RIYADH: The Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia has announced that online visas will be allowed for foreigners with residence records in GCC countries such as Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman to visit Saudi Arabia.
Visa should be applied for online at visitsaudi.com/visa. Eligible professions for visa are listed in the online application form.
Holders of eligible professions on resident card must submit the information and documents required by the visa authority online.
Applicants’ passport should be valid for at least six months and residency document should be valid for at least three months.
Once the application is submitted, the visa will be issued by e-mail after verification by the Ministry.
Until now, expatriates from GCC countries used Business Visit Visa to visit Saudi Arabia. There are many hurdles to get a business visa.
An invitation letter certified by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce must be sent in the name of the organization of the person wishing to visit the organization operating in Saudi Arabia or the organization where the applicant is employed. Then you have to submit your passport to the Saudi consulate in the respective country to get a visa.
But with the introduction of the new online visa system, one can easily get a visa at home. The change in the visa law will result in a large flow of visitors to the country. The tourism department and the entertainment sector will be the beneficiaries of the new change.