Guy
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 for Mission and Organisation purposes. The service included document and photo checks, scheduling my appointment at the Tasheer Centre in London, passport collection, and return by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Unfortunately, my experience was overwhelmingly negative. To be fair, the consultants generally replied to emails promptly. However, beyond that, I found the service expensive, unnecessarily complicated, and lacking transparency. The first issue arose before the process had even started properly. I called the 0844 number listed on the CIBT website on a Saturday seeking advice, only to hear an automated message informing me the office was closed. The call lasted no more than 30–40 seconds, yet I later received a notification from EE stating I had been charged over £8.00 for calling a premium-rate number. I was shocked to discover that the number advertised on CIBT’s website generates revenue for the company. Charging customers premium rates simply to hear that the office is closed feels highly misleading. The next issue involved the document checking process. CIBT rejected my Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs invitation letter, claiming it lacked two reference numbers required to book the Tasheer appointment. This later proved to be incorrect, as the appointment was booked without those numbers being required. This caused unnecessary delays and confusion. I was also uncomfortable with the payment process. During registration, I was required to authorise a £0.00 payment through my banking app, which granted CIBT ongoing authority to withdraw funds directly from my account. Shortly afterwards, more than £820.00 was withdrawn before an invoice had even been issued to me. This included a Saudi Arabia Consular Handling Fee (£402.23) and Consular Fulfilment Fee (£85.15), despite the fact that these Consular fees were ultimately paid directly inside the Tasheer Centre during my appointment. When I queried these charges, I received contradictory explanations from different members of staff. One consultant informed me that I should not have been charged the consular fees, that a refund would be issued and CIBT were waiting for their systems to be updated. Days later, the UK Operations Manager provided a conflicting explanation. Although the money was eventually refunded, the process was confusing and lacked transparency throughout. I replied directly to the UK Operations Manager outlining my concerns regarding being charged for services not rendered and the lack of clarity surrounding the consular fees, but I never received any further response. The actual appointment at the Tasheer Centre was straightforward and efficient. Ironically, the consultant inside the Tasheer Centre openly commented that companies such as CIBT often overcomplicate what is otherwise a relatively simple process. Based on my experience, I unfortunately agree. Before entering the centre, the CIBT representative strongly advised me not to use the Tasheer Centre’s DHL return service, which costs approximately £10.00 for guaranteed next-day passport delivery. Instead, CIBT charged £19.20 for Royal Mail Special Delivery. I later regretted following this advice. The final issue involved the return of my passport. I tracked my passport through the Tasheer system and could see that it had already been collected by a named CIBT representative. However, at the same time, CIBT staff were emailing me claiming they were still “in the queue” waiting to collect it. They then informed me that my passport could no longer be returned by next-day delivery because of delays returning to their office. When I pointed out the contradiction using the Tasheer tracking information, my emails were ignored. In the end, despite paying premium prices for supposedly expedited handling and next-day return, my passport was delayed for several additional days over the bank holiday weekend. Overall, I found CIBT Visas to be an expensive intermediary that added complexity, confusion, delays, and unnecessary costs to what was otherwise a straightforward visa application process. In my opinion, the company provided very little actual support while charging substantial fees for services that were either unclear, duplicated, or not meaningfully rendered. I would strongly encourage anyone considering using CIBT Visas for Saudi visa applications to carefully review all charges, payment authorisations, and exactly what services they are truly receiving for the money.
Response from CIBTJun 10, 2026
Guy, we regret that you had these issues. Please provide an order number so we can look into your case.