GCC residents can now apply online for Saudi tourist visa

Residents in the region can also apply for Umrah visas electronically

Tourists visit the ancient archaeological site of Hegra in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Bloomberg

Saudi Arabia's tourist visa application process has been simplified for Gulf Co-operation Council residents, the country’s tourism minister said on Thursday.

“Saudi Arabia’s visa application is now simpler, more convenient and straightforward for residents of GCC states, regardless of their profession”, Ahmed Al Khateeb said on Twitter.

The visa is available to apply online through the government’s Visit Saudi platform, and the simplified process “will allow individuals to explore the various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah rituals”.

The Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al Rabiah said that all residents of GCC countries can apply for Umrah visas electronically.

He said all expatriates living in the GCC and their first-degree relatives with a Gulf residency permit valid for three months and a passport valid for six months can visit Makkah and Madinah to perform Umrah, and visit the Prophet’s Mosque.

GCC residents can apply for online visit visas to perform Umrah through the Saudi Rouh platform, for a fee of 300 Saudi riyals plus a medical insurance fee.

They can have single and multiple entry visas to perform Umrah rituals, pray in the Rawdah Sharif at the Prophet’s Mosque and visit all the kingdom's cities and historical sites.

The official Saudi Press Agency said the move “comes within the Ministry of Tourism's efforts to provide an opportunity for residents in the GCC states to visit tourist destinations, participate in tourism and entertainment events, and explore the heritage and historical sites of the kingdom.”

The fee for the visa is $80 and the travel document will be emailed to the applicant upon approval.

Anyone wishing to apply must have a GCC residency permit valid for at least three months and a passport valid for at least six months.

Saudi Arabia has been undertaking an ambitious drive to increase tourism revenue in recent years as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.

Major tourism projects include AlUla heritage village — a specially developed experience around the ancient Silk Road city — and a sustainable tourism project on the Red Sea that will include a host of seaside luxury hotels across an archipelago of 90 islands.