The Complete Guide to the Saudi Tourist Visa 2024 – Updated

This article on the complete guide to the Saudi tourist visa for 2024 is one of the most popular and has been updated with all the latest information for 2024 travel, including an FAQ section at the end. 

It is a long article, but this post can help you plan your Umrah and direct you to the best possible visa, whether tourist or waiver visa, for you and your family when going for Umrah.  

Which visa is the best for you if going for Umrah? 

If you are planning on going to Umrah and considering which visa ( since Saudi Arabia now has several visas) is best for you, here are a few things to consider. I have been writing about Umrah for 10 years and have helped over a million Muslims, and here is what I always suggest. 

How many times do you plan to go for an Umrah in a year?

If you are going to Umrah only once per year and you are a UK passport holder, then the Electronic Visa Waiver is the cheapest option for you. 

Do you hold a passport from the approved country for a tourist visa? 

The tourist visa for Saudi is the best option for you, so keep reading. 

If not, do you hold a USA, Schengen or UK business and tourist visa or are you a resident so you can apply for a Saudi tourist visa?

You can issue a tourist visa for Saudi Arabia, which means keep reading below for all the details. 

If you do not hold a passport or a visa from the approved countries 

If you don’t hold a passport or a visa from the list and countries that are approved for a tourist visa, then you need to issue an Umrah visa via an agent. 

Table of content for this post:

• What is the updated Saudi Evisa procedure?
• Step-by-step issuing of tourist visa
• Credit card problems with issuing a tourist visa
• Tips to help with your Umrah and coming to Saudi
• Nusuk App on tourist visa what to know
• Umrah during Hajj season on a tourist visa
• Tourist visa and meningitis vaccine
• Various types of visas you can do Umrah with
• Children in Makkah and Medinah
• Nusuk & Rawdah for Children
• Zamzam Water on a tourist visa
• Umrah Packages examples

What is the updated Saudi Evisa procedure?

The Saudi tourist Evisa is the most popular visa option for those looking for tourism but also for Umrah. You have the option to visit Saudi multiple times in the year and stay up to 90 days. With this tourist visa for Saudi Arabia, you can also explore other parts of the country, which are also beautiful. 

Saudi Arabia announced a few years ago their Vision 2030 which basically means to expand its tourism sector to 30 million by 2030 not only for Umrah but in general.

For Muslims, this also means exploring a country that for so long we visited but have not really explored as with the Umrah visa we could only go to Jeddah, Makkah and Medinah.

Tourism chief Ahmed al-Khateeb told Reuters in an interview in the run-up to the official announcement that abayas will not be mandatory for female tourists. Still, modest dress is, including at public beaches.

If you are planning an Umrah and want to save money on your trip then make sure to check out my book with gives you tips on how to save thousands on your Umrah.

Especially during Ramadan and peak travel seasons like school holidays and December

The tourist visa can be applied by 50 countries through the website of Visit Saudi which have been updated over the past few years and makes it very easy to apply for the visa. It takes around 30minutes if you have all the documents set up for you and your family.

The official Saudi Tourism website is here

The Tourist visa is valid for one year and you can spend up to 90 days. It is a Multi-entry visa which means you can go as many times as you want with a maximum stay combined of 90 days.

This is a total game-changer, and here is why:

• You can visit not only the three cities but also any city in Saudi
• You can issue it on your own via their site (link below)
• You pay only £120
• You can do Umrah as well
• If you are a single woman you can go alone!

The most amazing and stunning change they did is that single women who before could not do Umrah on their own now can apply for a tourist visa and actually go! Check the site here on the FAQ.

You can perform Umrah on a tourist visa according to their FAQ and by the looks of it, you don’t need specific accommodation or transport. After all, you are a tourist and not specific to Umrah.

Although the visa asks for this you can just put the intended hotel you plan on staying.

Please note that you cannot perform Hajj!!

Visa for those not on the list but holding Residency and Visas

If your country is not on the list that can apply, there is the option which with their handy guide gives you all the visa types you can have.

I really like this tool because over the years they have updated its functionality making it easy for people to navigate.

Here is an example of those who have a third-country visa but don’t hold eligibility on their own( UK, US, Schengen)

Information

• eVisa Price: SAR 300 (about USD 80).
• Application Fee: SAR 39.44 (about USD 10.50).
• Medical Insurance Fees: not included (price determined based on the provider).
• Entry:Multiple Entry or single entry depending on Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Validity:The multiple-entry visa is valid for a year from its issue date and allows for stays of up to 90 days.

Requirements

U.S., U.K. or Schengen Visa Holders can qualify for eVisa if the below conditions are met:

• Your visa must be a business or tourist visa.
• Your visa must have been used at least once and have an entry stamp from the issuing country (Digital entry stamp are not accepted).
• Your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Saudi.

Residents from the U.K, U.S. and EU can apply for eVisa if the below conditions are met:

• You must hold a permanent residence permit from a country located in the U.K., U.S. or EU.
• Your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Saudi.

Here are the details.

Step by step issuing a tourist visa for Saudi Arabia

In order to make sure the process works, I actually issued my own visa! Yep, without mahram, without anything!

The process is pretty straightforward and takes around 30 minutes to complete and you can group your family together and pay for all of you together.

Make sure your photo matches the dimensions and the size as many people take a photo and upload it from their phone and don’t realise it is larger than the upload you can have on the website.

Step1: Personal Details

First, you need to register on the portal and confirm your phone and email.

 

Step2: Personal & Passport Details

Once logged on, you can start your passport application.

Each step gives you 10 minutes to complete, which is more than enough.

You can do a group or an individual application. I did the individual as I wanted to see if as a woman I can issue it on my own.

You enter your details such as passport, address etc.

Note: the photo needs to be on a non-busy background Just take a photo with your phone and then resize it to fit. You can adjust it as well on the application.

You will also need to provide where you will be staying. I think as with all visas you only provide your first hotel if you are planning to visit many cities.

Step 3: Medical insurance

This was an interesting process as I didn’t know if I had to book it myself. However, and congrats to them, they have integrated it.

You choose an insurance provider from the list and then they add the fee on top for the tourist visa. You cannot escape this step you have to pay for the medical insurance for your Saudi tourist visa to actually get issued.

You then have the option to download the certificate. I also suggest you issue an extra one from your country just in case, I always travel with health and travel insurance abroad since I have been hospitalised. I am not sure what these insurances with the tourist visa cover but I want to be on the safe side.

You just pay for the travel insurance.

Step 4: Terms and Conditions

The terms are simple. Not to break the law, drugs and alcohol and others. If you are a genuine tourist you wouldn’t have an issue with compliance.

Step 5: Review Your Application

A simple review of your application. Before you proceed.

Step 6: Pay the fees

The total fees for the visa were 535 SAR which is about £118. I believe the fee has increased slightly now.

Once you have completed the steps, you will see that your application is under review and wait.

My Saudi Tourist Visa visa was issued less than 5 minutes later.

I was not sure how long I had to wait, however, it wasn’t long. Under the FAQ it says from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

Credit card issue with the Saudi tourist visa portal

When applying for my husband and daughter, the visa was processed but later I saw I was charged double. I know some other people had this issue.

I didn’t raise it at the time as my credit card said they could cancel the charge but this also might cancel my visa. I decided to wait to go to Umrah and then cancel.

However 3 weeks later a refund was issued directly by Tourism for Saudi, so I assume they did an audit and found they had charged people.

I also know some people have problems with paying with credit cards, so what I suggest is to try a different browser and also a credit card. Wait a little and then try again. I initially had to try around 4 times to make it work.

Mothers can apply for their children and travel with them alone ( if this is what they want) They can apply and add a relationship “mother/guardian”. Since women are allowed to go on tourist visas, this is not a problem.

Suggestions when coming to Saudi for Umrah

I know many of you are planning trips to Saudi using tourist visas, so here are some of my suggestions. 

Start your trip with Medinah. This way, you will have the option to set up your SIM card and relax in the mosque since it doesn’t require permission for prayers. 

Also, you will be able to relax and not travel, be in Ihram and deal with the applications you will need. The Haramain train is easy to connect you and fast. We used the train from Medinah, and I have updated the article with photos and new pricing

Since you are also in Saudi on tourism, I would recommend you explore another city in Saudia. Jeddah is the perfect gateway for a few days, and many people don’t visit it enough when here for Umrah. 

Nusuk App for Umrah on Tourist Visa

For those going to Umrah on a tourist visa ( or any other type), you will need to download the Nusuk App via the online store. The app is what great in general and now you even book Hajj through it.

Nusuk is not really required for Umrah bookings although it is encouraged so they can monitor how busy it gets in the Haram. It works like a traffic system and when they were limiting numbers it was required to have a booking and they would check each one.

Now with the crowds back to normal, it is very hard, so they don’t for Umrah.

However, they do check and require this for Rawdah bookings. You cannot visit the Rawdah in Medinah without having a Nusuk slot booked. I have an updated YouTube video with all the latest on this and many more for Umrah 2024 here.

They are very strict on this, and I like it because I had a horrible Rawdah experience my first-time years ago and almost got stampeded.

Tip: Rawdah slots are very limited, they open four weeks in advance. I highly recommend once you get to the four weeks before your trip start looking for your Rawdah slot on the days you are visiting Medinah.

Keep checking several times a day morning and evening as they add slots and people cancel.

Umrah during Hajj Season on Tourist Visa

I have a full article on whether you can do Umrah after Ramadan and during Hajj for more details check it out. However, to keep things simple, Umrah is allowed on tourist and waiver visa and transit visas but not during the Hajj season.

As a standard, I suggest stopping booking yourself Umrah 6 weeks before Arafat day and then 4 weeks after. Just to be on the safe side.

In 2023, they did shorten the period, but due to the value of people reading this post, I like to be cautious. Updated dates can be found on the link above.

You can check out my DIY Umrah book: Plan Your Umrah like a Pro & Save Big

Non-Muslims visiting Makkah and Medinah on Tourist visa

Non-Muslim tourists are allowed to visit Saudi Arabia anywhere except Makkah and Medinah.

With regards to how much you can spend in Saudi on a tourist visa, the below is mentioned under their FAQ:

• The multiple-entry tourist visa is valid for one year from the date of issuance, and the permissible period of stay is 90 days.
• The single-entry tourist visa is valid for three months from the date of issuance, and the permissible period of stay is 30 days.

Tourist visa and Meningitis Vaccine for Umrah

One of the very common questions I receive is always about the meningitis vaccine which was always required for an Umrah visa, and people are confused.

For the last 3 years since they started the tourist visa for Saudi Arabia and consequently, for Umrah, you do not need the meningitis vaccine even if you are going for Umrah. This includes all other types of visas such as transit, waiver and tourist to Saudi.
This is a question I asked and got the reply, it is from a few years ago, but this stands today for Umrah in 2024 with a tourist visa.

Also if you want up-to-date changes please sign up for my mailing list and follow me on social media where I post the most updates straight away. 

You also don’t need to wear masks, but I would 100% recommend you keep your mask on during Umrah, especially at busy times. 

It is very busy now and gets crowded and there are diseases. Several times I have gotten sick after Umrah, so as an extra precaution I actually still wear a mask.

Umrah with the New Transit Visa 2023

A game changer and a much cheaper option for those wanting a quick Umrah in under 4 days is to use the new free transit visa by Saudi. You do need a ticket with Saudia or Flynas, but other than that, you can save yourself some money, especially if you don’t want to stay too long.

This is aimed as a stopover and also a great choice for those going on a holiday to let’s say Dubai.

Read the full article here

Umrah Visa VS Tourist Visa

Umrah visas are more expensive and with more restrictions than tourist visas or any other type. Saudi wants tourists from affluent countries who won’t overstay and are there to spend money. Sorry if this is too blunt but it is the reality.

Sadly even from the eligible list, you can see that people in large pooper countries are excluded.

The tourist visa costs £93, and the Umrah visa costs £230, you need to issue it with an agent and book accommodation and transport, whereas with the tourist visa, this is not required. You can book them independently.

Umrah with the New Visa Waiver for UK citizens

You can now issue a visa for up to 6 months’ stay in Saudi Arabia with the EVW, which offers once single entry at a cost of £40. You can perform Umrah, tourism, business and study in the Kingdom.

For those who come to the country with the purpose of Umrah in the year, you will be able to save money on visa costs.
You can read the full article here.

Are children allowed in Masjid Al Haram when for Umrah?

Children are allowed to enter the mosque and perform Umrah with their parents. There is no age restriction on this, and my daughter came with me during Ramadan (she is 4 and performed Umrah). 

If you have a baby and you need a pram, then you can take a pram in Haram and use the ramps on either side of the mosque to enter the first-floor mataf area and perform your tawaf there with your child. The same applies to Sai.

Are children allowed in Masjid Al Nabawi in Medinah?

Children with prams are allowed in the courtyard of Masjid Al Nabawi but not in the mosque in 2024. If your child is old enough and doesn’t need a pram then they can go in the mosque.

If they are young you can pray with them in the courtyard without a problem.

Rawdah Booking with Nusuk for Kids

A popular question is if children need their own booking for Rawdah. The simple answer is depends on their age, if they are very young they go with their parents without a problem. However, teenagers and older-looking kids might be required to have their own permission.

I say might because it depends on the guard and what their mood is. I have many stories from people where some were allowed and others not. This is mostly however for older children and not younger ones. For example, a 15-year-old going with their mother rather than a 7year old which is ok.

Brinigng Zam Zam water on Tourist visa

For several years there was a debate about bringing Zamzam on a tourist visa from Saudi Arabia.

You can now bring Zamzam with a tourist visa and all other types of visas without a problem. Since the last quarter of 2023, people have reported to me that they have managed to bring for each person a box.

Here is something to remember. Those on direct flights and tickets with one airline even with a connection won’t have any issue bringing ZamZam with them from Umrah.

However, if you are travelling with budget airlines for Umrah like WizzAir you might have a problem if your connecting staff don’t allow you to check it in. You will also have to pay for this as luggage allowance for example from Italy to the UK.

Just something to keep in mind. I usually put a 500ml bottle in my checked bag when I don’t want the full box. Just something to consider.

I have also flown with Flynas which is the budget airline of Saudi Arabia, and they did allow everyone a bottle to France. However again it is your connection onwards that might be an issue.

I hope this article is beneficial check out some of our other popular posts like the DIY Umrah Package examples I put for you each month.

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