Riyadh: Saudi Arabian Ministry of Tourism on Sunday announced that citizens of eight new countries will now be eligible for a visitor e-visa, bringing the total number of eligible countries to 57.
The e-visa will be available to applicants from Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, for leisure and business travel.
The statement from the Ministry said that the visa also permits them to perform Umrah, except during the Hajj season.
The visitor e-visa is valid for an entire year, grants multiple entries, and permits a stay of up to 90 days.
The step of expanding more countries into the program comes in line with Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector strategy and the aspirations outlined in Saudi Vision 2030, the ministry said.
After launching the e-visa program in 2019, Saudi Arabia welcomed 93.5 million visits in 2022, a 93-percent increase from 2021, registering a tourism expenditure of 185 billion Saudi Riyals ($49 billion).
In 2022, Saudi Arabia decided to provide a visitor e-visa for holders of valid Schengen, British, and US visas that have been used to enter these countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia and for permanent residents of the European Union, Gulf Arab countries, Britain, and the US.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of the free 96-hour Stopover Visa, allowing passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours.
With inputs from agencies