Friday, September 4, 2015

Getting to Saudi Conferences … Important Stuff to Know

“It has been said that a pretty face is a passport. But it's not, it's a visa, and it runs out fast.” -- Julie Burchill (British Columnist, b.1959)

If you decide to attend a conference in Saudi Arabia (see previous post: Saudi Conferences), you need to know about getting into the country.

The first thing you need to know is … it’s complicated.
The second thing to know is … it takes time, so plan ahead … way ahead.
The third thing is … it’s worth the effort.

Travisa (http://saudi-arabia.travisa.com/) has an excellent description of the process for obtaining a Visa to visit Saudi Arabia …

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A valid passport and business visa are required for travel to Saudi Arabia.
Send these documents to Travisa
1) Passport Requirements:
Original, signed passport valid for 6 months beyond stay in Saudi Arabia, with at least two blank adjacent passport pages available for Saudi visa stamp and Saudi entry stamps. Amendment pages in the back of the passport are not suitable for a Saudi Arabia visa.
2) Saudi Arabian Visa Application Form:
One original Saudi Arabia visa application per applicant properly completed and signed, plus one copy. Improperly completed Saudi Visa Application forms may delay the processing of your Saudi Arabian visa.
3) Photo Requirements:
One recent 2 x 2 passport type photograph, in color, front view and with a plain/white background.
4) Other Forms:
Houston: a Letter of Authorization is required.
New York: the Saudi Arabia Visa Application Good Conduct Form is required.
5) Official Invitation from Saudi Arabia:
Document certified by both the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The invitation should include inviting company's location and type of business. In addition, it must clearly state the applicant's name, nationality, position, length of visa, purpose of travel, and number of entries requested. The registration number of the host company will be printed on the invitation. No Chamber of Commerce certification is needed for invitations issued by a government company such as Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Ma'aden, or the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.
Travisa is able to obtain an official business or commercial invitation for you.  To apply online for this service, please fill out our Online Saudi Invitation Request Form. You will receive a confirmation of your request and the invitation needed to support your Saudi Arabian visa application by email.
6) Business Letter
Letter from employer or sponsoring company in the US, on company letterhead, introducing the applicant, indicating the applicant's employment status/position held in the company, and clearly stating the purpose of visit to Saudi Arabia. The business letter must also indicate who will be financially responsible for the applicant and must provide detailed contact information in Saudi Arabia.
7) Proof Of Departure:
Computer generated flight itinerary from the airline or travel agency or copy of airline tickets.
8) Other Requirements:
To apply in New York: The enjaz registration will be processed as part of the application process. In all other locations, enjaz registration must be completed before the application can be submitted.
To apply in Houston, Los Angeles, or Washington DC, Travisa can process this Registration. If you would like Travisa to process the on-line enjaz registration for you, submit this Enjaz Request Form. You will receive confirmation and the final Enjaz approval notification by e-mail. Simply print and include the confirmation pages you receive from our office to include with your application forms.
Washington DC, Houston, Los Angeles: The party that creates the enjaz registration must process the payment. A third party cannot process the payment. However, a third party is able to submit the application if the party responsible for creating the enjaz processes the visa payment.
After completing the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Enjaz Registration Form it is important to print a copy of the registration and payment confirmation pages to include with your application.
Houston, Los Angeles and Washington DC: The US company's business license is required.
9) Special Instructions:
Approval for this visa will be submitted directly from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a particular Consulate in the United States. The visa application must be processed in the location where the approval is registered.
Source:
http://saudi-arabia.travisa.com/
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