Arab News, Saturday, May 06, 2023 | Shawwal 15, 1444
Saudi Arabia developing high-tech visa service
Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has launched a new initiative to cancel the visa sticker on
passports and switch to the e-visa, from which data will be read via a QR Code.
This initiative falls within the framework of
automating and improving the quality of consular services provided by the
ministry.
As a first stage, the procedure has been activated
at Saudi missions in the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, India and the
Philippines.
The ministry aims to develop a visa-issuing
mechanism — including work permits, residence and visit visas — in accordance
with the latest technology.
Last year, the ministry announced a mechanism for
obtaining a “personal visit” visa, which enables visitors to enter the Kingdom
to visit friends or acquaintances who are Saudi citizens.
The visa also allows individuals to travel between
the Kingdom’s regions and cities, perform Umrah rituals, visit Makkah and
Madinah and other religious and historical sites, and attend cultural events.
The ministry said that people can apply for the
visa through easy and convenient electronic steps on the visa platform website.
Saudi citizens 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” request, by logging in through the
unified national access platform, and filling out the data for the invitees.