All travelers need separate passports

JEDDAH: The General Department of Passport has stopped adding escorts or dependents to passports, and will issue a separate individual passport for anyone needing them.
Spokesman for the department’s branch in Qassim, Abdulkarim Al-Rasheidi, said the department has already begun implementing the decision, as per new regulations that stipulate the need for each individual to have their own passport in order to meet the conditions of other countries.
The aim of the decision is to facilitate entry procedures for citizens to other countries which require individual identification for each traveler. The move will also guarantee the rights of individuals and their families within and outside the Kingdom, especially as a number of countries do not issue entry visas to individuals who do not have their own passport.
Al-Rasheidi called on citizens to take into consideration the new procedures and requirements, and to head to their nearest branch to apply for an individual passport, which will allow them to overcome challenges when trying to enter other countries that have strict visa and entry regulations.
The department urged all citizens to benefit from electronic passport services via the Ministry of Interior’s Absher portal, which allows for issuance and renewal of passports for those with national identification cards.