Raid Mohammad Al-Hussain, spokesperson for the Passport
Department in Makkah province, confirmed that the new service is already in
operation with all three of the country's mobile phone service providers — STC,
Mobily and Zain.
The visa can be downloaded from the site
http://sms.evisa.com.sa with the visa number and confirmation number sent via
SMS.
The first step is to register with the service, called
Ishaar, to obtain an access code. This process requires the registration form
to be submitted in person to a nearby registration center with copies of
relevant identifications. Saudi citizens with foreign employees, such as maids
or drivers, can use the service as well.
Once the registration has been made, the service is
activated by sending an SMS and receiving a confirmation number that can be
used at the website.
The registration centers can currently be found at Passport
Department offices in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and Dammam. Sahara Mall
and Flamengo Mall in Riyadh and Tahliah Mall in Jeddah also have Passport
Department service centers with registration capabilities. The international
terminal of Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport has an eGate Office
where such registrations can take place. Samba bank is also acting as an Ishaar
intermediary for its account holders seeking to register for the service.
People seeking to utilize this service must pay the SR200
fee and also ensure they have no outstanding traffic fines on their record and
provide fingerprints to the Biometrics section of the Passport Department.
Foreign residents seeking to use the service must ensure
their iqamas are valid for at least three months and 14 days (104 days) after
the period that the exit/re-entry visas is valid. Those whose iqama will expire
before that time are not eligible to use the SMS-based service.
Further instructions are available in English or Arabic at
the government electronic portal at http://www1.elm.com.sa.
