Saudi Arabia has launched a free stopover visa for visitors arriving in the Kingdom by air.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the transit visa for stopovers on Monday, January 29 and it is effective immediately.
The new Saudi visa is free and entitles its holder to a four-day stay in the Kingdom. Once issued the visa is valid for three months.
Saudi Arabia announces free stopover visa
A report carried by the Saudi Press Agency said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the relevant authorities and cooperation with national airlines, launched the digital transit visa for stopover to facilitate the arrival in the Kingdom for all purposes, and the procedures for obtaining and automating an entry visa.
The transit visa for stopover allows those in transit who wish to enter the Kingdom to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque, in addition to roaming and attending tourism events.
When buying tickets to visit the Kingdom through Saudia Airlines and Flynas passengers will be automatically passed to the unified national visa platform at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When an application is processed it will be approved automatically and emailed to the passenger.
“Today’s announcement of Saudi’s inaugural Stopover Visa is a landmark example of integrated public and private sector cooperation. Four of the Top Ten global routes were in or out of Saudi airports in 2022, a testament to the appeal of destination Saudi,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority.
Saudi is committed to a seamless visitor experience. In partnership with our national air carriers, SAUDIA and Flynas, we are using digital platforms to provide an instant Stopover Visa, which only enhances Saudi’s accessibility and our world-class destination offering,” he added.
“The new Stopover Visa is yet another proof point in Saudi’s commitment to developing and encouraging growth in the tourism sector. It is open for travelers passing through Saudi on our national carriers whether for leisure, business or Umrah. We will continue to work together across government and the tourism ecosystem as Saudi transforms into a leading global tourism destination,” said Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority.
The Ministry reiterated that the transit visa for stopover service will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by bolstering the Kingdom’s position and benefiting from its distinguished strategic location as a link between continents, an attraction station for transients, and a global tourist destination.
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