{
  "id": 10226111,
  "title": "Passports Directorate: First-time issued Saudi passports do not require activation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/passports-directorate-first-time-issued-saudi-passports-do-not",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T13:40:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Saudi Gazette",
    "slug": "saudi-gazette",
    "url": "https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/664906/saudi-arabia/passports-directorate-first-time-issued-saudi-passports-do-not-require-activation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Saudi Passports Directorate has announced that first-time passports issued to Saudi citizens do not need to be activated. Additionally, the Directorate has urged citizens who have renewed their passports to check their previous passports and activate their new ones at any passport office, branch office, or international port of entry. The checking and activation procedures do not require prior appointments.\n\nTo complete the activation process, citizens must present their previous passport and verify its activation status through the Absher platform. Moreover, the Saudi Passports Directorate has made it possible for citizens to obtain passports electronically through the Absher platform, eliminating the need for in-person visits to their offices. This streamlined process can be completed swiftly after submitting the application and fulfilling the necessary requirements.\n\nThe activation procedure begins by logging into the Absher platform and navigating to \"My Services,\" then \"Passports,\" and finally \"Issuance of Saudi Passport.\" Applicants can then request passport issuance, specify the desired renewal period, agree to the required conditions, choose their preferred delivery options, confirm the required declarations, enter their delivery address, select their delivery method, review the information, and pay the applicable fees.",
  "summary": "RIYADH — The Saudi Passports Directorate clarified that passports issued for Saudi citizens for the first time do not require activation. It also called on citizens, who have renewed their passports, to have their previous passports checked and their new passports activated at any passport office or branch office or international port of entry.The directorate stated that neither the checking nor…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}