Saudi Arabia updates visa policy: important changes for travelers

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently announced updates to its visa policy regarding electronic transit visas and short-term visas. These changes are important for travel planning, especially ahead of the Hajj season.

Electronic Transit Visas

The electronic transit visa (e-stopover) will now only be available to passengers traveling from or to “Group A” countries: the UK, Canada, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United States. This applies to those whose itinerary begins or ends in one of these countries. To obtain the visa, travelers must have a valid visa from at least one of the approved countries and have previously used it for entry.

This visa allows up to 96 hours in Saudi Arabia, making it convenient for performing umrah or visiting the country's main attractions while in transit.

Temporary changes to short-term visas

Saudi Arabia has also temporarily suspended the issuance of new short-term visas for citizens of 14 countries ahead of the Hajj season. This applies to business visas, e-tourist visas and visas to visit relatives.

Citizens of the following countries have fallen under the restrictions: Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen and Yemen

Holders of valid visas from these countries will have to enter Saudi Arabia by April 13 and leave by April 29, 2025. These measures were taken in response to problems encountered in the previous year when pilgrims used visas not intended for Hajj.

These visa policy changes are aimed at managing the flow of tourists and complying with new travel and immigration regulations ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage season.

Stay up-to-date on all visa policy changes and get up-to-date travel planning advice by following the news at Visa-Navigator.com.