Business & Money | Tuesday 17 February, 2015 7:55 am |

The Interior Ministry will soon activate its online facility where expatriates can apply for visas for their spouses and children.
The new service was launched by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, last Tuesday.

Users must first register for the Abshir services of the ministry, which facilitates online requests from citizens and expatriates in English and Arabic, a source said.
The registration process involves choosing the icon for a new user, entering personal data such as iqama number, e-mail address, preferred language and mobile phone number, and agreeing to the terms and conditions.

The user should then go to a new page to confirm the application and provide a user identity and password. Fingerprinting at machines installed in different locations activates the account. Alternatively, a user can open an account at an office of the ministry.
The source stressed that visas would only be issued to those expatriates who are eligible to bring their families to the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the ministry’s online appointments facility for services offered by the General Administration for Expatriates’ Affairs opened on Sunday. Users should visit the ministry’s portal and follow the instructions.