Passengers arriving in Saudi Arabia must provide a vaccination certificate showing they have received an approved shot, according to guidelines issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation this month. Approved vaccines include Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen.
Visitors who violate Covid-19 travel regulations in the kingdom will be deported and banned indefinitely from re-entry. For Saudi citizens, a fine of SAR200 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years could be issued, or both.
The new guidelines come as Saudi Arabia slowly reopens following strict border closures to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Vaccination certification and a negative PCR test are required to enter the kingdom before completing a week-long quarantine upon arrival.
All non-Saudi passengers over the age of eight must submit a negative PCR coronavirus test that has been completed within 72 hours of boarding the flight.
On arrival, passengers – except those exempt – must complete quarantine at an approved facility at their own cost for seven days. A PCR test must be done on the seventh day, and if the test is negative, travellers can exit quarantine the next day.
For those who must quarantine, they must do so in the city of arrival, and reservation of institutional quarantine will be made through the air carriers. Air carriers must contract institutional quarantine centres that are verified by the Ministry of Tourism.
They also must present their coronavirus vaccination records to the authorities.
.jpg?jFsBrdIZ)
“Vaccine certificates are required to be certified by official health authorities from the country that provided the vaccination for incoming passengers, and the duration between receiving the last dose (the second dose of a two-dose vaccine or the first dose of a single-dose vaccine) should not be less than 14 days before traveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Vaccine certificates may be verified upon arrival at the checkpoints of the kingdom. Travellers must carry their vaccine certificates at all times during their stay in the kingdom,” the guidelines read.
Travelers visiting Saudi Arabia should have medical insurance that covers Covid-19 treatment. The insurance should cover the costs of treatment in outpatient clinics, emergencies, and hospitals; including institutional quarantine for a period of up to 14 days. Citizens, residents, and GCC citizens are excluded.
Follow us on
