You are sitting in Pakistan waiting on a Saudi visa. Maybe it is for a job. Maybe to visit family. Maybe for Umrah. Your papers went weeks ago. Nobody tells you anything. You just wait.
You can check the status yourself, on your phone, for free. Saudi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs official online portals for exactly this. This guide shows you which one to use, depending on your visa, and what to keep ready first. It is part of the Lexiber series on everyday matters for Pakistanis at the Lexiber blog.
Keep these three things ready
Before you check anything, gather three things. Your visa application number, sometimes called the request or file number. Your passport number. And your nationality, because the form asks for it.
The application number is the one that trips people up. If you applied for a visit visa, the host or the travel agent gave it to you. If you are going for work, your employer in Saudi or the recruiting agent files the application. Ask them for the number. You cannot start without it.
Way 1: the MOFA visa portal
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs the main visa platform at visa.mofa.gov.sa. It covers family visit, business and work visas.
Go to the site, open the visitor services section, and choose the option to print or search a visa. Enter your application number, your passport number and your nationality. Click search. The page shows whether your visa is approved, still under process, or rejected.
The portal mostly runs in Arabic. If you cannot read it, use your browser's translate feature. The fields stay the same, so the steps above still work.
Way 2: the KSA VISA platform
Saudi has also launched a new official visa platform called KSA VISA at ksavisa.sa. It belongs to the same Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When you apply or track a visa, the ministry may point you to this site. Use the same details, your application number and passport number.
Way 3: the national portal
Saudi's one stop government portal is my.gov.sa. It carries the MOFA service called Enquire about Requests and Visas. You log in, pick the service, enter the request number and the image code, and it tells you the status. Pick this route if your application went through the Saudi national system.
Way 4: Absher, if you are already in Saudi
Different situation. You already work in Saudi and want to check your exit and re-entry visa, or your Iqama status. That is Absher at absher.sa, the portal of the Ministry of Interior. You log in with your Absher account and look up the status there. In most cases your sponsor or company sets up that account for you.
What the status means
Approved means your visa is issued and you can move to the next step, stamping and printing. Under process means it is still with the authorities, so you wait. Rejected means it was refused, and you will need to ask your sponsor why, then reapply if the reason lets you.
A warning about people and lookalike sites
Do not pay anyone just to check your visa. The official portals are free. If a middleman asks for money to check or speed up your status, that is a red flag. Only the Saudi authorities can change a visa. Keep your money.
The same goes for fake visa status websites. Some copy the look of the official portals and sell nothing. Only use the addresses above. A real Saudi government address ends in gov.sa.
Whichever route you use, you need your application number first. Get that from your sponsor or agent, then check on the official portal.
Sources: Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform, KSA VISA platform, my.gov.sa service on visa enquiries, Absher portal.
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