There was a time when not everyone was allowed to visit Saudi Arabia, but since September of 2019, that’s not the case. Today, anyone can visit, provided they come with a Saudi tourist visa. Without it, no one is allowed to enter. In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the Saudi tourist visa, so if you plan on going, you’ll know exactly how to get there!
Things to Keep in Mind When Applying For The Saudi Tourist Visa For Umrah
Below are the main things you need to keep in mind before applying for a Saudi tourist visa and the tourist visa for Umrah.
Valid passport
Before applying for a Saudi Tourist visa, you must ensure your passport is valid. The consulate will require it to be valid for 6 months when you enter the country, so make sure it’s valid longer than 6 months when you apply, or your visa might get rejected in the first stage.
Return Ticket
The Saudi tourist visa is usually granted for one year, but the visitors can only stay within the borders for around 90 days at a time. When you apply for the visa, make sure you have your return ticket booked for travel time. It can be an open ticket, but it must be booked to prove your itinerary and ensure that you don’t have plans to stay in the country long-term.
Yellow fever certificate
People from certain countries must present a Yellow fever certificate before entry. The traveler needs to be vaccinated against Yellow fever at least 10 days, and at most, 10 years before they are set to enter the country.
Proof of accommodation
Visitors in the country will need to prove that they have booked accommodation for their travel days. These can be refundable bookings, but they need to be in place for the days of travel to be considered valid.
Travel and Medical Insurance
All the travelers making their way through Saudi Arabia need to have adequate travel or medical insurance. A COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required, but you still need coverage for any COVID-19-related expenses, so no matter what happens, you’re taken care of during your travel.
Approval
The regular tourist visa is enough to travel the country, and you can perform an Umrah using one too. Eligibility can be checked here on the Saudi e-visa website. So make sure you’ve checked that before applying. But the most important part here is to make sure you’re checking the box on your application that asks if you’re going to be performing Umrah or not. Without that you won’t be able to enter Makkah or Medina. People that try to bypass this detail might be sent back to the Jeddah airport, so remember to keep this in mind when applying and you’re good to go!
All Set to Get the Saudi Tourist Visa!
With all of the information above, you can apply for your Saudi tourist visa without having to deal with any problems during the application process. However, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, it’s still up to the Saudi Consulate to grant you the visa, but going in prepared is the best way of making the process go as smoothly as possible!