Wednesday May 24, 2023
Saudi Arabia has approved a new high-tech electronic visa facility for applicants to secure visit and transit visas to the Kingdom.
While the development of the technology was confirmed earlier this month, it was officially approved by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a cabinet meeting.
Once the device is approved, the applicant will now be granted a visa through a quick response (QR) code that easily reads all the data, freeing up the previous process that involved a visa sticker in passports.
Earlier this month, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched an initiative to digitize the kingdom's consular services, which included visitor visas, work permits and residency, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
This process will automate and improve the quality of consular services for visa applicants from the Kingdom.
The new procedure was activated in the first phase within Saudi missions in India, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.
"Last year, the ministry announced a mechanism to obtain a 'personal visit' visa, which allows visitors to enter the kingdom to visit friends or acquaintances who are Saudi citizens," Arab News previously reported.
Through this visa, visitors were also allowed to travel throughout the Kingdom, including permission to perform Umrah, and visit Mecca and Medina, as well as other religious and historical sites. The visa also allowed participation in cultural events in the country.
Through the visa platform website, the ministry has enabled people to apply for a visa through convenient and simple electronic steps.
"Citizens of Saudi Arabia can invite friends to visit Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah by submitting a request for a personal visit on the visa platform and applying for a 'visit', logging in through the national unified access platform and filling in the invitees' details," Arab News reported in your report.
