A STUDY ON DOCUMENTATION, PROCEDURES AND EXPENSE REQUIRED TO TRAVEL TO A SELECTED GULF COUNTRY

Project Report Submitted By: REENU SUBIER

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CHINMAYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYGovindagiri, Chala, Thottada, Kannur-670007(Affiliated to Kannur University and approved by the Govt. of Kerala)(2014-2016)

DECLARATION

I, Reenu Subier hereby declare that the project report titled A study on Documentation, Procedures and Expenses Required to Travel Selected Gulf Country has been prepared by me and is the original record work done by me under the supervision of prof.( Dr) Prabhakaran Paleri, chinmaya institute of technology

I also declare that this project has not been submitted by me fully or partially for the award of any degree, diploma ,title recognition before

Place:

Date:

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study will not be completed without the acknowledgment of my sincere gratitude to all persons who have helped me to do.

My sincere thanks to principal and all the faculty members of MBA for their valuable advice and suggestions. I also extend my sincere thanks to my project guide prof ( Dr) Prabakaran Paleri, Chinmaya Institute of Technology for mentoring me throughout the project.

I deem privileged to extend my sincere gratitude to office head of Riya Travel Mr. Noushad and Office in Charge of Akbar Travels Mr. Sunil Moidu for giving me the idea and information regarding the project.

REENU SUBIERMBA(A2) 2nd semester

CONTENTSSl. noParticularsPage no.

1.11.21.31.41.5chapter 1IntroductionIntroductionScope of the studyObjectives of the studyResearch methodologyLimitations

Chapter 2Documents

3.13.2Chapter 3ProceduresStep by step procedure for applying visaVisa form

Chapter 4Findings, suggestion and conclusions

Bibliography

Annexure

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The arab states of the persian gulf are the seven arab states which border the persian gulf namely KUWAIT, BAHARAIN, IRAQ, OMAN, QATAR, SAUDI ARABIA AND U.A.E. ALL THESE NATIONS EXCEPT IRAQ are the members of GCC .

These are the gulf countries. For my study for the topic PROCEDURE, DOCUMENTS AND EXPENSE NEEDED TO TRAVEL A SELECTED GULF COUNTRY. For this purpose I have chosen Saudi Arabia. Among these gulf countries Saudi Arabia has the highest area and population and it is the largest reservoir of oil. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been perceived differently. For millions of Islam followers across the world, it is the ultimate holy land and pilgrimage destination. For some it is the land of opportunity and for rest of the world, Saudi Arabia means oil.

Geography

It occupies 80% of the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in the south west corner of Asia, the kingdom is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is surrounded by the Red Sea on the West, by Yemen and Oman on the South, the Arabian Gulf and the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on the East, and Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait on the North. Saudi Arabias Red Sea coastline stretches about 1,760 kilometers (1,100 miles) while its Arabian Gulf coastline roughly 560 kilometers (350 miles). Desert covers more than half the total area of Saudi Arabia. A narrow coastal plain runs through the Kingdoms western coast while a range of mountains run parallel to the coastal plain along the Red Sea. Along the Arabian Gulf in the east is a low-lying region called Al-Hasa. The mountains in the west of the Kingdom are very rich in minerals with large deposits of limestone, gypsum and sand. The eastern region has the richest reservoirs of oil in the world.

Main Cities

Makkah and Madinah are 2 holiest cities in KSA. These 2 places are focal point of hajj and ummrah and also it is the birth and death place of Prophet Muhammad. Every year more than 2 million Muslims visit the pilgrimage.

RIYAD is the capital city and it is the headquarter of GCC.

JEDDAH is the commercial capital of the kingdom and it is the city where most of the trade takes place.

The twin city of JUBAIL AND YANBU is next vision of future Saudi Arabia development. This area has the worlds largest petrochemical complex. This cities houses the directorate general of the royal commission for jubail and yanbu

ABHA is in the asir region. Kingdom most of the resort is in abha and it is 1 of the tourist attraction of Saudi Arabia. The main attraction of this cities areasir national park, souda, dalghan, alqraa, alsahab, and almahala valley.

The city of HAIL is located west of al-adaira valley, known as hail valley. It is one of the kingdom cultural attractions and it is well known for a number of ancient ruins of old castles and palaces.

ALBAHA is a tourist site with quiet nature, high mountains, and thick forest and always have pleasant climate.

BURAIDAH is famous for agriculture and it is also the sport city of Saudi Arabia

DAMMAM is famous for its oil fields and most of the companys headquarters are in dammam

ARAR is a city for cross point many important road like Iraq, al jouf, algrayat.

TAIF is the famous and important tourist attraction of Saudi Arabia. Taif is only city in Saudi Arabia where it is always have cold climate. The main attraction is cabin car passing through the mountains

1.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study was mainly to understand the documents, procedure and expense required to travel selected gulf country.The study has been analyzed mainly on these factors; Time required to processes the visa form Total expense required for travel Documents needed for different visa

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYThe main objectives are as follows;1. To study the procedures, documents and expense required to travel Saudi Arabia.2. To give suggestion based on findings.

1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGYResearch methodology may be understood as all those techniques and methods that are adopted for collecting data and information.

1.4.1 Source of DataThe required data for this project has been collected from the primary and secondary source of data. Primary source- primary data are collected mainly from travel agencies Secondary source- secondary source includes; Internet (official site of Saudi ministry of affairs) Journals and magazine 1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY1. The agencies where not ready to give full information2. There was also time limit.

CHAPTER 2

DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENTS

The official travel documents to enter any GCC countries are;1. Passport2. National id card3. Visa document4. Entry& exit documentThese above are briefly explained as ;

Passport:The passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry to any countries.

National id card:National id card or citizenship card or family card is must. The card should be reasonable one. The travelers other than touristors are required to have this card with them.

Visa document:The visa document should be reasonable one and it is necessary to carry this by the entire traveler. The period of this document will vary to the countries travelled.

Entry & exit document:The entry& exit document will vary to countries travelled. The entry exit document can be for 1year, 6 months..These are normal documents to travel any GCC countries. To travel Saudi Arabia also require above documents and the needed document will vary to the type of visa. The documents needed to be carried along with the passengers are the same as above. For all the cases the applicant needed to fill application form online from www.mofa.govt.sa and then take the print for the reference number. it should be submitted along with the visa supporting documents. Some documents needed to be attested for visa requirement are as follows;

1. Documents Required for Saudi Employment Visa Processing(From Company) online wakala in the name of ex:m/s. fast air & sea travels visa payment slip receipt of visa fee paid CR copy of the company/ iqama copy of the sponsor

2. Documents Required for Visa Stampling (From Candidates) original passport original medical report along with Gamca slip required police clearance certificate ie.pcc is compulsory N.O.C is required if the candidate has come on re-entry visa Electronic exit visa is required if the candidate comes on exit visa. 06 colour photographs with white background 3. Documents Required for Family Visit Visa Visa payment slip with sponsor name Passport and iqama copy of the sponsor Original passport Old passport Polio cards attested by Saudi embassy for children below 15 years. Marriage certificate 6 colour photographs

4. Documents Required for Business Visit Visa Online wakala in the name of candidate Letters from the company for which candidate representing Original passport

5. Documents Required for Required for Re-Entry Extension Expired re-entry visa renew within 1 month of the date of expiry, otherwise the consulate may reject the passport Original passport Letter from sponsor in original with KSA ministry attestation Copy of valid iqama

Some of the document attestations are;a. Marriage and Birth Certificate Passport copy The certificate can be attested from royal consulate at Mumbai 2 colour photographs

b. Degree/Diploma Certificate (Procedures) Original certificate with HRD (HRD attestation should be done by the candidate from the university) Company offer letter attested by chamber of commerce and ministry of foreign affairs Passport copy 2 colour photographs

C. Medical Categories1. Doctors MBBS & MD attested by HRD (HRD Attestation-Should be done M.E.A (Ministry of External Affairs) & Saudi Embassy from Delhi. Registration & Updated Experience Certificates attested

2. Nurses Sslc, PDc. Diploma attested by HRD M.E.A Registration and updated experience certificate attested from m.e.a

6. Religious VisitUsually hajj visas or for religious transit visas are granted to only approved tourist groups. Original passport Visa copy which is different for different visit like ummrah and hajj The visa is a free of charge Present the required health certificates

CHAPTER3

PROCEDURES

To travel any country follows a step by step process and it is same for all, but document and visa carry will be different. To travel Saudi Arabia follows series of steps. Saudi Arabia is a country where rules are followed strictly and after various approvals only visas are issued to the applicant. Before visas are granted the authority check whether the candidate or company are in nitiqat( like in red or green, yellow). If the applicant is in red then he is not granted any visa and more over he is not allowed to stay in the country.Visa is also not granted to the applicants like house drivers and ummrah visit if they want to take their family along with them. These visa holders that is firstly who had come in the form of house drivers are not required to work in company or in shops unless with prior notice of sponsor. He is only allowed to work under the sponsor. Secondly who had come for ummrah transit are required to leave the country prior to the expiry of the visa. Those who stay after the expiry are sent back to the home if they are caught and these people are not allowed to work in any shops because if they are placed in any of the work place and if they are caught the shops has to be closed down forever and there license will be cutout.For whatever the purpose of visit, candidates are required to go online to the site of Saudi government and after filling the form it has to be printed for the reference number and it should be attested to the visa supporting documents.Thou there are series of steps, but this steps are simple and easy process. the step by step process are as below;1. PASSPORT- Firstly is that you require a passport. If dont have passport you need to apply for it in the passport office. This also follows a series of steps which are as;Firstly you need to fill online form submission.Step1- Register through the passport seva online portal (click on register link under the apply section on the homepage)Step2- login to the passport seva online portal with their gistered login idStep3- click on either apply for fresh passport or re-issue of passport linkStep4- Fills the required details in the form and submitsStep5- clicks on the pay and schedule appointment link on the view saved/submitted applications screen to schedule an appointmentStep6- click the print application receipt link to print the application for appointment number (ARN)Step7- visit the regional passport office along with the original documents

After submitting the form and document authorities visits the home for verification and within a month you will be receiving the passport.

2. Online submission of form for visa-The main requirement for any type of visa is:a. Valid original iqamab. Copy of passportc. Acceptable profession

Valid original iqama- the iqama or residence card should be valid enough then only you are allowed to bring your relatives moreover if its a company the company should have wakala.

Copy of passport- before applying you should have the copy of passport of those you are inviting.

Acceptable profession- your profession must be listed in the listed category by the ministry of foreign affairs. Because there are some professions which is given to Saudis only. If youre not in the list you need to change the profession and apply.

Step by step processes to apply for any type of visa are;

1. Filling online application-First step of applying for visa is to fill online application on the website of ministry of foreign affairs. In the there are 2 link. One is indivual which is for family or residence visa and other link is for organization which is for organizations.

2. Submitting the application to chamber of commerce-After filling the form you need to sign and date on it. after this, go to your sponsor and ask him to sign and stamp the application. Please ensure that person who is signing the application is one who has authorized signatures in chamber of commerce. After this you need to go to the chamber of commerce of the city where your employer is registered and no other chamber of commerce will not serve your objective. Only government employees are allowed to go to MOFA and submit the application there.You need to submit SR 25 fee for application of visa and submit it to the chamber of commerce. They will take copy of your application and give you the print out of another one.

3. Submitting the application in Saudi embassy-After the visa is approved, you need to send the application number to the concerned person. The visa obtained from the procedure mentioned must be stamped from the Saudi consulate or Saudi embassy of the respective country within 3 months of its issuance as per the website of ministry of foreign.

This are the procedure for applying the visa and it is part from receipent

3. ISSUANCE OF VISA- The visa will be issued in month or in 2 weeks.

4. BOOKING THE TICKET- After receiving the visa you can book the ticket according to your appropriateness.

5. EMIGRATION- After arrival at airport you need to for check in of baggage and body pass. From there you will be receiving a form and need to be filled because it is needed for emigration. After this you need to enter for emigration purpose.

6. ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION- After arriving at the airport you need to encounter the emigration. If the passenger is a new entrance to the country he is asked to fill the form which was earlier given in the flight by the cabin crews and need to give their finger prints and If the passengers are for religious transit they have to encounter emigration last after finish of the entire normal passengers. And they need to give their finger prints there.

(THE SNAPSHOT SHOWING THEPROCEDURE FOR APPLYING VISA)

(SNAPSHOT SHOWING VISA)

CHAPTER4EXPENSES

VISA EXPENSE OR COST-The visa fee will be incorporated into the charge levied by the registered agent for processing your visa application. For various visa the cost is different.1. VIP BUSINESS VISA- SR 1000

2. BUSINESS VISA MULTIPLE ENTRY- SR 500

3. BUSINESS VISA SINGLE ENTRY-SR 200

4. WORK, RESIDENCY, TRANSIT, AND STUDENT SR 50.

5. ALL OTHER VISAS LIKE GOVERNMENT, HAJJ, AND EXTENSION OF EXIT-ENTRY ARE FREE OF CHARGE.

AIRTICKETS-Major flights which do their operation in Saudi Arabia from india are AIR INDIA, SAUDI AIRLINES, AND AIRARABIA. The fair of the flights varies according to the seasons. Usually the price is high during ummrah season which is just before ramdan and hajj season.

The flight charges are high during the month april to june and june to September because school closes for 2 months vacation and it will be re opened only in the month of august or September.

CHAPTER 5FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS, AND CONCLUSION

5.1 FINDINGS

The major findings are;1.Thou they say the visa processing takes only a day or takes less time, but actually to processing from authority actually consumes a lot of time and even a week.2. Most of the procedures on online for applying visa is in Arabic language.3. Issue of passport takes lot of days. 4. Many documents needed to be produced before5. Many professions are reserved for Saudis only6. The expense for visa is cheaper 7. The expense for an air ticket is not cheaper

5.2 SUGGESTIONS

1. The online application form can also be in main 3 languages2. Issue of passport should be fast as possible3. Thou air tickets cannot be kept cheap instead they could give extra allowances like baggage weight increasing from 30 to 40, on time flights and etc4. Visa validity and entry and exit extension should be extended from 6 months to a year5. More of information and guidelines should be given in websites. 6. permit family visa for those who come in as house drivers.