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Can an existing multi-entry visa be used with a new British passport, with no further admin required?

scot47

New passport requires a new visa

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Thanks Scot47.

FriendlyExpat

Scot47 is correct.

But I do know of a person who lost their passport (with single entry visit visa) while in Saudi. They managed to exit Saudi with a new passport (which did not have a Saudi visa in it) by first being denied an exit and then sobbing loudly near the airport passport desk until the passport person let them through.

Your mileage may vary.

UKMS

May depend on the circumstances of why you have the new passport .... if for example you are issued a new passport because your old one is full (but not expired) then you can in most circumstances still use the valid visas in the old one, you present both passports (not 100% if there is something about Saudi that precludes this)

FriendlyExpat

They don't like people having two passports, so be cautious!

UKMS

Since I posted I’ve spoken with an Indian colleague who needs a visa for just about everywhere, he travels with 2 passports as one is full but still has current visas in it. He travels to Saudi monthly and has never experienced an issue.

sicklyman

SOme countries allow two valid passports at the same time. India might well be one of them, in which case, Saudi might have no problem with two passports as both are valid. Unless you are a special case (diplomat) the UK doesn't allow two concurrently valid passports in which case your Saudi visa would be under the number of your expired passport and may therefore cause you a problem.

archie159

Not true. Anyone can have 2 passports if you submit a letter from your company explaining why (and there are several valid reasons). Most of my British colleagues have 2.

weasel decentral

I used two passports in KSA when a similar situation occurred with the visa, the old visa was in a passport that was full and I had to get a new one. So I used to carry the new passport and the cancelled one with the visa pasted in.
Eventually I got the visa renewed but for at least 6 months I used the two passports together.

UKMS

I have 2 UK passports and I'm not a diplomat. UKPA will issue 2 passports to frequent business travelers who need to travel while visas are being processed (among other reasons). All I needed was a letter from my company requesting it.

FriendlyExpat

Note the UK FCO advice (which is, of course, not always accurate for Saudi)

"It’s illegal to hold 2 passports in Saudi Arabia. Second passports will be confiscated by the immigration authorities if they’re discovered."

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...ws-and-customs

sicklyman

good to know I was wrong about the two passports thing. Thanks for pointing that out.

Don63

For a time, i held a valid multi-entry KSA Business visa with 180 day validity and 30 day maximum stay per visit. When the passport was full and it was renewed (before passport expiry date and the visa valid), i carried both passports without the need for a new visa which was renewed in the new passport upon expiry of the 180 days. On the first visit using the new passport (minus Business visa), the officer viewed the visa in the cancelled passport and wrote a reference on a blank page in the new passport. This worked for 4 months, only hinderance was carrying both passports at the same time.