Saudi Arabia: Relaxed Visa Policies Introduced

The government of Saudi Arabia amended its visa policy by extending the maximum allowable duration of stay under all categories of a single-entry visit visa to three months. Previously, some single-entry visit visas were issued for a maximum stay of one month. Although the official immigration portals have been updated to reflect these changes, certain nationalities are currently only able to apply for a single-entry visit visa with a duration of 30 days, while others can opt for visas with a permissible duration of stay of 14, 30, or 90 days. It is not clear when this policy will be unified for all categories of applicants.  In addition, the government is also now issuing long-term visit visas for transit (for up to 96 hours) free of charge; previously, the cost was SAR 300.