MANAMA: VFS TasHeel International, a joint venture between VFS Global (A division of Kuoni Travel Group, Switzerland) and TasHeel, Saudi Arabia, today announced the launch of biometric services in Bahrain for Saudi visas.
Biometric enrollment for visa applicants to Saudi Arabia from Bahrain has been made mandatory following directives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a statement from VFS TasHeel said, adding that the biometric enrollment services will include collection of fingerprints and photo identification.
“We are pleased to be fulfilling the role assigned to us by the Saudi MoFA, which is to facilitate a smooth, streamlined visa application process for travelers to the kingdom. We at VFS TasHeel seek to provide these services through our efficient, customer-friendly approach, acting as a trusted mediator between visa applicants and the Saudi mission,” Madhan Gopalakrishnan, CEO, VFS TasHeel said.
Established in 2012, VFS TasHeel is a collaborative enterprise tasked with managing and administrating the Saudi Arabia visa application process as mandated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Saudi Arabia in 33 countries. Visa Services in Bahrain for all categories except Hajj and Umrah commenced in July 2013.
Saudi government has instituted biometric requirements in an effort to ease the travel process for individuals visiting the Kingdom. These requirements will be applied in a number of markets, rolled out country by country to ensure their careful and successful implementation.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has mandated that VFS TasHeel will handle biometric enrollment services in Bahrain, including those for Hajj and Umrah travelers.
Although the company does not process Hajj and Umrah visa applications, it will be responsible for providing the biometric enrollment services for all Saudi visa applicants willing to travel to the Kingdom.