Saudi Arabia sets new rules for travellers entering kingdom

Everyone arriving in the country must present negative Covid-19 PCR test results regardless of vaccination status

A volunteer guides people arriving for their Covid-19 vaccine at Prince Sultan Complex Health Centre in Riyadh. Saudi citizens are required to take the booster shot to travel outside the country. ReutShow more

People travelling to Saudi Arabia will soon have to present a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure, the kingdom announced, as it sets new rules to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Fully vaccinated citizens who test negative will be allowed to enter the kingdom seven days after a positive PCR test without needing to test again.

Citizens who are not fully vaccinated – or those who obtained vaccines not approved by the kingdom – and have tested positive, will be allowed to enter the kingdom 10 days after the date of their positive PCR test.

The kingdom has approved vaccines made by Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech.

The new rules come into place on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia announced the new requirements to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

This follows an announcement by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah that stated all pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia must bring proof of a negative PCR test result no older than 48 hours before departure, regardless of vaccine status.

Saudi citizens are required to take the booster shot to travel outside the country, which can be obtained three months after receiving the second dose of a vaccine.

Those under the age of 16 are exempt from the rules.