As we earlier reported that CCHI (Council of Cooperative Health Insurance) of Saudia Arabia has decided to make health insurance mandatory for visiting visas. Now the Department of Passport has declared that medical insurance is also mandatory for the reliant of expatriates living in the Kingdom. The implementation would start from January 21, 2015. No residence permits will be issued or renewed for those failing to follow the rule.
In a statement, department official said the decision is taken on the basis of Article 3 of the CCHI regulations, which would be enforced from Rabi Al-Thani 1.
Col. Khaled Al-Sikhan, director of information technology at the Passports Department, said the health insurance documents of expatriate dependents would be digitized at the Interior Ministry. He said the ministry’s systems have been linked to that of the CCHI and all the passport offices throughout the country would be also linked to the system, he confirmed.
He further informed that insurance cover of expatriate’s dependant must be issued by the accredited medical insurance providers which will have to cover the entire period of dependent’s stay in the Kingdom, he said.
Haj and Umrah pilgrims are exempted from this new measure. Holders of diplomatic and special passports, state guests and those coming for treatment are not prone to this rule.
According to an estimate, nearly 1 million visitors of the Kingdom will be affected.
