Saudi Arabia Visa Prechecks
As a company, we take very careful steps and implement a number of checks to limit visa rejections, delays. These include:
- Online pre checking of documentation before applications are sent to us
- A second document pre check when the applications first arrive
- The last pre check of the information before submission.
Typically all applications are checked by at least 2 to 3 visa consultants before submission
Saudi Arabia Visa Outcome Decisions
We work closely with the consular section at the Saudi embassy in London, where if there are any queries on an application we are unsure about, we ask immediately. Also we are able to communicate and update any new rules and information that may be released. This has ensured we have less than a 1% rejection rate since 2007.
However even with this, unfortunately we cannot provide any guarantees of Saudi Arabian visa issuance because:
The Decision maker: The final decision is made by the senior visa officers reviewing each application manually, and often at times, they will review this based on their own internal Saudi visa policies, and guidelines from the MOFA.
Request for additional information after submission: On occasions, based on the visa officer reviewing the application, they may request additional paperwork and information to proceed with the Saudi business visa application, thus resulting in the application taking longer
Saudi Visa Rejection
If an application has been rejected, we follow the steps as outlined below:
1. If a visa has been rejected, the Saudi Arabia embassy will inform us during the collection period by returning the passport and documents who will communicate to our team members the reason for rejection, and what will need to be undertaken or additionally provided in order to proceed with the Saudi visa application
2. This information is communicated to our visa consultant, who in turn will review what additional paperwork is required and what steps are best to proceed with the application
3. The visa consultant will then communicate with the applicant (or their selected representative, eg HR, Admin, Travel company, Family Member, PA etc ) about the rejection and thus any delays. Based on this, we may request additional paperwork (letters, new photos, invitation changes etc) to be sent to us. At this point the applicant may need to make any changes to their travel plans and bookings as well. Please see booking advisories as below.
4. Based on the paperwork requested, we would advise that the information is sent to us at the earliest.
For documents to be resubmitted to the Saudi embassy in London the next day, we would need to have any digital or physical documents with us by 9am GMT.
Important: In the event that a new Saudi letter of invitation is required, this means that there will be a new visa invitation number generated. As this visa number is to be placed onto the employer support letter which is then attested by the ABCC (Arab British Chamber of commerce), a new invitation requested from the embassy also means a new ESL letter to be generated and then attested again at the ABCC.
Please note that the additional fee of the ABCC attestation fee will apply, and we will not charge any additional amounts for our service of the ABCC legalisation service fee and embassy resubmission.
As a company rule we will not delay on any rejected cases, and generally prioritise them for immediate resubmission whenever the embassy permits resubmission.
5. Assistance with paperwork and communication: Please note that if the visa rejection requires 3rd party involvement (for example communicating the requirement for a new letter of invitation from your Saudi counterpart, another member of your team drafting the Employer Support Letter, or liaising with a solicitor assisting to legalise a document), then you are welcome to copy in the email of your Saudi visa consultant who will happily work with in assisting in a draft of email, or work with your Saudi Arabian counterpart to help manage the process.
We understand that the procurement of a visa especially with a rejection/delay can be stressful and we are on standby to assist if requested.
Please note that once an application has been resubmitted, generally the normal visa application processing times still remain the same, however visa issuance or timeframe for issuance are still not guaranteed.
Most common reasons for Saudi Visa Rejection
Below are a list of the most common reasons for rejection. Please note that a more comprehensive list can also be seen via our Saudi visa checklist page.
Employer Support Letter
- Company registration inaccurate
- Seniority of the signer is not recognised
- Two companies house registration numbers,
- Incorrect information entered,
- The ESL is older than one month,
- The travel date on the ESL has passed,
- The letter sent is a copy,
- The signature was not a wet signature.
Step: New company letter will require the letter to be attested at ABCC to be valid for submission. Usually if a new invitation is required, then a new ESL with ABCC letter attestation as the letter will contain a new invitation number
Letter of Invitation:
- MOFA Invitation not activated by the Saudi Arabian inviter
- Saudi Arabian company sponsor ID not recognised
- Issue with the job title of the applicant
- The supporting paperwork for proof of nationality not accepted
- Invitation has expired
- Invitation made to the wrong embassy
Step: Request your Saudi counterpart to obtain a new invitation which is to be emailed to you and us. Takes less than 12 hours.
A new invitation will also require a new letter to be created and attested at the ABCC
Photographs
- Photos not clear enough
- Images not scannable
- Photo of person too old
Step: Photos can be emailed to us digitally
Passport
- 2 clear pages adjacent to each other not existing
- Israeli stamp inside passport
Step: In this case you can obtain a second UK passport, or renew your existing passport.
Saudi Application Form and Documents
- Documents to be legalised by the FCO and Saudi embassy before submission, eg proof of relationship
- Conversion certificate for converts to Islam required
- Missing information required
Step: Resend paperwork for submission. If documents to be legalised, then we can undertake this if required as an additional service.
Plans and Bookings, and Disclaimer
Please note that the Saudi Arabian embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot guarantee the issuance of a visa, and advise that travel arrangements are to only be made once the visa has been issued and the passport back with the client.
As an extension of this, our visa agency has the same stipulations and stated in our terms and conditions, which are to be accepted before the order form has been completed.
If flight and travel bookings are to be made, we would strongly advise that these arrangements are both refundable and changeable so no costs are forfeited.
Feedback and Complaints:
In the event that the applicant is not happy with the way that the service was provided, we would request that one of our selected senior team members be contacted via management@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk who will address your concerns.
