Guide summary: An exit/re-entry payment settles the charge selected for a resident’s transaction. It does not itself issue a new visa, extend an existing visa or prove that the person may travel. After payment, the authorised sponsor, employer or service user must complete the relevant official process and check the live visa status separately.
- Choose the correct resident, transaction and visa option before paying.
- Use the amount calculated by the official government-payment channel.
- Verify status and dates in Absher or the official exit/re-entry status service.
Decide what the payment is for
Do not start in a banking app until you know the intended transaction. Issuing an exit/re-entry visa for a resident inside Saudi Arabia is different from extending an existing permission for an eligible resident outside the Kingdom. A single and a multiple visa are also different selections where both are offered. The correct route depends on the beneficiary, sponsor relationship and live government record.
Open the relevant service in Absher or the employer platform available to the authorised user. Confirm the resident’s Iqama details, passport record, location and the exact visa action required. If the official service says a condition is unmet, payment will not remove that condition.
How government payment works
Saudi Central Bank describes SADAD as a national electronic bill-presentment and payment system available through banking apps, internet banking, ATMs and other authorised channels. Individual banks organise government services differently. Follow the live labels in your own bank rather than an old bank-menu screenshot.
The system should calculate the charge for the details selected. Use that live amount rather than a fixed figure or an online worked example. Before authorising, check that the returned service, beneficiary identifier, visa option and duration or period match what the authorised immigration service requires.
Practical payment steps
- Confirm authority. Establish who is authorised to act: for example, an employer for its worker, or a resident or citizen sponsor for an eligible family member or domestic worker. Do not use another person’s Absher or banking credentials.
- Check the visa task. In the official service, distinguish issuance from extension and identify whether the requested permission is single or multiple where that choice appears.
- Open your bank independently. Use the bank’s official app, website or authorised channel. Navigate to government payments or SADAD and select the exit/re-entry transaction that matches the planned action. Menu names vary.
- Enter the requested record details. Supply the resident’s Iqama or other identifier exactly as requested. Select the period or other parameters shown by the live service.
- Review the returned liability. Compare the beneficiary, transaction type and calculated amount with the intended case. Stop if the name, identifier or service is wrong.
- Authorise and save the receipt. Keep the payment reference, date, amount and beneficiary details. Do not treat the receipt as a visa.
- Complete the immigration transaction. Return to Absher or the authorised employer service and separately submit the issuance or extension request. Review every declaration and date before confirming.
- Check live status. Use Absher or the official Exit/Re-Entry Visa Status enquiry to confirm whether the permission is active and to review its details. Check again shortly before travel because a downloaded copy may not reflect a later cancellation or change.
What to verify before travel
Check the resident’s name and document details, the visa type, status and the dates or period displayed by the official enquiry. Make sure the passport and Iqama information used for the transaction remain correct. A bank debit with no corresponding active permission is not enough for departure and return.
When to get help
Contact the bank if a payment fails, duplicates, debits the wrong amount or cannot be traced from its reference. Contact Absher, the authorised employer service or the General Directorate of Passports if the payment is not recognised, the visa cannot be issued or extended, or the status and dates are unclear. For an employee-managed case, raise the issue with the employer’s authorised government-relations team. Do not pay again until the first transaction has been traced.