Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced that it has now replaced visa stickers with e-visas for its missions in seven countries, including the UAE, India and the Philippines.

The Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that instead of the sticker that is typically placed on an individual’s passport, QR codes are used to read the data.

The system has been in place since May 1 in Saudi Arabia’s missions in the UAE, India, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the ministry added.

The move comes as part of efforts to automate consular services and “develop a mechanism for granting different kinds of visas, including work, residence, and visit visas”, according to a report on the Saudi Gazette.