Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh Issues Urgent Notice on E-Passport Services

Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia may face longer-than-usual waits for their e-passports as the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh conducts additional verification and administrative processing of applications.

The embassy issued the notice on its official Facebook page on Thursday (3 September), attributing the delays to a significant surge in demand for e-passport services among Bangladeshi nationals in the kingdom.

The embassy said it normally processes biometric enrolment for around 11,000 passport applications each month. However, under a special initiative, biometric data for more than 65,000 applications were collected over the past one and a half months.

Of these, 15,434 passports have already been printed and delivered to applicants, while another 25,467 are currently being printed. A further 21,678 applications are undergoing required processing after biometric enrolment.

Meanwhile, biometric enrolment is continuing for another 15,200 applications through a nine-day special service camp in the Dammam region.

According to the embassy, delays have primarily resulted from incorrect information provided in applications, discrepancies between application details and records in national identity cards or online birth registration databases, and complications involving applicants who hold multiple passports.

The embassy said such administrative and technical discrepancies require additional verification, making the overall processing time longer.

In view of the situation, the embassy urged Bangladeshi expatriates to remain patient and assured them that all possible efforts were being made to speed up and streamline e-passport services.