Saudi Arabia has launched a new instant e-visa option for travelers who hold valid UK, US, or Schengen visas, or who are permanent residents of those countries, as part of its efforts to attract tourists and visitors to the Kingdom. The new e-visa can be obtained online through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website in a matter of minutes.
The new e-visa will allow travelers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, events, conferences, exhibitions, and Umrah (except during Hajj season), throughout the year. The requirements for the e-visa are simple: a valid passport and a valid proof of residence or a valid UK, US, or Schengen visa.
The new e-visa is one of several initiatives that Saudi Arabia has introduced over the past year to improve the visitor experience and to achieve its Vision 2030 goal of reaching 100 million visits annually by 2030. Since opening to tourism in 2019, Saudi Arabia has become one of the fastest-growing tourism markets globally, recording 93.5 million visits in 2022.
Saudi Arabia also offers a free stopover visa for passengers traveling on SAUDIA and flynas flights, which allows them to stay in the country for up to 96 hours. Additionally, e-visa eligibility has been extended to residents of the GCC.
Saudi Arabia is home to many cultural and natural attractions, as well as ambitious megaprojects such as NEOM, the Red Sea Project, AMAALA, Qiddiya, and more. The Kingdom is also a destination for religious tourism, with millions of pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina every year for Hajj and Umrah.