Saudi Arabia expands e-visa eligibility to 8 additional countries

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has unveiled an expansion to its tourist electronic visa eligibility list, incorporating eight additional countries. Starting from Sunday, August 6, 2023, citizens from Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan can now apply online for the Saudi tourist e-visa.

This latest expansion brings the total count of countries qualified for the Saudi e-visa to 57, marking a significant expansion since its initiation in 2019, when it was available for citizens of 49 countries. In a recent press release, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism highlighted the convenience for citizens of these eight new countries to apply online and receive their Saudi e-visa or obtain their visas upon arrival at KSA international ports.

The Saudi tourist e-visa permits travelers to enter the country for various purposes, including tourism, business, family and friends visits, and performing Umrah (excluding Hajj season). The electronic visa, issued as a multiple-entry visa, provides the eligible applicants with the opportunity to spend a cumulative stay of up to 90 days within Saudi Arabia over the course of twelve months, as stipulated by its validity period.

This initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for the tourism sector, which seeks to increase its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 3% to 10%, generate one million new job opportunities, and attract 100 million tourists to experience the wonders of Saudi Arabia.