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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
ENالعربية
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Saudi Arabia Visa & Entry Guide

Explore the visa route that may fit your passport and travel purpose, understand the application steps, and confirm the latest requirements with official Saudi sources.

Find my visa routeCheck the official visa portal (opens an official website in a new tab)

The True KSA is an independent information platform. Visa decisions and entry permissions are issued by the Saudi authorities. Last checked: 14 Oct 2026

A Saudi male travel concierge welcomes an international visitor in a bright Riyadh airport lounge.

Illustrative image

Start with your passport and purpose

Answer four questions to see which official routes to check first. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

The country that issued your passport (optional).

Residence is only a clue for some conditional routes.

Optional. Used only to remind you of date-based checks.

Do not enter a passport number, date of birth or financial details — this guide never asks for them.

Routes to check

Choose a purpose to see the routes to check.

Possible route statuses

  • Visa-exempt entry
  • Tourist eVisa
  • Visa on arrival
  • Saudi mission / MOFA
  • Sponsor- or institution-led routes

This guide suggests official routes to check. It cannot confirm eligibility or guarantee a visa or entry.

Five routes, five different statuses

Being eligible for an eVisa or a visa on arrival is not the same as being visa-exempt. Check which status applies to your passport and purpose.

Visa types by purpose

Choose the route for the real purpose of your trip. A visit visa is not permission to work or study, and Hajj has its own route.

How to apply

Seven steps that apply to every route. No step here promises approval or a processing time.

A male traveller prepares travel documents and luggage in a modern Riyadh hotel lounge.Illustrative image
  1. 1Identify the real purpose of the trip.
  2. 2Check passport and nationality eligibility through the correct Saudi authority.
  3. 3Choose the official eVisa, arrival (only if eligible), Saudi mission / MOFA, Nusuk or host / sponsor route.
  4. 4Prepare only the documents this application requests. The official checklist for your route controls.
  5. 5Enter truthful details that match your travel document, then submit and pay through the official service.
  6. 6Track the application through the official channel and read the issued visa: purpose, entries, validity and permitted stay.
  7. 7Reconfirm airline, entry and seasonal rules before departure, and carry the required documents.

Official places to apply

Prepare these details, then confirm your route's exact checklist

Route checklists differ. Treat each item as something to check, not a fixed rule.

Visa on arrival and special eligibility

A traveller walks through a modern Saudi airport arrivals concourse with a Saudi concierge ahead.Illustrative image

The tourist regulation describes arrival applications for listed nationalities and conditional routes for some other travellers. These are visa routes, not visa exemptions, and none guarantees issuance at the airport.

Visa on arrivalWho may qualifyNationalities on the authorised list.ConditionsThe airline checks the nationality before travel; the application is made on arrival.Official confirmation

Source:Tourist Visa Regulations (opens an official website in a new tab)Saudi eVisa portal (opens an official website in a new tab)· Checked 14 Oct 2026

Used US, UK or Schengen visitor visaWho may qualifyHolders of a valid tourist or business visa from the US, UK or a Schengen state.ConditionsThe regulation requires the visa to have been used at least once to enter the issuing country. Sources describe the process differently — see below.Official confirmation

Source:Tourist Visa Regulations (opens an official website in a new tab)National portal: Visa & tourism (opens an official website in a new tab)· Checked 14 Oct 2026

Specified permanent residenceWho may qualifyPermanent residents of the US, UK or EU, with accompanying first-degree relatives.ConditionsConditional; recheck the current process before travel.Official confirmation

Source:Tourist Visa Regulations (opens an official website in a new tab)· Checked 14 Oct 2026

Qualifying GCC residenceWho may qualifyHolders of GCC residence valid for at least three months, in eligible professions listed on the platform.ConditionsProfession list is published on the platform; domestic workers accompanying their sponsors are also mentioned.Official confirmation

Source:Tourist Visa Regulations (opens an official website in a new tab)· Checked 14 Oct 2026

Where official sources differ

Entry and stay rules

Approval is the start, not the end. These rules apply after the visa is issued.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources and verification

Every rule on this page links to the official source it came from. Nationality lists, fees, stay limits and seasonal dates stay on the live official services.

The True KSA is an independent information platform. Visa decisions and entry permissions are issued by the Saudi authorities.

Last checked: 14 Oct 2026

  • Visit Saudi — official eVisa portal

    Saudi eVisa portal

    Used for: Live eligible-country list and nationality selector; eVisa described as one-year, multiple-entry with stays of up to 90 days; Umrah (excluding Hajj) listed as a permitted activity; nationals not listed are referred to a Saudi embassy.

    Note: No page date shown. Country counts differ between official pages, so no count is published here.

    visa.visitsaudi.com/ (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Visit Saudi — official eVisa portal

    eVisa Terms & Conditions

    Used for: Passport valid at least 6 months from entry (§4.2, §8.8); same passport at the border (§8.3); tourist or Umrah purposes only, no paid employment (§8.7); approval and holding an eVisa do not guarantee entry (§5.8–5.9); fees shown at payment and non-refundable (§5.3, §6.1).

    Note: No version date shown; the terms say they may be amended. They also contain a Makkah restriction for a past (2025) Hajj season — a reminder that seasonal rules change every year.

    visa.visitsaudi.com/Home/TermsConditions (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Umm Al-Qura official gazette

    Tourist Visa Regulations

    Used for: Three ways to obtain a tourist visa: electronic, Saudi mission / digital embassy, on arrival (Art. 4); carrier checks nationality before arrival applications (Art. 4); passport valid 6 months subject to bilateral agreements and approved medical insurance (Art. 5); conditional routes for used US/UK/Schengen visitor visas, specified permanent residence and qualifying GCC residence (Art. 6/2); no work, no Hajj without a Hajj visa, respect validity and stay (Art. 10).

    Note: Issued 1 Sep 2022; page last modified 7 Oct 2026. Check for later amendments and administrative instructions.

    www.uqn.gov.sa/details?p=19990 (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA Visa Platform

    Used for: Official entry point for visitor services, citizen and resident services, and business and entity services.

    Note: Service-level eligibility (including any visa-waiver service) is shown inside each service; not reproduced here.

    visa.mofa.gov.sa/ (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Business visit visa request

    Used for: Requested by the Saudi entity (company or employer with commercial registration); request certified electronically by the Chamber of Commerce; validity, entries and stay set when the Saudi mission processes the visa.

    Note: Includes a separate notice for exhibition participants.

    visa.mofa.gov.sa/CommercialVisitVisa (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Saudi National Portal (my.gov.sa)

    National portal: Visa & tourism

    Used for: Lists MOFA e-services for transit, personal visit, medical treatment, Umrah, business visit and work visit visas; says the tourist visa excludes Hajj and study; describes eVisa, arrival and mission routes, and arrival applications by holders of valid US, UK or Schengen visas.

    Note: No page date shown. Some wording differs from the regulation and the eVisa portal — see ‘Where official sources differ’.

    my.gov.sa/en/content/tourism (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Nusuk (official Umrah platform)

    Nusuk Umrah — Terms of Use

    Used for: Platform users performing Umrah obtain Umrah visas in advance; serves citizens and residents (one year or more) of listed countries; no work on an Umrah visa; check expiry against the Hijri calendar.

    Note: No effective date shown (footer: Nusuk Umrah 1448).

    umrah.nusuk.sa/TermsOfUse (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

  • Nusuk (official Hajj platform)

    Nusuk Hajj — Terms of Use

    Used for: Hajj visas must be obtained in advance; Hajj cannot be performed on a tourist visa or any other visa; Hajj visa is for Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah only; no work on a Hajj visa.

    Note: No effective date shown (footer: Nusuk Hajj 1447). Season dates and permits change every year.

    hajj.nusuk.sa/TermsOfUse (opens an official website in a new tab)

    Checked 14 Oct 2026

Kept live on official checkers (not published here): eVisa nationality list and count, visa-on-arrival nationality list, GCC eligible professions, visa-waiver eligibility, fees, processing times and Hajj / Umrah season dates.

Review: The True KSA editorial desk · last checked 14 Oct 2026 · next review due 14 Nov 2026, and whenever an official source changes.

Photographs on this page are AI-generated editorial illustrations. The people shown do not represent any government agency.