If you have a Schengen visa, you can now apply for Saudi Arabia’s new Tourist e-Visa.
Last month, Saudi Arabia launched a Tourist e-Visa, a first for the Kingdom which so far did not allow foreigners to enter simply for tourism purposes. Those eligible for Saudi Arabia’s new Tourist e-Visa included all Schengen Area nationals as well as the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, report agencies.
However, according to new regulations that were announced last week, the list of who can apply for the new Tourist e-Visa has been extended to include all visa holders of the original eligible countries. This means, if you have a Schengen visa and want to visit Saudi Arabia, you can simply get the new e-Visa, rather than apply through the longer and more complicated route at Saudi Arabian diplomatic missions.
The new Tourist e-Visa allows the holder multiple entries into the kingdom and is valid for one year. The maximum duration that one can stay in Saudi Arabia consecutively is 90 days, but no more than 180 days overall.
You can apply for the visa online and pay a fee of about $120, including health insurance. You only need your passport and visa.
So far, Saudi Arabia did not have a visa specifically for tourism. Entry was restricted to Muslim pilgrims wishing to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, business travelers, and resident workers and their dependents.
