Saudi Final Exit Visa 2026: 60-Day Rule, SAR 1,000 Fine and What Pakistani Workers Must Check
For the roughly two million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia, the final exit visa — khuroj nihai — is the last and most consequential piece of paperwork of the whole posting. Issuing it costs nothing. Getting it wrong is expensive. In June 2026 the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) issued a clarification on what happens when a final exit visa expires before the worker actually leaves the Kingdom, and the short answer is a fine plus a mark on your immigration record. Here is what Pakistani workers and their families should understand before booking a ticket.
What the final exit visa is — and what it costs
A final exit ends your residency. Once it is issued and used, the iqama is cancelled and the sponsorship closes. The visa itself carries no government fee for employees, dependents or domestic workers. For most private-sector staff the employer requests it through the Qiwa and Muqeem platforms, and it then appears on Absher. What is not free is everything attached to it: unpaid traffic violations, outstanding government charges, utility bills, loans and any live court matter must be settled before the visa will issue. Our guide to Saudi iqama fees and renewal covers the wider cost picture during your stay.
The 60-day rule catches people out
A final exit visa is valid for 60 days from the date of issue, independently of when the iqama expires. Miss that window and the expired visa has to be cancelled — a step reported in 2026 as carrying a charge of SAR 1,000. Cancellation is only possible while the iqama is still valid, so a worker whose iqama lapses in the meantime is in a considerably harder position. Jawazat’s June 2026 clarification also noted that an expired final exit can delay repatriation and complicate a future Saudi visa or job offer.
There is a second timing trap. The iqama must have at least 30 days of validity remaining when the visa is requested. If it has between 30 and 60 days left, the exit visa is only valid up to the iqama’s expiry date — not a full 60 days.
Huroob blocks a clean exit
No final exit is issued to a worker flagged as huroob (absconding). An employer can report a worker absent, and a worker who stops attending has roughly 60 days to transfer sponsorship or depart before the status changes. A sponsor may withdraw a huroob report within about 20 days without penalty; after that the worker generally has to take the matter to the Labour Office. Where the report is malicious — filed to avoid paying end-of-service dues — a formal complaint to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is the route, and Pakistani workers can also approach the Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate in Jeddah. An active labour case will likewise hold up a final exit until it is decided.
Do not confuse it with exit/re-entry
A final exit is permanent. An exit/re-entry visa (tasheera) is for a temporary trip home with the intention of returning: a single one is reported at around SAR 200 for two months and a multiple at around SAR 500 for three, with per-month extensions on top and higher rates if you extend from outside the Kingdom. If you plan to return to the same employer, this is the one you want. These fees are non-refundable once issued, so choose deliberately. Families arranging visits in the other direction should read our note on the Saudi family visit visa.
A practical checklist before you accept a final exit
- Get the end-of-service settlement confirmed in writing.
- Check the iqama has at least 30 days left.
- Clear all fines and dues visible on Absher.
- Confirm your status is not huroob.
- Keep copies of your contract, iqama and salary records.
- Book the flight comfortably inside the 60 days.
If you intend to return to Saudi Arabia later on a fresh Saudi work visa, plan your degree and experience attestation and BEOE protector registration before you travel — attested paperwork is far harder to arrange once you have left.
Hijrat advises Pakistani workers and families on Saudi work visas, family visit visas, document attestation and certified translation — honestly and in plain language. Start your application or message us on WhatsApp.
Fees, validity periods and penalties in Saudi Arabia change frequently and are set by Jawazat, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and other Saudi authorities. The SAR 1,000 cancellation charge and the exit/re-entry amounts quoted above are indicative figures reported during 2026 — always confirm the current amount on Absher or Muqeem, or through your employer, before acting. All decisions rest with the relevant government. Hijrat provides advisory and assistance services only and is not affiliated with any government or embassy.