Saudi Arabia introduces new visa-on-arrival scheme for 13 countries
The new visa allows visitors from sea, air, or land ports…
Travelling to the Kingdom keeps getting more and more hassle-free, and now it’s that much easier as Saudi Arabia introduces a new visa-on-arrival scheme.
The major change was announced on August 18 2023 for Umrah visitors from over a dozen countries.
أداء العمرة عبر التأشيرة عند الوصول، للعديد من دول العالم. #في_القلب_يا_مكة pic.twitter.com/b6PaN2NiTz
— وزارة الحج والعمرة (@HajMinistry) August 18, 2023
The change applies to visitors from the United States, the United Kingdom, various European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Brunei, and China.
Visitors will be able to enter through sea, air, or land ports and enjoy a 90-day stay within the Kingdom. Travellers can pay a visa fee of $117, inclusive of health insurance coverage. With the visa, visitors to the Kingdom can head off on spiritual journeys and then also enjoy tourism experiences all over the Kingdom too.
If you’re travelling for Umrah though, you do need to wear a mask when performing the pilgrimage.
More recently introduced visas…
As reported by The National, British and Irish nationals can now obtain a single-entry e-visa to visit Saudi Arabia, whether they’re travelling for business, educational studies, or tourism. The single-entry Saudi e-visa is valid for stays of up to 6 months.
Applications for the e-visa waiver can be done at least two days prior to travel, but within 90 days, with approved visas returned within 24 hours. To apply, nationals of the UK and Ireland should complete the application form on the Unified National Visa Platform at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has also announced that nationals from eight new countries will now be granted electronic tourist visas as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to boost the tourism sector.
The countries include Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Nationals of these countries can apply for a visitor visa electronically or upon arrival at one of the Kingdom’s ports.
Visit: haj.gov.sa
Images: Social/Getty