A steady surge in expat population living overseas has resulted in rising demand for passports and consular services, said VFS Global, the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions.

According to the Diaspora Alliance, the diaspora population has tripled in just about five decades - from approximately 75 million to over 230 million. VFS Global offers passport and consular services, as well as Citizen and Identity Services in nine countries across the globe, including Saudi Arabia.

“As per United Nations’ data for international migration, over 280 million individuals live and work outside their home country and we are now working with 18 governments to provide this essential service in 36 countries” said Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer, VFS Global.

In Saudi Arabia, VFS Global provides Passport and Consular services for India, the Philippines, and Sri Lankan citizens through permanent Passport Centres in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar and outreach centres in Jubail, Buraidah, Hail, Tabuk, Mecca, Madinah, Jizan, Najran and Abha.

VFS Global also launched Passport on Wheels, a solution whereby passport renewal services are provided in towns and cities where there is no permanent Passport Centre. In Saudi Arabia, these services are provided in cities such as Joud, Al Kharj, Al Qurriyat, Arar, Wadi Al Dawasir, Al Khafji, Hafuf and Hafar Al Batin. "Our services were in high demand during the pandemic when we delivered passport renewal and delivery services," added Vyas.

The service has also helped governments deliver safe, high-quality services to expatriates in a hassle-free and convenient manner, wherever they are in the world. For instance, VFS Global’s passports and consular services on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India caters to over 7 million Indians across 9 countries - UK, US, Thailand, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia.

Leveraging its robust experience in the visa application processing domain, and extensive network in over 140 countries, VFS Global provides governments with holistic, administrative solutions for processing passport applications and provision of efficient consular services. This, in turn, helps governments transform their public-facing services to improve quality, accessibility, and customer experience, while maintaining the highest levels of security. – TradeArabia News Service