Important Changes in the Process
- Effective as of 6th November 2023, the Saudi Arabian embassy now requires all applicants that are applying for a Saudi Visa in the UK to attend to submit biometric details as a new part of the application process. The biometric details and applications are submitted at the Visa Application centre in London by appointment only.
- Upon receipt of the documents, Rapid Visas will contact the applicant in order to book the appointment. Rapid Visas will prepare the paperwork and legalise the employment support letters.
Important steps: Our staff member will meet the applicant at the Visa Centre to hand over the prepared paperwork required during submission including the legalised employment support letter. After the appointment our team member will then collect the collection papers issued at the centre so that we can collect the passport and visa the following day, and forward them accordingly. The visa processing takes 2 working days to be issued from the submission date at the appointment. The appointment date is dependent on availability.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy in London is responsible for issuing travel visas to the KSA to holders of official passports. Official passports are usually issued to government officials and civil servants, who travel abroad on behalf of their government departments, to take part in official state business. These are different from UK diplomatic passports, issued by Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO); reserved only for high-ranking government officials and British diplomats.
Two types of official travel visas are issued by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London.
- The single-entry visa allows entry into the Kingdom only once, and is valid for three months.
- The multiple-entry visa allows applicants to travel to the KSA multiple times, over a span of six months.
Requirements for the Saudi Arabian Official Travel Visa
The following documents need to be submitted with the visa application form:
1. Passport
The official passport of the applicant has to be submitted in original, with at least two consecutive blank visa facing pages. The passport should have six months validity beyond the entry date into the Kingdom. It should not be damaged in any way and should be machine-readable.
2. Photograph
Applicants need to provide one coloured photograph that meets the following criteria:
- The size should be 35mm by 45 mm
- The photo must be taken against a white background
- It should not be more than 3 months old
- It should show the full frontal view of the applicant’s head, with the face in the centre
- The applicant should not be wearing spectacles or headgear (except for religious purposes)
- The photo should not be affixed to the application
- It should not have any marks of staples or adhesive.
3. Business Introduction Letter
Applicants need to submit a letter of introduction, issued by their employer in the UK. This could be the concerned department of the UK government, mentioning the applicant’s name, position, purpose of travel, name of the department or contact person in the Kingdom, length of stay in the KSA and number of entries into the Kingdom. The Embassy requires that this letter be dated within one month of the submission of the visa application.
Introduction letters for visa applications to the KSA should be signed by a duly authorised official. Further, in certain cases, under the guidance of the British Chambers of Commerce, the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) acts as the issuing authority for granting or certifying international trade documents and certificates of origin.
Our visa consultants can assist you with all your document legalisation and certification needs for travel to Saudi Arabia. You can email us your requirements at help@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk.
4. Letter of Invitation Issued by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
A letter of invitation, issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), needs to be obtained by the Sponsor Company or Embassy inviting the applicant to the Kingdom. This letter should contain the UK employer’s name, which should match the name mentioned in the letterhead of the UK Business Introduction Letter. It should be issued not more than six weeks prior to the date of visa application and sent to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London.
5. Proof of Travel Arrangements
A copy of flight details into the Kingdom and back to the UK needs to be provided.
6. E-Number Application Form
An original and fully completed E-Number application form, signed by the applicant and printed on separate A4 sized sheets needs to be submitted. The form should be printed only on one side of each sheet, with the reverse being left blank.
7. Visa Application Form
One fully completed and signed original visa application form needs to be submitted. Follow the instructions given below while filling the form:
- Use only black ink and fill in block letters
- Do not use correction fluid
- The form should be filled in the applicant’s handwriting. No changes in handwriting are allowed
- All sections should be filled in
It should be noted that the decision to grant an official visit visa to Saudi Arabia rests with the Embassy in London. Holders of a valid visa will not be permitted a second visa, unless the applicant submits an application for cancellation of an existing visa.
Once the visa process is initiated, the passport cannot be retrieved until the process is completed. To withdraw an application, in case of an emergency, the applicant will need to submit a letter of withdrawal to the Embassy. The Saudi Embassy may return the passport, but the application will be cancelled. To apply for a visa, the applicant will have to re-submit a new application and make all the payments again. The Embassy charges a processing fee of £9.00.
The Embassy remains closed on Fridays, and applicants should consider the consular timings and public holidays of the UK government while applying for a visa. Usually, the Embassy grants a visa within 3 to 5 working days. In case of any delay, Saudi Able Link will notify applicants, with the reason for the delay.
Application Process for Saudi Arabian Official Travel Visa
Step 1: A letter of Invitation issued by the Saudi MOFA has to be obtained by the Sponsor Company or the Government Department inviting the applicant to the KSA. For this, the applicant will need to provide their passport details. Applicants should consider that it can take several days for this letter to be obtained from the MOFA. Upon issuance, this letter of invitation has to be sent to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London, along with the visa application form and requisite documents.
After the applicant receives the letter of invitation, it can be emailed to our visa consultants for pre-checking and translation. Our email ID is help@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk.
Step 2: Download the Saudi Able Link application pack and complete the visa application form. All the required documents have to be compiled and attested or legalised (wherever required), by the concerned authority.
Saudi Able Link can help with all your attestation requirements, through its contacts with various UK government departments and the Saudi Arabian consulate bodies. After compilation of all documents, send us the scanned copies, so that our consultants can ensure they are in order.
Step 3: Send the complete application package through the Royal Mail service or special courier to our office address. Applicants can also personally submit the package at our office in London.
Call us at 02070961985 and let us know whether you will send a courier or plan a personal visit.
Step 4: Our visa agents will submit the documents personally to the Embassy in London. We will also pick up the original passport with the stamped visa, after authorisation, and send it to the applicant by special courier.
Step 5: Once issued, the visa will be sent to the applicant through special delivery, via a next-day guaranteed service. We will provide the tracking number of the courier once the dispatch is made.
Conclusion
The Saudi Arabian Official Travel Visa is granted to government officials representing the UK government for official purposes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Along with an official passport, the applicant will need to obtain a letter of invitation by the Saudi MOFA, stating the purpose of travel.
Our visa consultants ensure that all important state documents and certificates are carefully and confidentially handled. We also take care of any document legalisation and certification requirements, by personally approaching the various issuing authorities.
Saudi Able Link is committed to assisting visa applicants through the complicated Saudi visa application process, such as translation services from Arabic to English or explaining the different Saudi customs and formalities.
For any queries regarding visa application, our consultants are always ready to help. Contact us at 02070961985 or send us an email at help@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk. You can also fill our contact form, so that our consultants can get in touch with you.
