Saudi Arabia: Biometric Requirements Introduced for Work Visas at Mumbai, New Delhi Consular Posts

Update - January 29, 2024: The Saudi consular post in New Delhi has stated that it will only begin requiring applicants to submit biometrics as part of work visa applications beginning January 31, 2024. Previously, this consular post had stated that it would implement such requirements beginning January 22, 2024, and in practice, immigration professionals had observed biometrics being required even earlier, although this practice appears to have stopped.

January 19, 2024: The Saudi consular post in New Delhi is already requiring applicants to submit biometric information as part of any work visa application, despite official announcements that this requirement would not begin until January 22, 2024. Further, the Saudi consular post in Mumbai announced that it will implement this requirement beginning January 27, 2024 despite earlier stating that the requirement would begin January 15, 2024. It is expected that similar requirements will be introduced in Saudi consular posts in other countries. Given these additional requirements, alongside a large backlog of applications and a limited number of visa centers, applicants should anticipate further delays in the Saudi visa application process. Applicants should also be aware that they may not be able to submit their visa application and register their biometrics on the same day, requiring multiple trips to the consular post.