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Updated March 2023
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is all set to launch a new visa scheme for GCC residents with the primary objective of boosting the tourism sector’s contribution to the Kingdom to 10 percent of GDP by the year 2030.
Keep reading to know more about this new visa scheme that may affect how GCC residents travel to Saudi Arabia.
New Saudi Arabia visa scheme for GCC residents
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced a new visa scheme for GCC residents with the primary objective of boosting tourism. According to the latest visa rules, GCC residents now have the option to apply for an eVisa through the Visit Saudi online portal, which enables them to visit Saudi for both Umrah and tourism purposes. Regardless of their occupation, citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations can now obtain a Saudi tourist visa.
Hence, visitors flying to Saudi Arabia are no longer required to go through the hassle of visiting an embassy in person to apply for a visa, making the visa application process simple and more straightforward.
Applying for the Saudi Arabia visa scheme for GCC residents
To obtain your Saudi eVisa for GCC residents, please consult the following.
Requirements
To be eligible to apply for the Saudi eVisa, GCC residents must meet the following conditions:
- The GCC resident’s occupation must be among the eligible occupations listed on the online portal.
- The residency document must be valid for three (3) months.
- The passport must be valid for at least six (6) months
- A parent application is mandatory for children under the age of 18.
Application process
To apply for the Saudi eVisa, GCC residents need to follow the steps given below:
- Visit the MOFA website and log in to your account.
- Fill out the required information.
- Upload the required eVisa documents
Once approved, you will receive your Saudi eVisa via email.
Saudi Vision 2030
As stated by the Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, keeping in mind the aim of KSA’s Vision 2030 to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to gross domestic product to 10 percent, the Kingdom has now planned to invest up to $200 billion and welcome around 100 million visitors by 2030.
Furthermore, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism also stated that around 64 million trips were made by residents in the Kingdom in 2021, with the number of visitors from abroad reaching 5 million in the same year. Moreover, the tourist visas introduced by the Kingdom in 2019 continue to exist without any restrictions for those coming for tourism in the Kingdom.
