Problem during business visa (6months) with out Iqama

You cannot get a drivers license nor open up a bank account unless you have iqama.  I am in the same situation.  With family, you need to take taxi everywhere and not convenient.  I think you need iqama to get local cell phone and wireless broad band service.  I have been here for 9 months and I am still waiting.

Thanks ChanPark: you are on same boat..

what about renting a car ? on international driving license
and about medical ?

2nd you can get prepaid mobile right ?

Zeeshan

Guys, I'm also in your boat

I'm here on a business visa and waiting for my Iqama (expected date: June 2014)

Did you bring your families here? As I know Saudi embassies don't issue family visas if husband/wife holds a business bisa.

In my case my employer told me i can bring my family, one of my friend also brought his family to ksa ..

Kom340: what issues did you faced in business visa ? can you travel out side of Riyadh for .e.g ? what about transport and medical ?

javaclinic wrote:

In my case my employer told me i can bring my family, one of my friend also brought his family to ksa ..

Kom340: what issues did you faced in business visa ? can you travel out side of Riyadh for .e.g ? what about transport and medical ?

With business visa you can rent and drive a car, can get phone and internet, can get money in cash, can freely travel anywhere inside KSA. And even you can leave Kingdom whenever you want (this you can't do without exit-reentry visa when you have iqama).

But you CAN NOT legaly work and can not bring your family if you don't have iqama, don't trust your employee or your friend or anyone else in this Magic Kingdom.

In business Visa's also i believe there are many categories.. Some require you to leave the kingdom and return back within a few weeks..

Also driving on international license.. all depends on the traffic cop.. if he understands one..

I was stopped yesterday at a traffic check post & questioned a hundred times on my valid Iqama.. you can imagine what would he have done a seeing an International Driving license...

Zeeshan,

what about renting a car ? I got tired of having the Saudi driver who comes early/late for pick up.  So, my company is renting car that only costs $300 monthly with a letter authorizing me to drive the car as an international driver.  Yes, International driver's license is accepted here.

Medical is a whole different game. I have a sponsor of my Business VISA which is different from the company that I work for. I have coverage in the USA for my family and AETNA covers me here(reimbursements for international).  I tried to get coverage with my company, but they said that only the sponsor can provide coverage.  So, this is not good for me.  I

2nd you can get prepaid mobile right ?  Yes, I have the prepaid card that I can charge.  Unfortunately I got Mobily which doesn't have any reception here at work.  Even the internet for Mobily is very slow.  STC is better, but I believe it is more expensive and my company doesn't like getting STC service.

One thing that I learned in living here is that the questions that you ask always has "Yes or No" answer.  It depends on who answers the question, you will get one of those two. That's why you shouldn't trust anyone answering, because they will change the answer if you ask the same question differently.

Chan

Yes, Business VISA is only given to the men and he cannot sponsor his family a VISA.  Therefore, no family member can get Business VISA.  If bringing the family is a must, I would not accept the job offer with 6 month Business VISA.

ChanPark wrote:

Yes, Business VISA is only given to the men and he cannot sponsor his family a VISA.  Therefore, no family member can get Business VISA.  If bringing the family is a must, I would not accept the job offer with 6 month Business VISA.

Not exactly. The family members may get a similar business visa as 'accompanying wife/child' and travel along.

Thanks a lot, What i read from other post is that you even are not allow to work (get paid) legally during business visit visa, it is only for signing contract meetings etc. but usual employer find ways to bypass this.

i suggest that with current turmoil in ksa labor market never ever come without Iqama.

Mmm.  I will ask if that is possible.

Check the embassy website

it said "Business visas do not grant the applicant the right to work or to reside in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

http://www.saudiembassy.net/services/bu … visit.aspx

again the penalty is few weeks of jail no matter what the color of your passport ..

correct me if i am wrong..

NOTE. If many are doing above does not nullify the law , it is just they are lucky not to caught SO_FAR..

"Business visas are issued to: businessmen, investors, representatives of U.S. companies, managers, sales managers, sales representatives, etc."

If you are coming here to work, then you need iqama.