us doc travel pl

Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents, external link.

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

Person Finder |  Site Feedback

• DOC Home
• CFO/ASA Home
• Organization Chart
• Deputy Chief Financial Officer
• Office of Financial Reporting and Policy
• Office of Internal Controls
• Travel Management Division
• Office of the Secretary Financial Management
• Commerce Business Systems
• Agency Financial Reports
• Financial Statements Guidance and Templates
• Financial Management Handbooks
• Budget Management Handbooks
• Travel Management Handbooks
• Debt Collection Regulations
• Payment Integrity

Frequently Asked Questions

Table of contents, travel cards.

Reservations

Passports/Visas

What authority requires that I use a travel card, and where is it stated?

• The Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-264) mandates the use of the Government Travel Charge card for employees on official government travel. Employees are required to use the travel card for ONLY official travel-related expenses away from the official duty station for which a travel voucher will be filed.  The DOC Travel Charge Card Handbook implements the mandatory use of the travel charge card by all DOC official travelers.

When can I use the travel card?

• The travel card is only used when you have an approved travel order.
• The cardholder can use the travel card for travel-related expenses.
• You cannot use your travel card for anyone else’s travel expenses.
• You cannot use your travel card for personal payments of any kind.
• If you have more questions, please contact your travel card POC

How do I apply for a government travel card?

• Please contact your Bureau A/OPC for the Invitation Passcode and Inviters Email Address . 
• Use the following link to apply for a Travel Card at least 15 business days in advance of your travel date:  https://home.cards.citidirect.com/CommercialCard /. After accessing the link, follow the steps below to complete an online application.
• Under new users select " Apply for Card ";
• Select " Invitation Passcode " then click on continue; Contact your Travel POC for your Passcode and your inviter's email address.
• Type in the invitation passcode, then type in the Inviter's email address then select continue;
• You will now be at the " User Registration " screen; please follow the questions to complete your application.
• After completing the User Registration, you will be prompted to apply for a card.

Upon completing the registration, please complete the following:

• Statement of Understanding , signed by you and your supervisor. Electronic signatures are acceptable.
• The GSA SmartPay Travel Cardholder Training. This is a mandatory requirement for each cardholder before being issued the card and every three years after that. The training is online and can be accessed using the following link: https://training.smartpay.gsa.gov/

Please forward to your Travel POC:

• The completed Statement of Understanding signed and dated by you and your supervisor; and
• A copy of the GSA SmartPay Travel Training Certificate
• Upon receipt, an AOPC will process the application and forward to Citibank for approval. The total processing and delivery time of your travel card to the address of record is approximately 7 to 10 business days.

What authority requires that I use a travel card and where is it stated?

The Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-264) mandates use of the Government Travel Charge card for employees on official government travel. Employees are required to use the travel card for ONLY official expenses and travel related expenses away from the official duty station for which a travel voucher will be filed. All Department of Commerce travelers are eligible to be issued a travel card. Contact your travel card point of contact and request yours. Travel card applications are done on line. When you have completed the application, your supervisor is notified and must approve your request. After your supervisor approves your card issuance, the application routes to your travel card POC. After your travel card AOPC reviews your application, the application moves to the travel card vendor.. The card is issued and mailed to you.

• The travel card can only be used by the card holder for card holder travel expenses.
• If you have more questions, please contact your travel card POC.

How do I make reservations?

• When you know your destination(s), your hotel choices and your dates of travel, you can make your reservation either in the electronic travel system OR call CWTSatoTravel (CWT) at 1-866-789-3443 for Census, NIST, and NOAA and 1-855-813-2844 for Bureaus on E2.
• CWTSatoTravel is the Department of Commerce’s travel agency except for USPTO. They adhere to the agency’s travel regulations and can answer questions that you may have about hotels, car rentals and government fares.

Will I be reimbursed for a seat selection that cost?

• Generally, the Department of Commerce will not pay for seat selection.
• Please speak to your travel coordinator if you have further questions regarding payment of seat selection.

How do I pay for my reservations?

• The Department of Commerce uses a Centrally Billed Account travel card to pay for all airfare, rail or bus usage while on official travel.
• If approved changes are made to the reservation for any personal reason (airline choice, cheaper fare, vacation, etc…) the CBA is no longer used to make payment. You must use your personal credit card to make changes for personal reasons after the approved official ticket has been issued.
• Your Individual Billed Account travel card will pay for the hotel, taxis, parking, and other travel expenses while you are on official travel.

Must I use the Government contract air carrier?

• Yes, unless your travel meets a specific exception to the program. Exceptions to the mandatory use requirements are contained in the FTR § 301-10.107.

Must I use the Travel Management Center (TMC) to arrange my travel?

• Yes, the FTR requires employees to use the Government contracted TMC to arrange official travel. DOC’s contracted TMC is CWTSatoTravel except for USPTO.

When is the transaction fee charged?

• The transaction fee is charged when a ticket is issued. Fully refundable contract city pair fare tickets will be issued three business days in advance. All other tickets will be issued when the approved travel authorization is received. Travelers must request the agent to issue a ticket earlier or later, as necessary. An additional transaction fee will apply when another ticket is issued due to a change in the itinerary.
• Transaction fees change every fiscal year. The updated transaction fee schedule is sent to all DOC travel coordinators no later than September 15th of each year.

How do I arrange for premium class travel?

• All premium travel requests must include a travel authorization and CD-334, Request for Approval of Other than Coach-Class Accommodations, with matching dates and appropriate approval. Please contact your travel AOPC for assistance.

Do I need an official passport to travel on temporary duty internationally?

• Yes, The official and diplomat passports cost $110.00. You cannot use your blue tourist passport when traveling on official business for the U.S. Federal Government.

How do I obtain an official or diplomatic passport?

• If you have never had a passport issued to you before, and you want an official/diplomatic passport, you must complete and sign the DS-11 . If you have lost your passport or do not submit your personal passport for identification for obtaining an official or diplomatic passport, you must complete and sign the DS-11 .
• You must have a 2x2 photo.
• Obtain a memo authorizing the issuance of an official passport. The memorandum must be on your Bureau’s letterhead and signed by a passport authorizing official.
• If an EXPEDITED passport is required, you must include that information in the subject line AND the body of the memorandum must state WHY the need for an expedited passport.
• You need the application, the photo, the memo AND an original certified birth certificate. You cannot submit the short form or an abstract form.
• You will also need to submit a driver license. The passport agent will copy the front and the back and submit it with your application package.
• You should apply 30 days before your departure date and 60 days before your departure date if a visa is needed.
• If you have been issued a passport before or if you have a blue tourist passport that is current or expired; you may use it as identification in your official or a diplomatic passport application request.
• It will be submitted to the State Department with your application and returned when your official or diplomatic is processed.
• You need the completed and signed DS-82 application, a 2x2 photo and the memo.

How do I get the application for an official or diplomatic passport processed?

• Submit your applications at least 30 days before they are needed and 60 days before departure if a visa is needed.
• When you have all the required items, take them to your Bureau passport agent.
• If you work for the Office of the Secretary, please bring them to the Travel Management Division.
• All applications brought to the TMD will be couriered to the Special Issuance Agency for processing.

European Solar Charter

The European Solar Charter, signed on 15 April 2024, sets out a series of voluntary actions to be undertaken to support the EU photovoltaic sector.

Solar energy, in particular photovoltaics (PV), is currently the fastest growing renewable energy source in the EU. Last year, 56 GW of solar PV were installed in the EU, two thirds of it on rooftops, empowering consumers and protecting them from high electricity prices and reducing land use. The installations in 2022 and 2023 saved the equivalent of 15 billion cubic meters of Russian gas imports in total, mitigating the risk of disruption of gas supplies to the Union. In addition, the sector provides around 650 000 jobs, 90% of these on the deployment side, and is projected to increase until around 1 000 000 by 2030.

Achieving the 2030 EU target of at least 42.5% renewable energy by 2030, with an ambition to reach 45%, will require further acceleration in the deployment of renewable energy, including solar energy.

The bulk of the demand for solar modules in Europe is covered by imports from a single supplier, China, a concentration that creates short-term risks for the resilience of the value chain and long-term risks for price stability for solar panels due to dependencies on suppliers outside of Europe. Access to affordable solar modules from a diversity of sources as well as a resilient, sustainable and competitive European solar value chain are therefore necessary to achieve a deployment rate in line with the above targets while enhancing security of supply and mitigating the risk of supply chain disruptions.

However, the European solar module manufacturers have faced recently a particular challenge due to the combination of import dependency and a sharp drop in the prices of imported panels. In 2023, the solar photovoltaic sector in the EU and globally saw the prices of the panels plummet from circa 0.20 €/W to less than 0.12 €/W. This unsustainable situation is weakening the viability of existing European production and jeopardises planned investments for new manufacturing plants announced over the last 2 years. As a consequence, some European companies have either reduced their operations, announced that they would prioritise production in other international markets, in particular the U.S., or even announced their closure.

Over the last years, the EU has taken initiatives to strengthen its support to the European solar PV manufacturing sector, which includes several globally competitive companies in several steps of the value chain.

The European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA), launched in December 2022 to reinforce the cooperation within industry, set itself the target of 30 GW of production capacity along the value chain, an objective considered achievable by 2030. The ESIA pipeline includes more than 20 projects, including several at multi-GW scale. The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), on which a political agreement was reached in February, aims to ensure that the Union’s overall strategic net-zero technologies manufacturing capacity, including solar PV, approaches or reaches at least 40% of the annual deployment needs by 2030. The act includes concrete measures, such as accelerated permitting or market access facilitation through the use of non-price criteria in public procurement, renewable energy auctions and other support schemes.

However, further urgent action is needed in the short term to address the crisis in the European manufacturing industry.

All relevant stakeholders – the Commission, the Member States and the companies active along the European solar PV value chain - should ensure that the green transition and the European industrial objectives go hand in hand, accelerating the deployment of renewables while at the same time enhancing the EU’s security of supply by supporting the competitiveness of the sector and the jobs it creates in the EU.

To this end, the European Solar Charter sets out immediate actions to be taken by the Commission, EU Member States and the representatives of the solar PV value chain, in particular wholesale, distribution and manufacturing parts, to be implemented ensuring full compliance with EU competition law and state aid rules.

Actions by EU countries and industry

The undersigning Member States and solar industry representatives, respectively COMMIT to implementing as a matter of priority the following actions:

• In the framework of renewable energy auctions or other relevant support schemes, rapid early implementation of the relevant NZIA provisions through the application of, in addition to price criteria, ambitious non-price criteria, including resilience, sustainability, responsible business conduct, ‘ability to deliver”, innovation and cybersecurity criteria.
• In the framework of public procurement of solar energy products: rapid early implementation of the relevant provisions in the NZIA and in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive through the application of, in addition to price criteria, ambitious resilience, sustainability, social, ‘ability to deliver”, innovation or cybersecurity criteria; ensure the relevant provisions in the Foreign Subsidies Regulation are fully implemented.
• The promotion of innovative forms of solar energy deployment, such as agri-PV, floating solar, infrastructure-integrated PV, vehicle-integrated PV or building-integrated PV with a specific focus on innovative business models such as turnkey projects for PV integration in buildings, including through the removal of possible regulatory and permitting barriers as well as the adaptation of existing public support schemes or the creation of specific public support schemes.
• Create favourable framework conditions for manufacturing facilities of PV products and for additional investments, with a view to supporting the achievement of the manufacturing benchmark in the NZIA, including through rapid early implementation of relevant NZIA provisions on permitting and net-zero acceleration areas, improved availability of manufacturing skills and engagement across the value chain to improve the availability of recycled materials.
• A joint commitment across the EU solar PV value chain to continuous innovation, technological excellence, responsible business conduct, cybersecurity, sustainability, diversification of supply chains, social integration.
• Consider using all available EU funding opportunities as well as flexibilities under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) to provide support for new investments in the solar energy supply chain.
• Engage in the Member States Task Force under the European Solar Industry Alliance to exchange best practices on the application of non-price criteria, provide support to the industry and to strategic projects, and on the promotion of innovative forms of solar energy deployment
• Include therefore in the portfolios of the relevant market players, such as wholesalers, distributors and installers and in view of improving the competitiveness of the Union and diversification of supplies, solar PV products commensurate to the EU’s manufacturing capacity meeting high resilience, sustainability and responsible business conduct criteria. This includes custom-made and innovative solar PV products as well as products for innovative forms of deployment (such as building-integrated PV, agri- 3 PV, floating solar, infrastructure-integrated PV or vehicle-integrated PV), provide specific visibility to key qualities and origin of these products and gradually increase their volume.
• Maintain and, where possible, expand the current production capacity, in line with expected growing demand for their products, based on the public and private commitments adopted in this Charter.
• In the case of solar PV products offtakers, incorporate resilience, sustainability, responsible business conduct, ‘ability to deliver”, innovation and cybersecurity considerations in their strategies, including through cooperation with manufacturers.

Actions by the Commission

The European Commission INTENDS to:

• Further facilitate access to EU funding for solar PV manufacturing projects under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, structural funds, the Innovation Fund, the Modernisation Fund, and Horizon Europe, including through the Strategic Technologies European Platform (STEP). The Innovation Fund has selected solar PV manufacturing projects for a total of €400 million and made €1.4 billion available in its 2023 call for clean tech manufacturing, including solar PV.
• Work with the European Investment Bank to reinforce its support to investments in the solar manufacturing value chain, including through InvestEU.
• Support Member Statesin the inclusion of transparent, non-discriminatory and objective non-price criteria in renewable energy auctions, in public procurement as well as the promotion of innovative forms of solar energy deployment, including through recommendations, guidance, and the structured dialogue in the appropriate fora, including the Community of Public Buyers for Sustainable Solar PV for public procurement.
• Explore, in cooperation with Member States through the Joint European Forum the possibility of an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) to support innovations and their first industrial deployment in the solar PV manufacturing value chain.
• Continue providing support to the European Solar PV Industry Alliance in view of the achievement of its objectives, and directly engage with Member State authorities in the dedicated taskforce to share best practices on demand-side measures and support to the sector and to strategic projects.
• Continue to cooperate with third countries to enhance the resilience and diversification of supply chains via existing and future partnerships, dialogues and trade agreements and fora.
• In collaboration with Member States and social partners, facilitate the expansion of skills availability for the EU solar sector, including for manufacturing, through inter alia the Solar Academy and the Renewable Energy Skills Partnership.
• Propose forward-looking Ecodesign and Energy Labelling regulations for solar PV products to establish, on the basis of a robust methodology, appropriate environmental and energy performance standards for the sector.
• Promote the acceleration of deployment by supporting Member States in the swift implementation of the revised Renewable Energy Directive and by implementing the Grids Action Plan.
• Assess all evidence of alleged unfair practices put forward by the industry or from other independent sources.

Monitoring and review

All signatories COMMIT to monitor future developments in the sector and contribute to a fair and competitive international environment in the solar sector.

One year following the signature of the Charter, the Commission will review the implementation of the adopted commitments.

Related links

• European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA)
• Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA)

Share this page

Is this your first time applying for a visa and/or visiting our site?

Yes    No

تغيير اللغة : Change to Arabic

Apply for a U.S. Visa

In saudi arabia.

(Updated: October 11, 2023)

All receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees issued before October 1, 2022, expired September 30, 2023. There will be no extensions of fee validity. Applicants must have scheduled an appointment or submitted an interview waiver application before September 30, 2023 to avoid paying a new fee. If you paid the MRV fee on or after October 1, 2022, you must have scheduled the appointment within one year of your MRV payment date. Please note that the interview itself does not need to take place within one year, but an interview appointment needs to be made in the system, even if it is scheduled months into the future. Furthermore, applicants using MRV fees paid before October 1, 2022 to book an appointment are cautioned not to attempt to change their appointment dates on or after October 1, 2023. Doing so will result in forfeiture of both the original appointment slot and the MRV fee receipt. The applicant will be required to pay a new fee and submit a new application package.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of State amended its regulations concerning B visas. U.S. consular officers overseas will deny any B visa application from an applicant whom the consular officer has reason to believe is traveling for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for their child. The full text of the 2020 announcement can be found here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/20200123_birth-tourism-update.html . See also https://help.cbp.gov/s/sidebar-all-travel?language=en_US for additional information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the admission of international travelers (including those who are pregnant) to the United States.

Select here to learn more about an important update on waivers of the interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants.

Please ensure that all personal (full name, passport information, etc.) and contact information (phone number, email, etc.) provided is for the applicant requesting a visa and reflects the information exactly as is in the passport. The failure to provide the correct personal and contact information will result in the delay or cancellation of your visa application process and the delay in the return of your passport.

Please list your mobile number as your primary phone

Welcome to the U.S. Visa Information Service for Saudi Arabia. On this website you can find information about U.S. immigrant and nonimmigrant visas and the requirements to apply for each. You can also learn how to pay the required visa application fee, and book an interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulates in Dhahran and Jeddah.

This is the official visa information website of the U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia.

Nonimmigrant Visa Information

• Payment Options
• DS-160 Information
• Appointment Wait Times
• Photos and Fingerprints
• Visa Waiver Program
• Security Regulations

Nonimmigrant Visa Application

• Apply for a Visa
• Pay My Visa Fee
• Complete My DS-160
• Schedule My Appointment
• Document Delivery Options
• Track and Retrieve My Passport
• Apply for Expedited Visa Processing
• Applying for a Visa without an Interview
• Application Refused under INA 221(g)

Immigrant Visa Information

• Visa Information
• Check My Immigrant Visa Petition Status
• Immigrant Visa Wait Times
• Select Document Delivery Address

Local Visa Programs

• Travel Coordinator
• Group Appointments
• Diplomatic and Government Officials
• Visas for Children & Seniors
• U.S. Embassy and Consulates
• Passport/Visa Collection Locations
• Document Drop-Off Locations
• Bank Locations

General Information

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Holidays and Closures
• Rights and Protections
• Helpful Links

© CGI Federal Inc.

Department of State

• usvisas.state.gov

We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments. Exception: request blocked