News

Saudi Arabia to provide visas through ATMs

September 9, 2003

DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia - The Passports Department may soon provide exit/re-entry visas to expatriates through ATMs, one of several planned changes aimed at slicing red tape.

According to a report in the Arab News, every company and sponsor employing foreign workers will be given a code which employees will key into ATMs, debiting visa fees from their accounts.

It is not clear when the new system will be implemented, but Passports Office officials say that a number of procedural changes will be introduced by 2004. The Passports Department is working on the changes with the Ministry of Finance.

The current process of obtaining an exit/re-entry visa involves lengthy paperwork; it usually takes at least two days to get a visa approved.

Company executives say that if the new ATM-based system is implemented, it will make the process much easier and help expatriate workers who need to leave in the event of an emergency.

The Passports Department has also decided to stop asking applicants to deposit money with prescribed banks and then obtain a receipt from them, which they afterward present at the Passports Department. According to Abdul Aziz Al-Sajeeni, Director General of Passports, applicants will instead pay the fee at any ATM.

He said the new practice would reduce pressure on the Passports Department and also make the process much easier for applicants, who will no longer need to queue at banks, according to the Arab News.