Saudi Arabia: Visa Required For Thai Wife+Child To Stay There?

[cbrer]

Hi, I presume there's quite a few guys on here that have experience living/working in Saudi.

Can you tell me what visa an EU national (born and raised) needs to have for Saudi Arabia in order for his Thai wife of 3 years (never been outside of Thailand before) and their infant child to come and live with him in Saudi Arabia while he works there?

I believe that if you work there, if you have a certain visa, your Thai wife (and presumably infant child) can be joined on this visa (something like a Visa for Spouse of foreign worker or whatever), that allows them to live there for the duration of your contract?

If so, what Visa is it, and what else is required?

Thanks

[meom]

Your company should get you on a permanent visa. Once you're in country you'll be issued with an Ikama. After you get your Ikama your company have to sponsor your application to bring your family over.

Check with your company because they will know how to do.

Regarding the permanent visa it depend under what category it falls. Engineer, doctor, accountant etc. no problem but if you're on a labor or driver visa maybe not possible to get a visa for your family.

[cbrer]

Thanks.

[johnlandy]

Bear in mind that Thai Citizens have not been flavour of the month in Saudi for the past 20 years.

And not without some justification.

[dcsw53]

Will depend on your job and who you work for. You will need higly placed friends to make this happen. Unless you have this the application will sit gatthering dust until someone deiceds it has expired and you will be invited to resubmit.

Good luck

[4evermaat]

Bear in mind that Thai Citizens have not been flavour of the month in Saudi for the past 20 years. And not without some justification.

Why do you think this is so?

[cnxkoolpunt9]

2 past events come to mind. In 1989, a Thai cop supposedly masterminded the theft of jewellery worth $20 million from a Saudi palace. Later, the jewellery was returned. However, only ca. 25% of the returned jewellery was genuine. Then, in 1990, 3 Saudi diplomats were shot dead in Bangkok.

[cbrer]

2 past events come to mind. In 1989, a Thai cop supposedly masterminded the theft of jewellery worth $20 million from a Saudi palace. Later, the jewellery was returned. However, only ca. 25% of the returned jewellery was genuine. Then, in 1990, 3 Saudi diplomats were shot dead in Bangkok.

People going on about the Blue diamond affair on this thread obviously know less about Saudi visas for Thais in 2012 than I do.

There's plenty of Blue Diamond Affair threads on here. Best to post it all there, thanks.

Edited November 16, 2012 by cbrer

[Saudi Sid]

Will depend on your job and who you work for. You will need higly placed friends to make this happen. Unless you have this the application will sit gatthering dust until someone deiceds it has expired and you will be invited to resubmit.

Good luck

Absolute nonsense - no wasta required to geta Thai to Saudi.

Speak to your HR rep, OP. Sponsoring your spouse is easy. 100s if not 1000s of Thais in Saudi

Edited November 16, 2012 by Saudi Sid

[cbrer]

^ I believe that requires an 'Imaqa'.

Business Visas are different afaik.