COVID-19: Saudi Arabia to allow in tourist visa holders from Sunday, August 1

Cairo: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Ministry will allow the entry of tourist visa holders starting Sunday, it said in a statement.

“Vaccinated tourists will be allowed to enter without having to be institutionally quarantined upon providing a negative COVID-19 PCR test and a vaccination certificate,” the ministry said.

Accepted vaccines are Pfizer, Astrazeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, the statement added.

The tourist visa was launched by Saudi Arabia in September of 2019, opening its doors to the world. With this visa, travellers are able to obtain a one-year, multiple-entry visa allowing them to spend up to 90 days in the Kingdom.

The official Visit Saudi website explained, "The visa fees are SAR 300 [Dh294], and the cost of the new comprehensive medical insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment is SAR 180 [Dh176] including tax, bringing the total to SAR 480 [Dh470]."

This visa is only available to tourists from 49 countries listed by Saudi tourism authorities, and holders of US, UK and Schengen visas can apply for the visa upon arrival. Tourists from other countries would need to apply for a consukate visa.

- Inputs from Reuters