Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that it has included three new countries to the list of countries that are eligible to obtain electronic visit visas. The new additions are the Commonwealth Caribbean countries of the Bahamas, Barbados, and Grenada. This expansion brings the total number of countries that come under the e-visit visa regime to 66.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Tourism, announced that citizens of these three countries are eligible to obtain a visitor visa electronically or upon arrival at one of the Kingdom’s international ports. This initiative comes within Saudi Arabia’s efforts to provide an unforgettable tourist experience for visitors coming from various parts of the world.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that multiple reentry e-visit visa, with a validity of one year, will be granted to citizens of these countries. The maximum period of stay will be three months during the year-long visa period.

The electronic visa will be issued instantly by the Digital Saudi Embassy through the unified visa national platform under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Citizens of these countries can also apply for a visit visa upon arrival at one of the Saudi ports. The visit visas will be issued for the purposes of tourism, Umrah, business, and visiting relatives and friends.

The ministry noted that holders of the visa must comply with the duration of stay specified in the visit visa, and renewal of the visa is not possible until after its expiry. The visa holder must leave Saudi Arabia before the expiry of the period of stay specified in the visit visa to avoid penalties. The visit visa does not entitle the holder to engage in work for payment or to perform Umrah rituals during the Hajj season.

The ministry said that more details such as the countries that come under the e-visit visa regime, terms and conditions for obtaining the visa and like can be had from the website visitsaudi.com.

It is noteworthy that the number of countries that come under the e-visit visa regime rose to 66 with the addition of the three Commonwealth Caribbean countries. In October 2023, the Ministry of Tourism announced the decision to grant e-visa to visitors from six countries - Turkiye, Thailand, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles and Mauritius apart from 57 countries that are already under the e-visit visa regime. A visitor e-visa is also provided to holders of valid Schengen, UK and US visas that have been used to enter those countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia, as well as to permanent residents of EU and GCC countries, the UK and the US.