A final exit visa ends your residency in Saudi Arabia and lets you leave for good. It is free, it is issued through Absher, Absher Business or Muqeem, and it usually gives you 60 days to leave. This guide covers the conditions, how to issue and check it, what happens if you do not travel, and the checklist to finish before you fly, based on official Saudi sources checked on 9 October 2026.
| Final exit visa | Quick facts |
|---|---|
| Government fee | Free (Jawazat, January 2025) |
| Time to leave | 60 days, or the remaining Iqama days if 30 to 59 are left |
| Iqama needed | Valid, with at least 30 days left |
| Passport needed | Valid for at least 60 days |
| Before it is issued | Traffic fines paid, no vehicle registered in your name |
| Not used in time | SAR 1,000 fine, then the visa is cancelled |
What Is a Final Exit Visa?
A final exit visa (تأشيرة خروج نهائي) is the permission an expat needs to leave Saudi Arabia permanently. Once you leave on it, your Iqama is cancelled and your sponsor is no longer responsible for you. If you only want to travel and come back, you need an exit re-entry visa instead.
| Final exit | Exit re-entry | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Leave for good; residency ends | Travel and come back on the same Iqama |
| Government fee | Free | From SAR 200 (single) or SAR 500 (multiple) |
| Passport validity | At least 60 days | At least 90 days |
| Time to leave | Within 60 days | Within 3 months |
| Vehicle in your name | Must be transferred first | Not required |
| Coming back | Needs a new visa | Before the return date |
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Follow on WhatsAppWho Can Issue a Final Exit Visa?
- Your employer, through Absher Business or the Muqeem portal. This is the usual route at the end of a contract.
- The head of family, through Absher Individuals, for dependents and domestic workers.
- You, the worker, once your contract has ended. Under the Labour Reform Initiative, a private-sector worker can request a final exit through Absher or Qiwa without the employer’s consent. The employer is notified electronically, and the worker bears any consequences of breaking the contract early. Read our guide to resignation rules in Saudi Arabia before you resign.
Final Exit Visa Conditions
According to the national government portal (my.gov.sa), the following must be in place before a final exit visa can be issued:
- You are inside Saudi Arabia.
- Your Iqama is valid, with at least 30 days left.
- Your passport is valid for at least 60 days.
- All traffic fines are paid.
- No vehicle is registered in your name; sell it or transfer the ownership first.
- Your fingerprints are registered.
How Long Is a Final Exit Visa Valid?
The validity depends on how much time is left on your Iqama when the visa is issued (Saudi Press Agency, January 2025):
| Iqama time left | Final exit validity |
|---|---|
| Less than 30 days | Not possible; renew the Iqama first |
| 30 to 59 days | The days remaining on the Iqama |
| 60 days or more | 60 days from issue |
Example: if your Iqama expires in 45 days, your final exit visa is valid for those 45 days only, so book your flight early. Check the exact date with our Iqama expiry date guide.
How to Issue a Final Exit Visa
For Dependents and Domestic Workers (Absher Individuals)
- Log in to Absher as the head of family.
- Open Visa services (under family members or domestic workers).
- Choose the person and select Final exit as the visa type.
- Check the details and confirm. The visa is issued instantly if all conditions are met.
- Print the visa from the same page.
For Employees (Absher Business or Muqeem)
The employer logs in to Absher Business or Muqeem, opens the worker’s record, chooses the final exit visa service, issues it and prints it. Ask your HR department for a copy once it is done.
Requesting It Yourself After Your Contract Ends
Workers covered by the Labour Reform Initiative can submit their own final exit request through Absher or Qiwa once the contract has ended. When the service launched, domestic workers, private drivers, home guards, shepherds and farmers were excluded from this self-service route.
How to Check Your Final Exit Visa Status
Log in to Absher: your dashboard shows the visa issued on your record and lets you print it. Your employer can also check and print it in Muqeem or Absher Business. We could not confirm any official check that works without logging in.
Did Not Leave in Time? Fines and Cancellation
If you do not leave within the visa’s validity, Jawazat charges a SAR 1,000 fine, which must be paid before the visa can be cancelled. Cancellation also needs a valid Iqama. Employers cancel a final exit through Absher Business; the official guide asks for cancellation within 60 days of issue, with the person still inside Saudi Arabia.
If your plans change before you travel, ask your employer to cancel the visa straight away rather than letting it run out.
Final Exit With an Expired Iqama
Jawazat requires a valid Iqama to issue a final exit, so an expired Iqama must be renewed first, together with any late-renewal fines and levies. See our guide to Iqama renewal fees and late penalties.
Final Exit for Family Members
Jawazat has said that a final exit issued to the head of the family covers the dependents and companions registered on his record. Dependents can also leave on their own final exit through Absher, for example if the family leaves before the worker. Any outstanding dependent fees must be paid before the visa is issued.
Final Exit for Domestic Workers
The head of the household issues it through Absher Individuals. Under the Ministry of Human Resources rules for domestic workers (2024), if a worker’s contract is ended because of absence within the first two years, the worker must leave on final exit within 60 days; after two years, the worker can leave or transfer to a new employer within 60 days of the absence date.
Absent From Work (Huroob) and Final Exit
Since July 2025, when an employer reports a worker as absent through Qiwa, the worker is first marked as “disconnected from work” and has 60 days to transfer to a new employer, leave on final exit or sign a new contract. If nothing happens, the status becomes “absent” and the worker is removed from the company’s records. In September 2026 the rules were relaxed further: workers marked absent who have been in Saudi Arabia for more than 12 months can transfer to a new employer through Qiwa. Check your status with our huroob status guide.
Checklist Before You Leave on Final Exit
- End of service: make sure your end-of-service award and final salary are paid. Work out the amount with our end of service calculator.
- Qiwa contract: confirm the contract is closed in Qiwa.
- GOSI: download your GOSI record or salary certificate for future employers.
- Bank: settle loans and credit cards, and decide whether to close your account; banks restrict accounts once an Iqama expires (see frozen bank accounts).
- SIM cards: cancel every number registered to your Iqama; check how many SIMs are on your Iqama.
- Car: sell or transfer any vehicle in your name, and pay all traffic fines.
- Home: end your lease on Ejar and close electricity and water accounts.
- Pakistani nationals: ask the consulate for a Transfer of Residence certificate for customs relief on your belongings; see our Pakistan Consulate Jeddah guide.
Coming Back to Saudi Arabia Later
A final exit ends your current residency, but it does not stop you from returning. To come back you need a new visa, such as a new work visa from an employer or a visit visa. Leaving properly on a final exit, with your record clear, makes that much easier than letting an exit re-entry visa expire abroad, which brings a three-year ban on a new work visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a final exit visa cost in Saudi Arabia?
Nothing. Jawazat confirmed in January 2025 that issuing a final exit visa is free. You must still clear any traffic fines, unpaid levies and Iqama renewal costs before it can be issued.
How long is a final exit visa valid?
It is valid for 60 days from issue if your Iqama has 60 days or more left. If your Iqama has 30 to 59 days left, the visa lasts only for those remaining days. With less than 30 days left, the Iqama must be renewed first.
Can I get a final exit visa with an expired Iqama?
No. A valid Iqama is required, so an expired Iqama must be renewed first, including any late-renewal fines and levies, before a final exit visa can be issued.
What happens if I do not leave after my final exit visa is issued?
If you do not leave within the visa’s validity, a SAR 1,000 fine is charged, and it must be paid before the visa can be cancelled. Cancelling also needs a valid Iqama.
Can I issue a final exit visa myself without my employer?
Yes, once your contract has ended. Under the Labour Reform Initiative, a private-sector worker can request a final exit through Absher or Qiwa after the contract ends, without the employer’s consent; the employer is notified electronically.
Does a final exit visa cover my wife and children?
Jawazat has said that a final exit issued to the head of the family covers the dependents registered on his record. Dependents can also get their own final exit through Absher, and any outstanding dependent fees must be paid first.
How do I check my final exit visa status?
Log in to Absher; your dashboard shows the type of visa issued. Your employer can also see and print it in Muqeem or Absher Business.
Can I come back to Saudi Arabia after a final exit?
Yes, but you need a new visa, such as a new work visa from an employer or a visit visa. A completed final exit does not carry a ban by itself.
Sources: Saudi Press Agency (Jawazat, January 2025), the national unified portal my.gov.sa, the Absher Business guide, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and Jawazat statements reported by Saudi media. Checked 9 October 2026.