What Is Visa By Profile Initiative Launched By Saudi Arabia At TOURISE?

Saudi Arabia TOURISE, a novel initiative, was announced. Yes, called ‘Visa By Profile,’ this is being recorded as a first-of-its-kind on a global scale. In a report by Economy Middle East, it was mentioned that the move has been designed to streamline the global travel ecosystem. Additionally, it has been done to facilitate and expedite visa processing for those who are eligible visa card holders.

What Is Visa By Profile?

An initiative developed by the Saudi Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Interior, this has been done alongside visa and participating banks. The aim, as mentioned in the report, is to dismantle barriers to travel and even attract high-value tourists. Additionally, the aim is to improve visa decision-making through digital integration and regulatory cooperation.

Aim To Automate Visa Process

The initiative, as mentioned in the report, is being planned to be launched in 2026 and will be made accessible to banks that wish to participate. In fact, there are even plans for further expansion as additional banks and credit card issuers join the collaboration. This initiative has been created to automate the visa process. This would be done through seamless integration that would happen across government entities, digital systems that are operated by institutions like credit bureaus, banks and airports.

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Issuing Visa In Minutes

So basically, this means that a tourist visa can be issued in minutes to the visa card link. Basically, the Visa By Profile, as mentioned in a report of Scene Now Saudi, would grant an e-Visa with the help of passport details and Visa card information. So, qualified travellers will be able to obtain an electronic tourist visa with the help of the aforementioned details. Additionally, the system would use the credit scores of the travellers to verify financial solvency in order to meet the requirements of the destination. This, as a result, would simplify approval.

Once the system launches, it will truly automate visa issuance through coordinated connectivity between different authorities as mentioned above.

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