The Consulate General of India in Jeddah announced on Monday the outsourcing of visa and passport support services in the Western Region to three private companies to facilitate processing and heighten efficiency. The Consulate General said it has entered into a three-year contract with Al-Fifa for General Services in Dammam, Al-Tayyar Travel Group in Jeddah, and VFS GCC LLC in Dubai, UAE (whose local partner is Abyaar Modern Commercial Services – Tas Heel) to take over visa support services for foreign nationals entering into India and passport support services to Indian expatriates in the Western Region. “These three firms are expected to take over the work relating to collection of application of visa/passport aspirants in the Western Region, falling within the jurisdiction of the Consulate from August 16,” the Consulate said in a press statement. The Jeddah offices of the accredited companies will be open from 8:30 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. Saturday to Thursday except on Saudi National Day and a couple of days during Ramadan and Haj holidays. “These firms shall have dedicated collection centers at all places for receiving applications for new passports and visas and distributing processed documents, where the Consulate's Consular Teams had been visiting periodically on weekends in the Western Region to provide passport and consular services. In addition, they have been authorized to open additional collection centers depending on the requirements of visa/passport aspirants,” the Consulate said. The firms are allowed to charge an additional SR27 for passport and SR55 for visa over and above the prescribed fees for such services by the government of India. In turn, they will be responsible for the free distribution of applications via the Internet, assisting applicants in completing the forms, accepting applications, scrutinizing documents and forms and submission to the Consulate, returning processed visas/passports to applicants, and publishing and distributing official leaflets, among others. The firms are also required to follow privacy laws applicable both in India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
