Saudi Arabia expanded its tourist e-Visa eligibility to nationals of eight additional countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.[1][5] The move was announced by the Ministry of Tourism as part of the kingdom’s wider tourism push.[1][5]
According to the cited reporting, the Visitor e-Visa is a multiple-entry visa, valid for up to 360 days in this version of the policy, with a maximum stay of 90 days per visit.[5] One source also says the visa can be used for tourism, conferences and exhibitions, family visits, and Umrah, with Umrah not valid during Hajj season.[5]
The expansion adds to earlier rounds of eligibility growth, and later reporting shows Saudi Arabia continued widening access to its e-visa pool beyond those eight countries.[2][3][11] For travellers, the practical point is that eligibility now depends on nationality and on the specific rules attached to the e-Visa at the time of application.[2][5][16]
Travellers should check the official Saudi eVisa portal before planning a trip, because the eligible-country list and visa conditions have changed repeatedly.[16] The official site states that international visitors from 66 eligible countries can apply online, which is higher than the totals reported in some earlier articles.[9][16]