What documents do I need to enter Saudi Arabia?
Most tourists need a Saudi e-visa, available online or on arrival for eligible nationalities. You also need a passport valid six months and confirmed accommodation.
Updated
Entering Saudi Arabia - what you need
Saudi Arabia only opened to general tourism in 2019, and its rules are still being adjusted, so check the official portal rather than an old blog post. Get these together before you book flights and your trip1 hotel stay.
- A passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date.
- A tourist e-visa, an electronic visa waiver, or a visa issued by a Saudi mission.
- Confirmed accommodation - the visa form asks for it, and your trip1 booking confirmation is the document to use.
- A return or onward ticket.
- Medical insurance, which is bundled into the tourist e-visa fee rather than bought separately.
- Vaccination certificates where they apply, including yellow fever from certain countries and meningococcal cover for pilgrims.
The tourist e-visa
The tourist e-visa is the normal route in for holidaymakers, and you apply for it on the official Saudi visa portal or its app. Approvals are usually quick, often within minutes to a day.
It is valid for a year from issue, allows multiple entries and permits 90 days in the country in total. Medical insurance is included in the price, so you do not arrange that part yourself.
The visa covers tourism, events, family visits and Umrah outside the Hajj season. Non-Muslim visitors cannot enter Mecca or the central area of Medina on any visa type.
Visa on arrival and the other routes in
Eligible nationalities can pick up the same e-visa at a kiosk when they land at a Saudi international airport. Travellers who hold a used US, UK or Schengen visa or residence permit may also qualify, though conditions apply and the airline you fly with can matter.
There is also an electronic visa waiver for some nationalities, with its own validity and stay limits. GCC citizens travel on a national ID card and do not need a visa at all.
Important: apply online before you fly rather than counting on the airport kiosk. If you are refused at the kiosk you are put on the next flight out at your own cost, and no refund follows.
Hajj and Umrah are handled differently
Pilgrimage travel runs through the official Nusuk platform and licensed agents, with its own permits and its own dates. A tourist visa lets you perform Umrah outside the Hajj season but does not cover Hajj itself.
If your trip is a pilgrimage, start with the official pilgrimage channels rather than the tourist e-visa portal. The document set is different.
Hotel check-in in Saudi Arabia
Hotels ask every adult guest for a passport at check-in and register the stay with the authorities. Bring the physical passport, and keep your visa confirmation on your phone in case the front desk asks.
Your trip1 booking confirmation is what the front desk needs to find your reservation, and it is also the address you enter on the visa application. Have it saved before you start the form.
Many hotels ask for a card at check-in to hold a deposit against extras. That is the property's own policy and separate from how you paid for the room on trip1.
Entering Saudi Arabia - FAQ
Yes, but it is quick to get. US citizens are eligible for the Saudi tourist e-visa, which you apply for online on the official Saudi eVisa portal before you fly, and eligible nationalities can also get it at a kiosk on arrival at a Saudi international airport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your arrival date.
Apply online on the official Saudi eVisa portal or its app: fill in the form, pay the fee and receive the visa electronically, often within minutes to a day. The form asks where you will stay, so have your trip1 booking confirmation ready. If your nationality is not on the eligible list, apply through a Saudi embassy or consulate instead.
The fee is shown on the official Saudi eVisa portal when you apply, and it already includes mandatory medical insurance, so you do not need to buy that cover separately. The amount has changed over time, so check the current fee on the portal itself before you budget for the trip.
Most tourists do not. You need a yellow fever vaccination certificate only if you are arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission, and pilgrims performing Hajj or Umrah need the meningococcal quadrivalent vaccine. Check the official health requirements before you travel if either of these applies to you.
The tourist e-visa is valid for one year from issue and allows multiple entries, with up to 90 days in the country in total. It covers tourism, events, family visits and Umrah outside the Hajj season, but not Hajj or study. Pilgrims planning Hajj use the official pilgrimage channels rather than the tourist visa.
Yes, if your nationality is on the e-visa list, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of Europe. You can get the tourist visa at a kiosk at a Saudi international airport. Applying online before you fly is still the safer choice, because you know you have the visa before you board.