As summer holiday season approaches a huge number of expatriates staying with their families in the Kingdom are making a beeline at Passport Offices across the country for endorsement of exit and re-entry visas. Expatriate workers are allowed to go in person for endorsement of their family's visa. Expatriates preferring to do the task by themselves or for some other reasons were not fully aware of the procedures required to get the exit and re-entry visa smoothly endorsed. This is causing them a lot of hardship. They stand in queues at Passport Offices for long hours. The matter becomes worse when they realize that the SR200 exit and re-entry fee has mistakenly been paid on a different visa number. Non-Arabic speaking expatriates are often found to be confused owing to the communication barrier, although procedures for getting the exit and re-entry done at the Passport Office have become simple. An applicant is required to attach a copy of Iqama (residence permit), a passport size picture of the passport holder and exit and re-entry form duly filled, preferably typewritten. There is no need to attach a letter from one's company or sponsor although one should ensure he gets the mandatory company's stamp on the picture of the passport holder attached to the application form. The exit and en-entry forms are only printed in Arabic language and readily available with the agents near the Passport Office. Getting the forms filled is easy as the agents are fully equipped with manual typewriters and know their job well. It takes just 10 minutes to complete the formalities. They charge SR10 per passport and even pay the SR200 fee through their own mobile phones. For this service they charge an additional SR10. However, they are so pre-occupied with the heavy rush of people they don't entertain every query of the applicant. This is sometimes causing misunderstanding between the agent and the applicant in case of renewed passport on a new booklet. In this case, an applicant has first to go for transfer of visa information from the old passport to the new. This is also done in the Passport Office but in a different section. It is better that one goes early in the morning. Some applicants, mostly company agents, queue up at the Passport Office as early as 4.30 A.M., right after Fajr prayer in Riyadh. The Passport Office opens between 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. The counter clerk in the Transfer of Information Section accepts only up to three passports at a time. However, as per the instructions there is Counter Number 8, which accepts passports more than four. But due to the heavy rush even Counter 8 is not taking more than three passports at a time. It is also necessary to note that once after the transfer of information, which is usually done by writing the details of visa and computer numbers on a stamp imprinted from an ink pad the applicants should also ensure to computerize the information from the adjacent Computer Department. If all these procedures are done properly and presented the completed form the exit and re-entry would be a matter of just three hours, that's the time to stand in the queue. If one goes early in the morning say 7 A.M. and the counter clerk reports on time, then it would take just 10 minutes. However, due to the heavy rush these days the authorities at the Passport Office sometimes hand out printed serial numbers. Otherwise, an applicant has to patiently sit on the chairs arranged to form queue. A visit to the Passport Office revealed that those expatriates whose sponsors are not readily available have the difficulty of getting the exit and en-entry forms stamped. They simply stay in the queue without even knowing that they need the company's stamp. They knew only when the duty officer informs them to ensure that everyone got the company's stamp on the applicants' photos. The applicants could sit in queues in two different sections A and B. Those applicants who wished an exit and re-entry visa validity of six months and above should go to Section B. While those who wanted six months and less validity should go to Section A. However, the validity of exit and re-entry depends on the validity of one's Iqama (residence permit). Sarwar Pasha, an Indian expatriate, said he lost SR200 while mistakenly giving his Iqama number when he wanted to pay for the exit and re-entry fee of his wife. Likewise, people should ensure the number of the applicant for whom the fee for exit and re-entry is paid. The amount paid through the mobile phones is not refundable. The fee could also be paid through ATMs. But for Amjad Ali, a Pakistani, knowing the right visa code number in the passport of his wife and children was confusing. So, he simply opted for an agent, who found the right number and paid the fee through his mobile phone. “I prefer to avail of the agent's services for filling up the application form and payment of the exit and re-entry fee. The agent charged SR20 for both. However, I made three consecutive visits to the Passport Office one each for transfer of visa information, not having company's stamp on the photos of my family members and for not computerizing the visa information after it was transferred on the newly issued renewed passports,” he said. One has also to make sure that the officer at the counter has stamped the exit and re-entry sticker and the validity of visa as desired. The instruction at the counter clearly asks the applicants to ensure this, he said. __
