Tasks of the General Directorate of Passports
- Receive applications for Saudi passports; and grant passports to those who meet the conditions.
- Organise travel of Saudi citizens departing the kingdom; and finalise procedures of departure and arrival through kingdom's ports.
- Organise arrival and exit of expatriates, who meet the regulations and statutory conditions, to the kingdom.
- Grant residence permits for expatriates who are allowed permits by the residency system like those who come for work.
- Receive expats' applications for exit/ reentry visas and final exit visas; and grant visas for those meeting the conditions.
- Receive pilgrims coming from outside the Kingdom during the Hajj season; finalise their entry, and exit through kingdom's ports after performing Hajj; and track the travel of overstayers.
- Follow-up expats status whether they are resident under the provisions of the residence system or they come in interim visas like those who come for Hajj or Umrah or visit, and penalise violators of residence system.
- Combat counterfeiting of documents; and work on improving passports, residence permits and visas to limit documents' forgery.
- Implement Travel Documents Law issued by Royal Order No. M/24 on 28.05.1421H., and Executive Regulations issued by Minister of Interior Decision No. 7/OZ, dated 23/9/1422H.
- Implement Saudi residency regulations issued by Royal Order No. 17/2/25/1337, dated 11/9/1371H. and instructions thereto.
- Monitor citizens banned from travelling abroad; and watch categories prohibited from entering the Kingdom and do the necessary action against them.
- Prepare statistics on different passports works.
- Invent Passports departments, divisions and sections required in the General Directorate of Passports branches in the regions and governorates whenever a need arises.
- Prepare internal regulations for the Directorate General of Passports and its competent departments.
- Liaise with other government departments; and co-ordinate procedures, associated with the General Directorate of Passports, with them.
- Exercise the power to investigate, arrest and deport within the scope of specific regulations.
- Educate citizens and expatriates on the need to co-operate with passports men through periodic bulletins on matters relating to the work of passports.
- Train human resources; qualify them to carry out passports work and send employees in scholarships inside the kingdom and abroad to enable them to perform job duties assigned to them fully.
- Establish buildings for the Directorate General of Passports and its branches; and provide them with the necessary equipment and trained manpower.
- Exercise financial, functional and administrative powers as a directorate general having a separate budget within financial regulations and rules of the civil service regulations and military regulations for military and civilian employees.