I love to be the bearer of good news and today if you’re lucky enough to be a citizen of one of the 49 countries below, I have good news for you. As of today, you can go for Umrah with the Saudi Tourist Visa without extra cost and hassle!
Starting September 27, 2019, you can now apply for a Saudi Tourist e-Visa online WITHOUT the need of a travel agent. You don’t need to go to a travel agency or send them your passport. You can now apply for a Saudi Arabia tourist visa from the comfort of your home and it will be issued to you within minutes. Best of all, you can perform Umrah with the Saudi Tourist Visa
Below is all the information you need about the new Saudi Tourist Visa
Am I eligible?
You must be a citizen of one of the following 49 countries to be eligible.
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- China (Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan)
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- USA
The list of countries may change. You can check the most up to date list on the Saudi Tourist e-Visa website.
How much does the e-Visa cost?
440 Saudi Riyals.
How long does it take to obtain the visa?
If all goes well, you should receive a confirmation email with the visa attached within 5 to 30 minutes.
How long is it valid for?
The tourist visa is valid for one year but you can only stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days.
Can I make multiple entries?
Yes.
Can I do Umrah with the Tourist Visa?
Yes, you can perform Umrah with the Saudi Tourist Visa.
Can I travel all over the country?
Yes. Unlike the Umrah visa, you are NOT RESTRICTED to Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah.
Do women need a Mahram for the Tourist visa?
Nope! This means women can even perform Umrah without the need of a Mahram.
Does this mean I don’t need a Hajj visa?
No, you still need to apply for Hajj the same way, which is through a registered travel agency.
Why is Saudi Arabia changing the rules?
Saudia Arabia wants to open the country up for tourism. It is their 2030 vision to attract 100 million tourists and pilgrims to the country and this is one way of doing it.
You can check out their new tourism website for more details.
Where can I apply?
This truly is great news, especially if you have family in Saudi Arabia, want to explore more of the country or the obvious reason – want to perform Umrah. This makes things so much easier.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or Facebook.