Saudi Arabia Visa Types Explained: eVisa, Umrah, Stopover

Saudi Arabia visa types explained: if you plan a trip, the first question is which visa you need and where to apply. This guide gives a plain overview of the main visitor visas and points you to the official portals, which are the only place to confirm eligibility, fees and conditions for your passport.

ZiyaraGo is an independent information service. It is not a visa agent, an embassy or a government body and it cannot apply for a visa for you. We checked the official sources on 16 October 2026. Rules, fees and eligibility change, so always confirm them on the official portal for your nationality.

Start with the official portals only

For a tourist visa, the official channels are the official Saudi eVisa portal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises checking that a website address ends in gov.sa and uses HTTPS, because fake sites copy the look of the official ones.

Do not pay anyone who promises a guaranteed visa, and do not send your passport scans through chat apps to people who contacted you first. If a site asks for much more than the official portal does, stop and check the address.

Tourist eVisa

According to the terms and the information on the official Saudi eVisa portal, the tourist eVisa is valid for one year, allows multiple entries and allows a stay of up to three months (90 days) per visit. The portal describes a list of eligible countries, and the number of countries differs between official pages (68 on the portal and 49 on another tourism page), so use the official eligibility tool for your passport instead of relying on a list in an article.

The fee published for the tourist visa also differs between sources, and the fee includes mandatory health insurance, so check the exact price on the portal at the time you apply. Enter your name and dates exactly as they appear in your passport and on your tickets.

Passport validity and basic documents

The eVisa terms say that your passport must have at least six months of validity remaining from the date you enter the country. Check this before you book flights, and renew an expiring passport first.

Photo, health and other document rules, and processing times, depend on the visa and the nationality. Check the portal for your application.

Umrah visa

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah states that the Umrah visa allows the holder to travel between Makkah, Madinah and all cities in the Kingdom during the permitted stay. It lists an estimated fee of 300 Saudi riyals and a stay of up to 90 days, with entry within three months of issuance.

The ministry says the visa is obtained through approved platforms such as Nusuk, and that agents cannot issue it without service packages that include accommodation and transport. We cover only the visa and the booking steps here and give no guidance on how to perform the pilgrimage.

On 20 July 2026 the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced a multiple-entry Umrah visa that is valid for 365 days from the date of issue and allows several entries with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days across all visits. Each visit needs a service package and a permit through Nusuk, and the visa cannot be activated from the first of Dhu al-Qi’dah to the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah. Count your days by your visit dates, and use the visa days calculator to see how many days you have left.

Stopover visa

A Visit Saudi page describes a stopover visa of up to 96 hours for travellers in transit. Conditions such as the airline and any fee vary, so check the official page and your airline before you plan a stopover.

Hajj visa

The Hajj visa is not a tourist visa. The eVisa portal says its visa covers Umrah except Hajj, and the official channel for Hajj is the ministry’s Hajj platform. Use only that channel and your country’s official Hajj authority.

Visa on arrival, business and other visas

Rules for visa on arrival, business visits, family visits and for residents of other Gulf countries vary and change. Check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal for the category you need.

Common mistakes to avoid

Applying on an unofficial site, paying a fee that is higher than the portal’s, entering a name that differs from the passport, booking non-refundable flights before the visa is approved and travelling with a passport that has less than six months left are mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Keep a copy of the approved visa on your phone and on paper, and keep the booking details with you at the airport.

Overstaying is treated seriously: the Ministry of Interior announced in April 2026 that visitors who overstay face a fine of up to SAR 50,000, up to six months in prison and deportation. Note your last day of stay when you enter the country and set a reminder before it.

How we chose

We built this overview from the Umrah visa FAQ of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, from excerpts of the terms of the official eVisa portal and from Visit Saudi and Ministry of Foreign Affairs advice, checked on 16 October 2026, and rewrote it in our own words. Fees, processing times and nationality lists change, so confirm them on the portal. This is not legal or immigration advice.

Tips

• Apply only on official portals ending in gov.sa and check eligibility for your passport there.
• Check that your passport has at least six months of validity left from the entry date.
• Enter your name and dates exactly as in the passport.
• Do not pay agents who promise a guaranteed visa.
• Wait for the approved visa before you buy non-refundable tickets.

Questions and answers