Saudi Arabia: Information on passports (follow-up to SAU37213.E of 12 July 2001)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 11 January 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SAU38175.E |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Saudi Arabia: Information on passports (follow-up to SAU37213.E of 12 July 2001), 11 January 2002, SAU38175.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4bea51c.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a letter dated 15 November 2001, an official at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ottawa stated the following:
1. It is possible for a Saudi citizen to sponsor somebody to become a resident of Saudi Arabia even if the sponsor resides outside the Kingdom, provided the latter has business interests in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. A female Saudi citizen can sponsor a foreigner if she has business interests in the Kingdom.
3. If a resident has lost his or her sponsor in the Kingdom, the sponsorship is then transferred to another sponsor.
4. The Saudi passport is issued to Saudi citizens and is considered only as a travel document valid of a period of five years. When the validity expires, the holder may apply for a new passport. But when a Saudi passport is issued to a non-Saudi citizen, it is issued with an exceptional order. It does not mean that the holder of such a passport is considered a Saudi citizen, as the purpose of this passport is to be used solely for travel outside the Kingdom.
5. The Saudi passport carried by a non-Saudi citizen does not carry the inscription of the ID card number of his or her sponsor.
6. The sponsorship rules apply in the case of foreigners whether they are the mother or father of a naturalized Saudi citizen.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Ottawa. 15 November 2001. Correspondence.
