The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the addition of six new countries to the list of those eligible for Saudi electronic tourist visas. This expansion allows online applications from over 60 countries. The newly added countries include St. Kitts and Nevis, Turkey, Thailand, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Panama.
The list also includes other countries and regions whose citizens are eligible to apply for Saudi electronic tourist visas online, including Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Maldives, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uzbekistan.
In addition to citizens from these eligible countries, Saudi Arabia offers the option to apply for visas to many categories of travelers, regardless of their nationalities, including residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), permanent residents of the European Union or the United Kingdom, and holders of Schengen visas or visas for the United Kingdom or the United States.
The Saudi electronic tourist visa is issued as a multiple-entry visa, allowing travelers to visit the Kingdom multiple times within its one-year validity period, with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days. It can be used for various purposes, including tourism, business activities (such as attending conferences and exhibitions), performing Umrah (excluding the Hajj season), and visiting family and friends.
Applicants for the Saudi electronic tourist visa must complete the online application form, upload a digital photograph, and pay the visa fees, including mandatory health insurance fees. Those not eligible for qualified nationalities must submit a copy of their passport, their residency in GCC countries, the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the United States, or a copy of the Schengen, UK, or US visa.
Saudi Arabia continually launches various initiatives to promote tourism and welcome visitors worldwide. These initiatives aim to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, such as increasing the contribution of the tourism sector to the Saudi GDP from 3% to 10%, creating one million new jobs in the industry, and attracting 100 million tourists to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
