Background

This mission was assigned to Makkah Police Department in 1343 H., which took full responsibility for passports and resident permits (Iqama.).
On 1349, Royal Order no. 344 dated 03/05/1349 H. was issued to unify the whole Police administrations and linking it in Makkah Police Department, to describe Passports System that included exit, entry conditions and procedures to issue Saudi passports.
At 1356, it was the first system for iqama in the Kingdom which says that every foreign person must have residence permit.
On 12/8/1356 H, Order no. 57/3/12 was issued to describe Iqama (resident permit) system.
On, 5/11/1380 H the Cabinet order no.571 was issued to establish Passports and Citizenship Department.
On 24/10/1391 ministerial decision no. 90 which orders by militarization passports from following years 1392/1993.
Cabinet Order no.1001 dated 10/11/1391 H was issued to assign an MOI Deputy Assistant for Passports and Citizenship.
Cabinet Order no.1195 dated 10/5/1393 H was issued to organize Passports Institute workflow, and training qualified work force to handle passport responsibilities.
Cabinet order no.894 dated 27/7/1395 H was issued to assign an MOI Deputy for Passports and Civil Affairs.
Based on that, Cabinet order no. 1039/T dated 9/10/1395 H., was issued to transfer passports and citizenship department into MOI Agency of Passports and Civil Affairs.
On 28/03/1396, royal order no. 12 to authorize Cabinet order no. 462 dated 21/03/1396 which orders by amending article no. 18 from passports system.
On 15/9/1402 H, Approval no. 21633 was issued to separate passports from Civil Affairs agency to be the General Directorate of Passports, which is directly linked to HRH the Minister of Interior and his deputy.
On 1403 the Passports Organizational Structure was reformed administratively, geographically and qualitatively since 01/07/1403.