The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expands the Visitor e-Visa to eight more countries

16 August 2023 - As part of the e-visa program, the Ministry of Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently expanded the list of countries that are eligible to apply for either a Visitor e-Visa electronically (e-visa) or a visa on arrival into the Kingdom.

Eight more countries including Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are now eligible to apply for a Visitor e-Visa for tourism, attending conferences and exhibitions, visiting family and friends or religious (Umrah only, however not valid during the Hajj season) travel.

Nationals of these countries can apply for a Visitor e-Visa to the Kingdom via the official e-visa portal or upon their arrival at one of the Kingdom’s ports of entry.  The Visitor e-Visa is a multi-entry visa, valid for a period of a year, and allows for a stay of up to 90 days.  The visa can be renewed only upon expiry.

For more information, please visit: The Saudi Press Agency.

Deloitte’s view

The decision by the Ministry of Tourism to expand the list by an additional 8 countries, brings the total number up to 57 countries that are eligible to apply for a Visitor e-Visa. 

This decision aims to streamline the process of obtaining visas for tourism, attending conferences and exhibitions, visiting family and friends, or religious travel for these countries. Consequently, this move is expected to also boost tourism and increase the number of visitors to the Kingdom.