Talks are quite in abundance these days about the Schengen-style visa going to be introduced by the GCC countries. Gulf Cooperation Council is thinking deeply about the launch of the Schengen-style visa that will let tourists visit the Gulf countries as they do in European Schengen states. The move is being appreciated and the launch is now being awaited by all and sundry. The tourists will surely be excited once this visa is launched. Amid this news, there is news about Saudi Arabia’s e-visas launch – yes, the country is all set to launch e-visas to replace the visa stickers.
Details about Saudi Arabia’s E-Visas Launch
According to the Saudi foreign ministry, it will now replace visa stickers with electronic visas in seven countries. The first phase for which the e-visa facility will be introduced includes India, UAE, Jordan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Egypt, and the Philippines.
More Details about This New Initiative
This new initiative taken by the Saudi Government replaces the visa strip on the passport with an electronic visa whose data can be read through the QR (Quick Response) code.
This move was taken as part of the ongoing efforts to make the procedure automated and boost the consular services’ quality provided by the ministry. This move will also develop the mechanism of issuing residency, work ad visit visas, the online reports suggest.
The first phase has seen the implementation of the procedures at the Saudi missions in Jordan, the UAE, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines. The country is home to a massive community of expat workers.
Ease of Visa Procedures
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been revamping its procedures for visas lately and providing ease to visa rules to attract more foreign businesses and tourists, according to online reports.
In January this year, the country witnessed 2.4 million visitors followed by 2.5 million visitors in February this year. The country now aims to receive around 25 million tourists from abroad this year. If you like this post on Saudi Arabia’s E-Visas Launch, you may share your views with us.
As far as the e-visas are concerned, they offer so many benefits to the travelers. One of the main and most important advantage of the electronic visa is that it makes the application process faster and easier. Standing in long queues is what everyone wants ti avoid at the embassies to obtain the visa. With e-visa, there is no need to do so. It makes the process of visa application convenient and you avoid numerous hassles often happened during the process.
Another benefit of an e-visa is that it normally is valid for longer period of time than a traditional visa. A research shows that the invention of electronic visas has reduced processing times by an average of thirty percent expediting the entry procedure for travelers.
Saudi Arabia too has eased the process now by initiating the electronic visas though in few countries initially, and the government has also eased the visa rules. This is a welcoming initiative that needs to be praised. Travelers from other parts of the world will also now wait for this move to take place for their countries.