RIYADH, 16 June 2005 — The British Embassy has announced increases in its consular and visa fees from next month. Effective from Friday July 1, the British government has increased its charges around the world for visas, passports and certain consular services.
The fees for visas and other services provided by the British Embassy in Riyadh and its Consulate General in Jeddah will change from the start of business on Saturday July 2, 2005, the embassy announced yesterday.
Charges for a six month visit visa will be increased from £36 to £50, long term visas for stays of over six months (including student visas, work permit holders and working holiday makers) will be £85. Settlement visas will remain unchanged at £260. Long term validity visit visas will be reduced from £150 (10 year visa) and £88 (five year visa) to £85.
The fee for new adult 32 page-passport will be £69.00, up from £56.50; adult 48- page passport: £82.00, up from £67.70; child: £45.00, up from £36.50; emergency passport: £43.50, up from £35.50; amendments: £57.00, up from £46.90.
A new fee will be introduced to cover the costs of issuing biometric passports due to be implemented at overseas posts from December 2005. Passport fees were last increased in October 2003.
“Our Visa Sections in Saudi Arabia continue to offer the best possible service to applicants,” British Ambassador Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles said. “The embassy in Riyadh issues more than 400 visas a day, in addition to the more than 200 issued by the Consulate General in Jeddah. Over 98 percent of all visa applications are processed within one working day, provided that the correct documentation is included.”
Under rules issued by the British Ministry of Finance, visa and consular services provided by British diplomatic missions overseas are obliged to be self-financing. The increase in charges, the first for several years, will ensure that the full costs of providing services at home and overseas are fully recovered without any claim on public funds, a statement from the mission stated.
