Saudi Arabia is developing a high-tech visa service.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a new plan to replace the visa sticker on passports with an e-visa, the data from which will be read via a QR Code.

This program is part of the ministry’s efforts to automate and improve the quality of consular services.

The procedure has been launched in the first step at Saudi missions in the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines.

The ministry intends to create a visa-issuing mechanism that is technologically advanced, including work permits, residence and visit visas.

Last year, the ministry announced a system for getting a “personal visit” visa, which allows travelers to enter the Kingdom to visit Saudi friends or acquaintances.

Individuals can also travel between the Kingdom’s provinces and cities, undertake Umrah rituals, visit Makkah and Madinah, as well as other religious and historical sites, and attend cultural events with the visa.

According to the ministry, citizens can apply for the visa using simple and convenient electronic processes on the visa platform website.

By making a request for a personal visit on the visa platform and filing for a “visit” request, Saudi nationals can invite friends to visit Saudi Arabia and conduct Umrah by checking in using the unified national access platform and filling out the data for the invitees.