In accordance with the Government of India’s approved policy, Consulate General of India, Jeddah has decided to outsource visa support services for foreign nationals entering India and passport support services for Indian expatriates w.e.f. October 20, 2008.  The agreement for this purpose was signed with the three Jeddah firms (figuring below) on June 30, 2008 and as per the agreement, the outsourcing firms have to ensure:

a)      Distribution of visa/passport applications, as prescribed by the Consulate, free of cost (can also be downloaded from the website of the outsourcing firm);

b)     Assistance to visa/passport aspirants in completion of forms by providing factual information;

c)     Accepting visa/passport applications along with passport, prescribed service fee and company’s service charges and providing bar coded receipt to each applicant showing relevant details;

d)     Scrutiny of various documents and forms and their submission to Consulate without much loss of time;

e)     Return of prepared visas and/or passports to successful applicants in time and orderly fashion including informing those aspirants who are required to be interviewed before grant of such services;

f)      Publish and distribute an official leaflet explaining clearly how to apply for an Indian visa and issue of new passport to Indian nationals complete with relevant guidance;

g)     A viable and effective security and vigilance system;

h)     Maintenance of quality control on service standards;

i)       Operate an e-mail/tele-enquiry facilities and electronic display in order that applicants can track the progress of their application with the upper time limit of 2 days to respond.

2.         In common parlance, the visa and passport applicants, instead of approaching the Consulate and/or visiting Consular teams at the outstations in the Western Region (falling within the jurisdiction of Jeddah Consulate) need to approach any one of the outsourcing firms directly in Jeddah and/or their collection centres outside Jeddah (at the places where Consular teams from Jweddah Consulate visit periodically), and  the outsourcing firms would be collecting applications from the visa and passport applicants on behalf of the Consulate General of India, Jeddah  by charging nominal fee.  The additional charges (i.e. fee of the agencies) for passport services is fixed SR 27/- and for visa services SR 55/- over and above the prescribed fees by the Government of India.  The offices of the outsourcing firms and their collection centres will remain open from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm (lunch break from 1.00 to 5.00 pm) except on Fridays.  These outsourcing firms and their collection centres would entertain the applicants throughout their working hours.  Their offices will be closed only on Saudi National Holiday and a couple of days during Ramadan and Haj period like other business establishments in the Kingdom.  Initially, the delivery of the processed documents in Jeddah is expected to be within two days and outstations within 7 to 10 days.  Unlike the fixed schedule in the Consulate in Jeddah for accepting the applications and collection of the processed documents, the outsourcing firms would entertain the application throughout the working hours.

3.         The details of the outsourcing firms are as under:

 (i)        M/s Al Tayyar

              Jeddah

            Ashour Centre, Madina Road

            ‘X’ King Abdullah Road, Crossways KFC

            Sharafiya, P.O. Box No.11688

            Jeddah 21463  Tel: 02-6577333 Fax: 6527381

Outstation 

            In adition, M/s Al Tayyar group has the facility for collection of the applications at the following places: 

(ii)        M/s Al Fifa

            Jeddah

            Al Sharfia Dist.,  Madina Road

            Beside the Indian Consulate

            Jeddah

            Tel: 02-6578313  Fax: 02-6578318

            Outstation

Yet to open other offices at Jizan,  Madina, Makkah, Taif, Bisha and Al Baha and when finalized, the details would be placed in the website in due course. 

(iii)       M/s VFS Global

            Jeddah

            Saleh Ahmed Sagir Building, Opp. Consulate of India

            Madina Road (Towards City Centre)

            Jeddah

            Tel: 02-6534954  Fax: 02-6534927

            Though M/s VFS Global has informed that they have centres at a few places, but these are being visited by he Consulate officials to assess their suitability.  Their addresses would be placed in the website in due course.  As of date, none of the collection centres belonging to M/s VFS Global outside Jeddah is authorized to collect the applications for visa or passport services.

4.         With the commencement of outsourcing, only attestation services will be attended at the Consulate.  However, to meet the extreme emergent requirement, passport services with Tatkal charges of SR 565/- and visa services with additional charge of SR 135/- shall continue to be available in the Consulate, which can be availed directly [i.e. without approaching the outsourcing firms].  However, Consular Teams of Jeddah Consulate would continue to visit outstations as per the roaster till 31.12.2008 to provide Consular services as usual.  These Consular visits would be utilized to assess the suitability of the Collection Centres too.

5.         It is reiterated that while each visa applicant in the normal course, has to present himself while seeking for the visa services, the passport service applicants need to present themselves in person without fail.  However, in case the visa applicant is unable to come in person to submit his visa application, an authority letter addressed to CGI Jeddah citing reasons for his inability to present himself along with a copy of National Identity Card/Iqama and mobile Number and detailed particulars of the authorized person viz. name, nationality, National Identity card Number/Iqama Number with his signature and date be attached with the visa application. 

6.         It is again clarified that there has been no change in he procedure for grant of visa and passport facilities and outsourcing is only related to collection of applications for the visa/passport services by the three outsourcing firms on behalf of the Consulate General of India, Jeddah.  All the procedures for grant of passport/visa service as detailed in the website continue to be in force and for availing the facility, Jeddah Consulate’s website be accessed alongwith website of the three outsourcing firms viz.

(i)         www.vfsglobal-in-sa.com

(ii)        www.indiaksa.com

(iii)       www.altayyargroup.com   

7.         Visa to Diplomatic/Official Passport holders on gratis basis shall continue to be issued by the Consulate directly.

8.         It is likely that some individuals may pose as authorized representative of the Consulate or the outsourcing firms for collection of the applications from the visa/passport aspirants.  It is clarified that this Consulate has not authorized any individual for any such work on its behalf and also the outsourcing firms are not authorized to appoint any individual to assist them in collection of the applications, etc. – the outsourcing firms are expected to do the business in their own name keeping in view the security of documents in particular passport and secrecy of the personal information about the applicants as per the agreement.  In case the applicants have any problem due to over charging or any kind of harassment or they feel duped by any individual while securing the services pertaining to Indian Consulate, they must bring the same to the notice of this Consulate in writing addressed to Consul General/Consul(Consular) so that remedial action could be taken to abate its repetition.