Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) announced the launch of a new electronic service that allows the Saudi citizen, who is the head of the family, to get issued a Saudi passport for one of the adopted family members, via the Ministry of Interior's Absher platform.

The Jawazat said that the steps to take advantage of the service begins with logging in to Absher, then selecting family member services, then the service to apply for the foster families program, filling in the required data completely, agreeing to the declaration and pledge, and then submitting the application.

The service aims to facilitate the procedures and enable citizens to issue passports electronically with ease. It called on those citizens, who wish to benefit from it, to visit the Absher platform. The conditions necessary for adopting children stipulate that the family should be of Saudi nationality, consisting of a couple, and that the wife's age does not exceed 50. It is permissible for adopting a child by a woman only under the necessary circumstances.

The medical examination shall prove that the family members are free from contagious and infectious diseases, and that the number of children in the family under the age of six does not exceed three. The foster family's record of good conduct and behavior shall be verified. The family's suitability to take care of the child socially, psychologically and economically shall be proved through carrying out a social research.