Overpriced and Overcomplicated for a Simple Visa Process
Order Reference: A1687362
I used CIBT Visas to assist with obtaining a Saudi Arabian one-year multi-entry visa. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing and unnecessarily stressful.
To be fair, email responses were generally prompt. However, I found the overall service expensive, confusing, and lacking transparency.
One of the first issues was discovering that the 0844 number listed on the CIBT website is a premium-rate number. I was charged over £8.00 simply to hear an automated message stating the office was closed.
The document checking process also caused delays. CIBT rejected my Saudi MOFA invitation letter, claiming it lacked reference numbers required to book the Tasheer appointment. This later proved to be incorrect, as the appointment was booked without those numbers being needed.
The most concerning issue involved payment handling. During registration, I authorised a £0.00 payment through my banking app, after which more than £820.00 was withdrawn from my account before an invoice had even been issued. This included consular fees that were ultimately paid directly inside the Tasheer Centre during my appointment. When I queried this, I received contradictory explanations from different staff members. Although the money was eventually refunded, the process lacked clarity and transparency throughout.
Ironically, the actual visa appointment at the Tasheer Centre was straightforward and efficient. The consultant inside the Tasheer Centre openly commented that companies such as CIBT often overcomplicate what is otherwise a relatively simple process. CIBT added very little practical value beyond acting as an expensive middleman. Even basic questions asked to the representative outside the centre were met with “you need to email the office.”
I also paid extra for passport return via Royal Mail Special Delivery after being advised not to use the Tasheer Centre’s cheaper DHL next-day service. Despite this, my passport was not returned the next day and was delayed over the bank holiday weekend.
Overall, I found CIBT Visas to be overpriced, unnecessarily complicated, and poor value for money. I would strongly encourage anyone considering using them for a Saudi visa application to carefully review all charges, payment authorisations, and exactly what services are actually being provided.








