Riyadh welcomes new joint visa application center

Officially inaugurating the new visa application center, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, HE Simon Collis, said: “‘Our customers in Saudi Arabia are extremely important to us, and we continually look for new and innovative ways to improve the visa service we offer, both to Saudi nationals and local residents. For Saudi nationals, the average processing time for non-settlement visas is less than five days.”

VFS Global has opened a UK visa application center in Riyadh, close to the Diplomatic Quarter. The company said that the new center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which will serve travelers to the UK and Australia, is equipped to handle more visa applicants conveniently with increased seating capacity and ample parking space, while also offering ancillary travel services facilities within the premises.

The new center is located at Al Hada District, besides Courtyard Marriott Hotel and close to Ritz Carlton, Riyadh. Visa applicants to the UK and Australia can access details on visa application procedures here.

Commenting on the launch, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO for Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said: “The new stand-alone center has been designed to provide a comprehensive experience to applicants in terms of visa processing and accessing necessary travel services under one canopy. The UK continues to remain a popular destination for tourism, business and student visitors from Saudi Arabia.

“The latest visa figures show that over 130,000 Saudi nationals were issued a UK visa in the last year. We are confident that the new center for the UK and Australia visa applicants will provide enhanced convenience to the customers.”