Saudi Arabia entry requirements, by passport
Saudi Arabia visa requirements at a glance: 75 of the 198 passports VisaRadar tracks can enter Saudi Arabia without arranging a visa beforehand: visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorisation. The other 123 must obtain a visa before they travel.
Which passport do you hold?
We'll take you straight to the entry requirements for Saudi Arabia for your nationality.
What we've verified for Saudi Arabia
Beyond the yes/no matrix, we've checked these against an official primary source (last checked 10 August 2026). The specifics depend on your nationality: open your passport's row in the table for the detail that applies to you.
- e-Visa fee: 535 SAR
- Typical processing time
- Required documents (4)
- Required vaccinations
- Health-insurance rules
- Customs limits (cash, alcohol, tobacco)
- Overstay penalties
- Stay and transit rules
Sources: sanidad.gob.es (Spain's Ministry of Health, "Listado de países: requisitos y recomendaciones de vacunación contra la fiebre amarilla") and who.int (WHO, "Country list: yellow fever vaccination requirements and recommendations"): yellow fever requirement (checked 20 September 2026); visa.visitsaudi.com and visitsaudi.com (Saudi Tourism Authority): documents required, the eVisa's SAR 535 cost with health insurance included, and issuing time; gov.uk (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, "Saudi Arabia travel advice"): the eVisa's 365-day validity, multiple entries and 90-day stay, passport validity, meningococcal vaccine for pilgrims, and the alcohol ban and penalties; moh.gov.sa (Saudi Ministry of Health, "Health Requirements and Recommendations for Travelers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, 1447H (2026)") and wwwnc.cdc.gov (US CDC, Saudi Arabia destination page): meningococcal ACWY vaccine; zatca.gov.sa (Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the "Declaration" and "Personal Quantities of Tobacco Products" pages and the FAQ on shisha tobacco, 2026 web.archive.org copies): cash declaration and tobacco limits; my.gov.sa (Saudi government national portal, transit visa), moi.gov.sa (Ministry of Interior, overstay penalties) and ksavisa.sa (official visa platform: passport validity and how refusal works) (checked 29 September 2026).
This table summarises the exact entry mechanism for every passport we track. The difference between entering visa-free, with an electronic authorisation, with an e-Visa, or with a traditional visa is explained in visa, e-Visa, and electronic authorisation: what's the difference. How we verify every row before publishing it is on methodology.
Base entry rules refreshed 2 November 2026. Published: 10 August 2026.
| Passport | Requirement | Max. stay |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | ||
| Albania | Visa on arrival | — |
| Andorra | Visa on arrival | — |
| Australia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Austria | Visa on arrival | — |
| Azerbaijan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Bahamas | Visa on arrival | — |
| Bahrain | Visa-free | — |
| Barbados | Visa on arrival | — |
| Belgium | Visa on arrival | — |
| Brunei | Visa on arrival | — |
| Bulgaria | Visa on arrival | — |
| Canada | Visa on arrival | — |
| China | Visa on arrival | — |
| Croatia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Cyprus | Visa on arrival | — |
| Czech Republic | Visa on arrival | — |
| Denmark | Visa on arrival | — |
| Estonia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Finland | Visa on arrival | — |
| France | Visa on arrival | — |
| Georgia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Germany | Visa on arrival | — |
| Greece | Visa on arrival | — |
| Grenada | Visa on arrival | — |
| Guyana | Visa on arrival | — |
| Hong Kong | Visa on arrival | — |
| Hungary | Visa on arrival | — |
| Iceland | Visa on arrival | — |
| Ireland | Visa on arrival | — |
| Italy | Visa on arrival | — |
| Japan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Kazakhstan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Kosovo | Visa on arrival | — |
| Kuwait | Visa-free | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Latvia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Liechtenstein | Visa on arrival | — |
| Lithuania | Visa on arrival | — |
| Luxembourg | Visa on arrival | — |
| Macao | Visa on arrival | — |
| Malaysia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Maldives | Visa on arrival | — |
| Malta | Visa on arrival | — |
| Mauritius | Visa on arrival | — |
| Monaco | Visa on arrival | — |
| Montenegro | Visa on arrival | — |
| Netherlands | Visa on arrival | — |
| New Zealand | Visa on arrival | — |
| Norway | Visa on arrival | — |
| Oman | Visa-free | — |
| Panama | Visa on arrival | — |
| Poland | Visa on arrival | — |
| Portugal | Visa on arrival | — |
| Qatar | Visa-free | — |
| Romania | Visa on arrival | — |
| Russia | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa on arrival | — |
| San Marino | Visa on arrival | — |
| Seychelles | Visa on arrival | — |
| Singapore | Visa on arrival | — |
| Slovakia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Slovenia | Visa on arrival | — |
| South Africa | Visa on arrival | — |
| South Korea | Visa on arrival | — |
| Spain | Visa on arrival | — |
| Sweden | Visa on arrival | — |
| Switzerland | Visa on arrival | — |
| Tajikistan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Thailand | Visa on arrival | — |
| Turkey | Visa on arrival | — |
| Ukraine | Visa on arrival | — |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa-free | — |
| United Kingdom | Visa on arrival | — |
| United States | Visa on arrival | — |
| Uzbekistan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Visa required | ||
| Afghanistan | Visa required | — |
| Algeria | e-Visa | — |
| Angola | e-Visa | — |
| Antigua and Barbuda | e-Visa | — |
| Argentina | e-Visa | — |
| Armenia | e-Visa | — |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | — |
| Belarus | e-Visa | — |
| Belize | e-Visa | — |
| Benin | e-Visa | — |
| Bhutan | e-Visa | — |
| Bolivia | e-Visa | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | e-Visa | — |
| Botswana | e-Visa | — |
| Brazil | e-Visa | — |
| Burkina Faso | e-Visa | — |
| Burundi | e-Visa | — |
| Cambodia | e-Visa | — |
| Cameroon | e-Visa | — |
| Cape Verde | e-Visa | — |
| Central African Republic | e-Visa | — |
| Chad | e-Visa | — |
| Chile | e-Visa | — |
| Colombia | e-Visa | — |
| Comoros | e-Visa | — |
| Costa Rica | e-Visa | — |
| Cuba | e-Visa | — |
| Djibouti | e-Visa | — |
| Dominica | e-Visa | — |
| Dominican Republic | e-Visa | — |
| DR Congo | e-Visa | — |
| Ecuador | e-Visa | — |
| Egypt | e-Visa | — |
| El Salvador | e-Visa | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Eritrea | e-Visa | — |
| Eswatini | e-Visa | — |
| Ethiopia | e-Visa | — |
| Fiji | e-Visa | — |
| Gabon | e-Visa | — |
| Gambia | e-Visa | — |
| Ghana | e-Visa | — |
| Guatemala | e-Visa | — |
| Guinea | e-Visa | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | e-Visa | — |
| Haiti | e-Visa | — |
| Honduras | e-Visa | — |
| India | e-Visa | — |
| Indonesia | e-Visa | — |
| Iran | e-Visa | — |
| Iraq | e-Visa | — |
| Israel | Entry not permitted | — |
| Ivory Coast | e-Visa | — |
| Jamaica | e-Visa | — |
| Jordan | e-Visa | — |
| Kenya | e-Visa | — |
| Kiribati | e-Visa | — |
| Laos | e-Visa | — |
| Lebanon | e-Visa | — |
| Lesotho | e-Visa | — |
| Liberia | e-Visa | — |
| Libya | Visa required | — |
| Madagascar | e-Visa | — |
| Malawi | e-Visa | — |
| Mali | e-Visa | — |
| Marshall Islands | e-Visa | — |
| Mauritania | e-Visa | — |
| Mexico | e-Visa | — |
| Micronesia | Visa required | — |
| Moldova | e-Visa | — |
| Mongolia | e-Visa | — |
| Morocco | e-Visa | — |
| Mozambique | e-Visa | — |
| Myanmar | e-Visa | — |
| Namibia | e-Visa | — |
| Nauru | e-Visa | — |
| Nepal | e-Visa | — |
| Nicaragua | e-Visa | — |
| Niger | Visa required | — |
| Nigeria | Visa required | — |
| North Korea | Visa required | — |
| North Macedonia | Visa required | — |
| Pakistan | e-Visa | — |
| Palau | e-Visa | — |
| Palestine | Visa required | — |
| Papua New Guinea | e-Visa | — |
| Paraguay | e-Visa | — |
| Peru | e-Visa | — |
| Philippines | e-Visa | — |
| Republic of the Congo | e-Visa | — |
| Rwanda | e-Visa | — |
| Saint Lucia | e-Visa | — |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | e-Visa | — |
| Samoa | e-Visa | — |
| Sao Tome and Principe | e-Visa | — |
| Senegal | e-Visa | — |
| Serbia | e-Visa | — |
| Sierra Leone | e-Visa | — |
| Solomon Islands | e-Visa | — |
| Somalia | Visa required | — |
| South Sudan | e-Visa | — |
| Sri Lanka | e-Visa | — |
| Sudan | Visa required | — |
| Suriname | e-Visa | — |
| Syria | Visa required | — |
| Taiwan | e-Visa | — |
| Tanzania | e-Visa | — |
| Timor-Leste | Visa required | — |
| Togo | e-Visa | — |
| Tonga | e-Visa | — |
| Trinidad and Tobago | e-Visa | — |
| Tunisia | Visa required | — |
| Turkmenistan | e-Visa | — |
| Tuvalu | e-Visa | — |
| Uganda | e-Visa | — |
| Uruguay | e-Visa | — |
| Vanuatu | e-Visa | — |
| Vatican | Visa required | — |
| Venezuela | e-Visa | — |
| Vietnam | e-Visa | — |
| Yemen | Visa required | — |
| Zambia | e-Visa | — |
| Zimbabwe | e-Visa | — |
Saudi Arabia rules for every passport
Vaccinations, customs limits and penalties are the same for every traveller.
Vaccinations
- Meningitis ACWY (quadrivalent): the Saudi Ministry of Health requires it from anyone travelling for Hajj or for seasonal work in the Hajj areas, and the official travel advice of the UK and of the US CDC also asks it of Umrah pilgrims. A conjugate vaccine counts if given within the last 5 years and a polysaccharide one within the last 3, in both cases at least 10 days before arrival. Those sources do not require it from people entering purely for tourism.
- Yellow fever: an international vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from a country with risk of transmission, and also from anyone who has transited through the airport of one of those countries.
Customs limits
- Cash
- Cash, monetary instruments and jewellery or precious metals worth 60,000 SAR or more, or the equivalent in another currency, must be declared on entering or leaving the country.
- Alcohol
- Prohibited: bringing alcohol into the country is illegal and there is no traveller allowance. Drinking or being drunk in public is illegal, and brewing, possessing or selling alcohol can bring severe penalties, including prison.
- Tobacco
- Up to 200 cigarettes and, per adult traveller, 500 g of shisha tobacco enter free of duty and tax. Between 200 and 2,400 cigarettes, duty and tax are charged on the whole quantity and approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority is needed; above 2,400 it is handled as a commercial import. With shisha tobacco, going over 500 g also means paying on the whole quantity, up to a maximum of 2 kg per person every three months.
Overstay penalties
Staying beyond the validity of a visit visa carries a fine of up to SAR 50,000 and imprisonment of up to six months. Where the person concerned is an expatriate worker, deportation is added on top.
Grounds for refusal
Apply to: Visa on arrival, e-Visa, Visa required
- Not meeting the passport validity required to issue the visa, which the platform sets at 60 days or more.
- Giving personal data that is incomplete, inaccurate or out of date: the platform requires it to be complete, accurate and up to date.
- How refusal works, which is worth knowing: if your application is rejected you are notified and the amount paid is refunded, and you may reapply at any time. In some cases, before deciding, they ask for additional documents by email or a visit to the embassy.
Do you need a different visa for Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam?
No. Saudi Arabia sets the requirements, so entering through Riyadh asks for the same as entering through Jeddah or Dammam. If you're arriving overland or through a small border post, check that separately: some countries apply their own rules to specific crossings.
What does change is where you file the application when a visa is needed, and that depends on the country you live in rather than the city you're travelling to.
What draws travellers to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia opened to leisure tourism in 2019 and is still a young destination, with large distances and domestic flights all but required. AlUla, in the north-west, is the jewel: Hegra, the largest Nabataean city south of Petra and the country's first World Heritage site, set among sandstone formations. Riyadh has Diriyah, the cradle of the Al Saud dynasty and also World Heritage, and the "Edge of the World" on the Tuwaiq escarpment. Jeddah preserves Al-Balad, its historic quarter of coral-stone houses, likewise World Heritage, and gives access to the Red Sea. The country has 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, double the number of a decade ago. A week covers AlUla, Riyadh and Jeddah. The best window is October to March; summer is extreme. Mecca and Medina are open only to Muslims.
Sources for this section: visitsaudi.com (Saudi Tourism Authority); UNESCO World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org, 8 sites in Saudi Arabia); UK FCDO travel advice for Saudi Arabia. Accessed 31 August 2026.
Where can Saudi Arabia passport holders travel visa-free? →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.