Consulate General of the United States Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Photo Samples

The U.S. now offers 5 year, multiple entry visas to Saudi Arabian nationals applying to travel to the U.S. for business and tourism (B1/B2). To obtain a B1/B2 visa, you must apply either at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or the U.S. Consulate General in Dhahran. While obtaining a visa can be a lengthy process, the U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia currently approves over 96% of completed B1/B2 applications submitted by Saudi Arabian nationals.

Application Process

1. Get a visa photo
   • Photos must be a .jpg between 600x600 and 1200x1200 pixels
   • Photos must be less than 240kb
   • Photos must not be digitally altered
   • You must bring a 5x5cm photo to the embassy
2. Complete the online application
   • DS-160 visa application form
3. Schedule an appointment with Visapoint
   • Go here to schedule an appointment
   • Current Visa Wait Times in Dhahran
4. Pay application fees (see image at right)

The visa application fee for B1/B2 visas is SR 608. This nonrefundable fee must be paid BEFORE you come to your interview.

You may pay the application fee at any branch of SAMBA bank in Saudi Arabia. If you have a SAMBA account, you can pay online. You must bring the receipt with you to the visa interview.

All visas are returned via FedEx. You must bring cash to pay for a FedEx envelope, regardless of where you live.

Address in Dhahran/Khobar/Dammam   SR65
Address outside Dhahran/Khobar/Dammam  SR125

5. Go for the interview

On the day of the interview, only applicants with valid appointments are allowed to enter. You may enter up to thirty minutes before the time listed on your confirmation sheet. Only a legal guardian may accompany you into the waiting room, other friends and relatives will not be able to enter.

What to bring: (see image at right)

Application:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months
• Confirmation page(s) from the DS-160
• SAMBA receipt(s)
• Photo(s)
• Cash for Fedex envelope

Supporting Documents:

• Bank History for the past 3 months
• All previous passports
• Employment letter

What not to bring: (see image at right)

6. Visa Processing

After your interview, you will be told approximately how long it will take to process and print your visa.  Please remember that this is only an estimate and wait times vary, many visas take up to three months to process. 

7. Children Under 14

Applicants under 14 years old who hold Saudi Arabian passports do not need to appear for an interview. Parents can either bring the following documents with them to their visa interview, or FedEx the documents to the Embassy in order to apply for their child's visa:

• The child's own passport (family passports are no longer accepted)
• 5x5cm photo of child with eyes open (if uploaded into DS-160, photos must be a .jpg between 600x600 and 1200x1200 pixels, less than 240kb, and cannot be digitally altered)
• A completed DS-160 form
• Visa Fee Receipt from SAMBA
• Birth certificate
• A copy of the valid visa of both parents OR a passport copy from the non-traveling parent with a letter stating no objection to the child's travel
• For children of students (F2): a copy of the child's I20
• Return FedEx airway bill

Please mail your documents via FedEx to this address:

U.S. Consulate General Dhahran
Consular Section -- Visa Unit
PO Box 38955, Dhahran (Doha) 31942

Please note that the parents of applicants under 14 years old who are holders of passports from countries other than Saudi Arabia (i.e. who are passport holders of another country) are required to appear for an interview on behalf of the child and should bring the documents mentioned above. These appointments should be scheduled in the name of the child on the regular visa appointment website.

Please send your documents to the location nearest you (Consulate General Dhahran, Embassy Riyadh or Consulate General Jeddah). The parents of a minor child may be requested to appear for an in-person interview. Please visit Riyadh.usembassy.gov or Jeddah.usconsulate.gov for more information on how to apply.