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Post by Kate on Aug 7, 2012 7:29:22 GMT
Has anyone else had an issue on returning to KSA via flight to Bahrain? Delta rep in Boston was convinced she could not let me board because I did not have a visa for Bahrain. Finally her manager gave the over ride. This is the second time this happened to me. Any suggestions for handling this in future...other than telling them " I do this all the time...everyone living in KSA flies into Bahrain and drives to KSA"
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Post by Twofeets on Aug 7, 2012 11:19:34 GMT
We do it all the time... just got back from the US a few days ago, never had an issue. We fly Qatar airlines. Maybe the issue is with Delta?
There have been a few changes with visas in Bahrain, but as of 3 days ago you can still get one when you land. (While we possesses a multi entry exit visa from KSA to Bahrain, we still had to get either a visitors visa (good for 2 weeks) or a transit visa. The whole process took about 5 minutes at the airport).
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Post by vpainter on Aug 8, 2012 19:09:57 GMT
When I checked this past July to Lufthansia, the agent at the self check in punched that I was in transit in Bahrain. I told her I was actually driving and she said that was fine. When I got up to check my baggage and they checked my passport - I told the agent I had a connection in Bahrain to Saudi Arabia when he asked. The agent asked if I had a ticket. I said no, I'm getting it in Bahrain - I'm actually driving directly to KSA. Was not a problem.
I have friends who are going to Bahrain and getting a 5 year visitor's visa so they do not have to deal with this. I've had a couple of friends who AA made them buy a ticket just to board the plane, and later they had to work on a refund - big mess. Even though they now have the name of a manager they call when traveling to be sure they don't have a problem, they don't want to be put in this situation again, so are getting the visas.
We carry a copy of the Bahrain web page that states GCC residents do not need a visa, then have our iqama and Saudi Visa for proof of GCC residency.
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Post by Twofeets on Aug 9, 2012 8:09:55 GMT
Good Idea about the copies Vpainter... I think I may have to do the same.
How do you go about getting the 5 year visitor visa?
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Post by bolishfamily on Aug 10, 2012 9:09:32 GMT
I think part of the problem is with Delta at Boston Logan airport...our son attends boarding school in MA & his first trip back to KSA by himself was horrible thanks to the Delta rep at Boston. She insisted that his visa had expired which we knew was not true as we just got new visa. To top off the situation she refused to talk to us (as our son called to let us know of the situation). Fortunately he had his Iquma & showed them he had a residency card and they finally let him go.
But on another note: my husband just received an email regard visitor visa for KSA stating that when a person on a KSA visitor visa comes into country they need to come into Dammam.
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Post by vpainter on Aug 10, 2012 13:45:32 GMT
Actually each visitor visa will state on it how the visitor is allowed to come into the Kingdom. It will state air or land on the visa. Your visitor has to come in according to what the visitor visa states.
I don't know if you can request air or land, something to find out as people bring in visitors.
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Post by Twofeets on Aug 10, 2012 18:34:57 GMT
An email came out recently about this subject...
"To all Expatriate Employees,
Eligible employees who are granted visitor visas for immediate family members should carefully check the visa after issuance. The visa will state airport or land in Arabic. Airport indicates your visitor must travel through one of the Kingdom airports. Land indicates your visitor must travel via land, including the Saudi/Bahrain causeway."
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Post by Dahailang on Aug 11, 2012 7:52:06 GMT
My daughter (US passport) has a 5-year Saudi visitor visa. She travels through the Causeway all the time never had a problem. Her visa says her port of entry is Dammam Airport though. It really depends on the agent who stamps on your passport.
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Post by buzzed1 on Oct 27, 2012 13:10:11 GMT
Help! I recently lost my exit/re-entry visa which I kept folded in my passport for my trips from KSA to Bahrain and back . Does anyone in this forum know what the procedure is to get it replaced? And how long does the process take? Is there a fine? I would think because it's a printed document that some office at Saudi Aramco must have it on their computer system. I know it sounds simplistic, but I've learned that nothing is really as simple as it seems here.
Thank you.
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Post by vpainter on Oct 27, 2012 13:39:17 GMT
Are you in kingdom or out?
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Post by buzzed1 on Oct 28, 2012 0:09:56 GMT
I'm in Vietnam right now on short leave. I lost the exit/re-entry paper at some point while here. I'm due to fly back to KSA Nov 1. I have everything else (e.g. passport, iqama, and Aramco I.D. card.
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Post by vpainter on Oct 29, 2012 21:42:53 GMT
I've asked around. Sorry, no one who I know has ever lost theirs.
I would suggest you contact your manager and seek help before you arrive.
Or go through your HR representative here in the company.
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Post by buzzed1 on Nov 9, 2012 5:13:20 GMT
Just to follow up on what happened. I got to the King Fahd Expressway and I told them I lost my exit-re-entry visa. I showed them my iqama, and after a bit of chastising about losing my visa, they let me through. Maybe I just got lucky. Maybe it was because I was an American working for Aramco. I don't know which but I don't want to go through that again. The first day of work back at Aramco I went to the passport office to get a re-print of my visa. Got it within 3 days.
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Post by vpainter on Nov 10, 2012 21:08:06 GMT
I say Congratulations! on getting in and a speedy replacement. Thanks for sharing the rest of the story.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Nov 16, 2012 11:10:01 GMT
Just to pass on a tip that I have found extremely useful - keep the number for the on-call Govt Affairs and/or Personnel on-call representative on your mobile (or if you don't have it, you can call the Main Gate and they will transfer your call). If you run into visa problems on the causeway that you can't resolve on your own, get in touch with the on-call rep and he will come out to assist you.
One time there was a problem with my visa when I reached the middle of the causeway. The immigration officials were insistent that I had to go back and there was no possible way they could let me through, even after talking to and pleading with their supervisor for some time. I was just about to turn back when I thought - why not give the on-call guy a call. As soon as I reached him, he told me to stay put and he'd be there as soon as possible. Somehow, although the causeway was extremely busy that day, he got there in less than half an hour.
Within ten minutes (despite the officials having previously told me there was no possible way this could be done) I had been issued with a new exit/re-entry visa.
The other VERY important part of this tip is - always carry a couple of extra passport-size photos with you. The whole arrangement almost fell through at the last minute when he told me they needed a photo or they could not issue the new visa. For a moment, I thought I didn't have one but then I remembered that, as luck would have it, I had a spare one in my wallet. Since then I have always made sure to carry a couple of extra photos for myself and all the members of my family, whenever we travel.
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