The General Directorate of Passports has warned that it plans to crack down on third parties illegally signing or stamping exit and re-entry visas and official paperwork of expatriates.

It said the Ministry of Interior’s rules does not allow owners of recruitment offices to sign or stamp final exit or exit and re-entry visas on behalf of employers. They may only stamp documents after employers have done so.

“Some service offices have been carrying out tasks specifically assigned to sponsors or employers, in turn invalidating visas and requiring applicants to resubmit official paperwork for exit or entry,” said a source at the directorate.

“Paperwork submitted from public service offices that are signed and sealed by them are their responsibility,” said Col. Maalan Al-Otaibi, the spokesman of the passports department in the Eastern Province.

“When employers file complaints about lack of progress on a specific request, the official paperwork is revisited and submitted to the Forgery Department for investigation. If there is incorrect authorization, the file is referred to the Ministry of Commerce, which will determine penalties.”

Al-Otaibi said the availability of portals such as Absher and Muqeem allows citizens and business owners to complete requests electronically, reducing the need for service offices.

Several expatriates said their exit and re-entry visas were canceled because service offices had not complied with regulations, which require employers to sign and stamp this documentation.

Anwar Sharif, the owner of a service office, said the number of violations has declined recently because of the introduction of electronic services. Firms failing to comply with the law risk being shut down and have their licenses canceled, he said.