VFS Global announces scattered tours in remote areas to collect passport renewal applications from Indian residents in KSA

To ease the passport renewal process for Indian citizens residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Embassy/ Consulate of India in KSA has unified efforts with VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, to organize scattered tours to collect passport renewal applications from Indian communities residing in the remote locations of the eastern and western regions of the Kingdom.

These tours offer ease and convenience to Indian nationals living in distant and isolated areas of KSA, of submitting passport renewal applications without having to travel to a VFS Global centre or the Indian Embassy/Consulate located in major cities. 

Since August 2020, several successful tours were conducted across Bisha, Jizan, Medina and Najran in the western region. Similar tours were organized in the eastern region covering, Sakaka, Arar, Hafr Al Batin, Khafji and Wadi Dawasir.

Indian Embassy/Consulate has now announced upcoming tour dates and locations for November and December 2020. Indian nationals can submit their passport renewal application as per the instructions given below: 

• To know the tour schedule, visit www.vfsglobal.com/india/saudiarabia/
• Fill application form and arrange mandatory documents as specified on the website
• Attend in person to submit the application as per the tour date and time specified in your area
• Each tour accommodates limited walk-in customers making sure physical distancing norms are followed

Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials from the Indian Embassy/Consulate and VFS Global travel as far as 1,400 kilometres away from the main cities to secluded areas for collecting passport renewal applications along with all mandatory documentation.

In order to ensure a safe environment for employees and customers, VFS Global has established standardised protective measures to be followed during the tours including specific physical distancing and sanitation mandates. All customers are subjected to body temperature checks to assess their health conditions. Any customer exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including high fever, cough or difficulty in breathing, will be requested to return once their health condition improves. 

In addition to the scattered tours that are specifically arranged to serve the Indian communities residing in remote areas, VFS Global also serves customers in KSA through 09 application centres spread across various locations in KSA. These centres provide Visa, Passport & Consular, and Attestation services. For information on centre locations and operating hours, visit https://www.vfsglobal.com/india/saudiarabia/.