Authorities in Saudi Arabia have expanded their recently introduced e-visa program to include more countries. This means that people from eight additional nations can now apply for an electronic visa to make their travel experience smoother.
Citizens from Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are now eligible for the visitor e-visa. This visa is for purposes like leisure, business, and religious travel (specifically Umrah).
People from these countries can apply for the e-visa online or get it upon arrival at Saudi Arabia’s ports.
This expansion brings the total number of countries eligible for the e-visa to 57, and more countries may be included in the future.
It’s important to note that the visitor e-visa is valid for a whole year, allows multiple entries, and permits a stay of up to 90 days. Tourists can use it to explore various parts of Saudi Arabia and participate in Umrah.
Saudi Arabia is improving its visa system and has recently replaced visa stickers with QR codes for countries like Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco, and more. They also introduced instant e-visa options for travelers with UK, US, and Schengen visas, as well as permanent residents of those countries.
These visa changes are part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, aiming to attract 100 million visits annually by 2030. The country is becoming a rapidly growing tourism market, welcoming 93.5 million visits in 2022. This year, Saudi Arabia managed to host over 2 million Hajj pilgrims despite the challenges of Covid-19.
