Showing posts with label Saudi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saudi. Show all posts

July 2, 2013

Clarification on Procedures for Saudi Police Clearances

Apparently, this advisory from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh on How to Get Saudi Police Clearance is now useless.  A Clarification on Procedures for Saudi Police Clearances was recently posted at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh's website.

In a nutshell, the new advisory states that you need a representative (friend, co-worker, etc) who is still in Saudi to process your application.  The embassy will not help you if you don't have a representative.

So what is to be done if the Visa Office required submission of Saudi Police Clearance and you no longer know anyone who is still in Saudi?  Simple, just write a letter of explanation and attached copy of the advisory from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh posted June 26, 2013:

If the applicant is no longer residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
  • The applicant must designate a representative residing in Saudi Arabia who will transact with the Embassy and the Saudi authorities regarding the applicant’s Saudi police clearance. The Embassy will only entertain or provide related services regarding applications for Saudi police clearance with the presence of a designated representative of the applicant, who will personally transact with the Embassy and the Saudi authorities.
  • The applicant must send to his designated representative, not to the Embassy, the following:
    • A letter authorizing the designated representative to transact on behalf of the applicant;
    • Duly-accomplished fingerprint card (with prints of all fingers) obtained through the relevant police authority of the country where the applicant is presently residing. If the applicant is in the Philippines, he or she should get a fingerprint card from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or the Philippine National Police (PNP);
    • Photocopy of passport used while applicant was resident in Saudi Arabia clearly showing the applicant’s photo/data page and all issued visas;
    • Copy of applicant’s Saudi residence permit (iqama);
    • Two (2) recently-taken 2” x 2” colored pictures with white background; and,
    • Other relevant documents, if any, to support the application for police clearance.
    • Fees:
      • Notarial fee of SAR 100.00 for the Embassy’s “Seen and Noted” stamp on the fingerprint card.
      • Authentication fee of SAR 30.00 for Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ authentication service.
  • The applicant’s designated representative should proceed to the Embassy and have the applicant’s fingerprint card stamped with “Seen and Noted.” The representative should also pay the notarial fee of SAR 100.00
  • The designated representative should then proceed to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have the fingerprint card authenticated. The representative should also pay the authentication fee of SAR 30.00 to the Saudi Ministry. Over the counter stamping / signature is done by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 1 day.
  • After the Ministry, the designated representative should proceed to the Dirah Police Headquarters in Riyadh. The designated representative should submit to police officials the fingerprint card. The representative should follow any further instructions by Saudi police officials.
  • The fingerprint card, with the Saudi police clearance in the form of a stamp stating, NO CRIMINAL RECORD, and signature, is usually issued by the Saudi police within a week. Once released, the representative should make arrangements to send the fingerprint card with the Saudi police clearance back to the applicant.
Applicants residing outside the Kingdom are reminded not to wire money to the Embassy nor send cash along with their documents via courier. The Embassy will not entertain applicants who are abroad who do not have a designated representative residing in the Kingdom.

Furthermore, the Embassy stresses that the Philippine Government is not obligated to assist a Filipino citizen in acquiring the citizenship of a foreign country.
Read the full texts of the advisory here.