Make sure to clear all your bills for electricity, water supply, internet, landline, mobile phones and any items you might have purchased on EMI as well as any outstanding loans you might have.

Canceling all Subscriptions and Services

Remember to cancel all subscriptions and services you have whether that is for telecom or satellite TV or internet etc.

Selling the Car and Other Valuables

You will need to sell your car in a timely manner so that ownership is smoothly transferred. Any other valuables which can not be transported back home will also have to be sold.

Transporting Items back home

The items which you can not sell in KSA and want to take back to your country will have to be transported by sea or air unless you live in a nearby country where land transport is possible. For this, you will have to look around and choose froma vailable services.

Withdrawing all the money from Bank Accounts

Since your bank accounts will be automatically frozen once your exit process begins, you need to withdraw all the money in your bank accounts to make sure you don’t get into any trouble.

Collecting End of Term Benefits

Once your final exit visa is stamped and you have completed all formalities for leaving KSA, your employer will hand over your end of term benefits in cash.

Finally, make sure you have some trustworthy colleague who can transfer your money on your behalf to your overseas account. This is inevitable since you will have no active bank account in KSA during the last days and all the money in your hands will be in cash form. It is wise to take the help of a close friend instead of carrying huge amounts of cash back home- which can get you into trouble at the airport security check points.

Police Clearance Certificate

For expats moving on to North America or European Countries, don’t forget the Police Clearance Certificate. Many foreign countries require you to produce a police clearance certificate to show that you have no criminal proceedings or legal violations against you. Be sure to settle any fines or traffic violations before applying for it.

We at Qsaudi wish you a safe journey and a new future ahead where ever you plan to settle down!