Saudi passport renewal: travel restrictions until activation clarified
Saudi authorities confirm citizens cannot travel with a national ID or new passport until the old passport is surrendered and the new one activated.
Key Takeaways
AIA question was submitted to the official account of the Saudi General Directorate of Passports, asking: "I have applied to renew my passport and received the new one, but have not yet activated it. Can I travel to Bahrain using my national ID before activating the new passport?"
The Passports Directorate clarified on its X (formerly Twitter) page that once a passport renewal request is submitted, citizens cannot travel using the current passport, the new passport, or the national ID until the old passport is surrendered and the new one is activated.
View the post on X
Issuing a Saudi passport
The General Directorate of Passports has enabled the issuance of Saudi passports for family members under the age of 21 through the Absher online platform.
The directorate explained on X that citizens can access this service by logging into Absher, selecting 'Family Member Services,' and then choosing 'Saudi Passport Services for Individuals and Families.'