Saudi Arabia expanded their e-Visa policies for tourism effective as of September 1st, 2022. These new visa policies have the potential to open up and expand travel for millions of visitors. According to the ministry of tourism of Saudi Arabia, residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates can now apply for these electronic tourist visas. In addition, citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe are permitted to apply for the electronic visas upon arrival in the nation. If these tourists meet the Saudi Arabia visa requirements, they are not expected to report to their countries embassy before entering the nation. The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb explains how by utilizing digital innovations, higher numbers of visitors from around the entire world are being welcomed into their nation.
The e-Visa allows visa applications to be solely virtual. Therefore, the accompanying papers are submitted online, the payment is performed online, and the application decision is conveyed virtually as well. In summary, the e-Visa is a one-year, multiple-entry visa that enables visitors to stay for up to 90 days in Saudi Arabia while their travel-related activities including Umrah are covered by the visa.
