Saudi offers transit visa service for passengers

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign ministry launched on Monday an electronic service that will allow passengers stopping over in the Kingdom to obtain an entry visa.

The transit visa for stopovers allows entry to Saudi Arabia for people in transit who wish to perform Umrah, visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and tour the Kingdom.

The stopover visa will allow passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours, enabling more visitors than ever to explore Saudi’s incomparable historical, cultural, and spiritual sites.

The new service will be effective as of Monday, and passengers can apply for a transit visa through the electronic platforms of Saudia Airlines and Flynas.

The application will be automatically passed on to the unified national visa platform at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to process. A digital visa will be issued instantly and sent back to the beneficiary via e-mail.

The ministry said the e-Transit visa for stopovers will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by bolstering its position and benefiting from its distinguished strategic location as a link between continents as well as reaching 100 million visits annually.

The visa is free of charge, will be immediately issued with the traveler’s ticket, entitles the holder to a four-day stay in the Kingdom, and has three-month validity.

To help visitors make the most of their stopover, custom 24, 48, 72 and 96-hour itineraries have been developed to inspire visitors to stroll through Jeddah’s Al-Balad, or visit the Al-Turaif district in Diriyah, one of Saudi’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.