Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Umrah
and hajj visas are free, but are valid only for travel to Jeddah, Mecca, Medina
and the connecting roads.
There has been a recent crackdown on hajj and
umrah
visa holders illegally staying on
to work in the Kingdom and security roadblocks for checking visa permits are common
throughout the Hejaz region.
Residence (Work) Visas
Residence (work) visas are arranged via a Saudi employer who is also an individual's visa
sponsor. There are annual job category quotas in place for residence (work) visas and indi-
viduals are regularly assigned a different visa category from the job actually being per-
formed. For example, a nurse may receive an engineer's visa, or vice versa, as the various
annual job quotas are filled. The restrictions on length of stay, multiple entries in and out
of Saudi Arabia will often vary and the restrictions particular to each visa must be care-
fully confirmed before arrival in the Kingdom.
Visa categories can and do provide a major source of headaches for expat workers to
Saudi Arabia, especially in relation to the nature of the stay offered to accompanying fam-
ily members. The visa restrictions and length of stay in Saudi Arabia granted to each fam-
ily member will often differ depending on gender and age. These details should not be as-
sumed to be the same for younger children, teenagers or spouses and should be carefully
checked before arrival in the Kingdom.
Note that residence visas are usually issued using a lunar calendar and this often leads
to additional confusion. Visa exit dates should be double checked and reconfirmed on ar-
rival in Saudi Arabia.
Tourist Visas
At the time of writing there are no tourist visas being issued. A brief period in which tour-
ist visas were issued by authorised Saudi travel agents to groups of at least four individu-
als ended in 2010. Although there is always talk of a new visa regime on the horizon,
there appears little likelihood of the scheme being reinstated during the lifespan of this
book. If the scheme does return, expect the requirement that all itineraries must be ap-
proved, and visas issued by an authorised Saudi travel agency.
Transit Visas
Transit visas are required for those passing through the Kingdom for periods longer than
18 hours. In practice, these visas rarely apply for Western visitors - you're expected to
show why your travel arrangements prevented you from passing through the Kingdom
more rapidly, something which may be difficult given current airline schedulings. Transit
visas are issued free of charge.
