Covid19: Saudi Arabia to lift travel ban for vaccinated citizens on May 17

The Saudi Interior Ministry stated on Sunday that the temporary travel ban on international flights in the Kingdom would be lifted on May 17, as directed earlier. The Kingdom's air, land, sea borders are all scheduled to open from 1 AM on Monday (May 17), the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The travel restrictions were extended in January from March 31 to May 17 due to global delays in delivering Covid-19 vaccines, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health (MoH). With the suspension of the travel ban, Saudi citizens will be permitted to travel outside the country. However, the Ministry of Interior has also laid down some criteria for citizens to travel, as per the MoH's instructions.

• Travellers must have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine or should have completed 14 days after the first jab and will be confirmed via updates in the Covid-19 application Tawakkalna.
• Those who have recovered from the infection six months before travel.
• Citizens under 18 years of age, given that they present valid health insurance approved by the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia, covering the risks of Covid 19 while outside the Kingdom.

All citizens above the age of eight must home quarantine for seven days and then take a PCR test upon entry into the Kingdom. The ministry also called on travellers to adhere to restrictive measures imposed by countries to which they are travelling to, and to avoid travel to covid hotspot countries.

However, the Interior Ministry is yet to announce travel standards for expatriates in the country or whether travel permits will be issued to those in 20 countries, including India, currently under the travel ban.