VFS TasHeel to Process Tourist Visas for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 30 Countries

Centres will provide convenient visa and biometric enrollment services for Saudi tourist visa applicants

Pilgrims can travel for Umrah on a tourist visa outside of Hajj season

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- VFS TasHeel, an authorised visa service provider for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced that it has launched tourist visa services at its centres across 30 countries worldwide. Applicants will also be able to travel for Umrah on a tourist visa, but not during the Hajj season, according to the official Visit Saudi website.

According to Saudi Arabia's new visa policy, nationals of UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Maldives, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan can apply for a tourist visa. The visa process is open to applicants from all nationalities, except the 49 that are eligible for a visa on arrival or e-visa.

Acting as a trusted service provider between visa applicants and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, VFS TasHeel's visa services centres, spanning Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, provide full array of visa services including, dissemination of accurate visa information, application guidance, fee management, identity management with biometrics enrollment and application submission for all available visa categories. Biometric enrollment includes highly secure collection of fingerprints, facial image and biographic details, such as passport information.

On 27 September, VFS TasHeel started serving customers under the new type of Tourist Visa in most of its countries of operations.

A spokesperson of VFS TasHeel said, "The increasing openness of international markets brings immense opportunities to the tourism sector – and Saudi Arabia's new policies acknowledge that tourism has an important role to play in the kingdom's social and economic development. In support of the government's initiatives, we are pleased to offer tourist visa services in 30 countries, and make the entire process more seamless and convenient for potential leisure travellers and pilgrims for Umrah."

For further information on steps to apply, knowing appropriate visa category or scheduling an appointment, applicants may visit www.vfstasheel.com.

About VFS TasHeel International:

VFS TasHeel International is a specialist visa outsourcing partner for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Acting as a trusted mediator between visa applicants and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the company provides a full array of streamlined administrative visa services, all of which are technologically driven and adhering to high standards of security and information confidentiality. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, VFS TasHeel is chartered to offer its services in 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe.

VFS TasHeel is a wholly owned subsidiary of VFS Global, the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. For more information, visit www.vfstasheel.com.