Visas are required for nationals of all non-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. (GCC countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.)
We strongly recommend a business visa for those making regular visits or engaging in any on-ground work, while visitor visas are suitable for those only making occasional, short-term trips to the country.
Business visas
Application requirements differ depending on location and the only way to get one of these is by applying to the nearest consulate to your residence address, regardless of your nationality.
There are, however, a number of general business visa requirements:
- A completed visa application form.
- A passport valid for a minimum of six months, with at least two blank visa pages and free of Israeli stamps.
- A 2x2-inch passport photograph taken within the last three months that provides a full-frontal view of your head, with your face in the middle with a neutral expression, against an all-white background. You may not wear eyeglasses or headwear except for religious purposes.
- An invitation letter, known as a letter of intent, must be addressed to the Saudi embassy/consulate in the country of application. Invitation letters are issued at the request of the inviting entity. They are in Arabic and on a template provided by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- A Saudi company registration certificate AND an endorsing company registration certificate from the business inviting you or sponsoring your trip.
- A business cover letter, or non-objection certificate, which is an official letter from a non-Saudi endorsing company saying they have no objections to you working in the Kingdom. A template version of this document can be found in Hyphen Templates.
It is crucial that your job title in the business cover letter and the invitation letter match.
Hyphen uses specialist agencies to assist with arranging business visas and we always recommend requesting a one-year, multiple-entry visa, though the final decision on what type of visa one receives is at the discretion of the consul.
Once the visa application is complete, it will likely take between 3 and 10 days for your documentation to be ready.
Visitor visas
These typically allow multiple trips, are valid for one year and cannot be extended. Visitors can spend up to 30 days during each single trip and up to 90 days in total over a 365-day period. Visa approval is entirely at the discretion of the authorities.
There are three ways of getting a visitor visa:
- Online (eVisa) — If you are a GCC resident or a citizen of any 'eligible country', you can apply for an eVisa via the Visit Saudi website without the need for any consulate visits. We strongly recommend you try to obtain your visa via this method if possible.
- On arrival — US, UK and Schengen visa holders and citizens of 'eligible countries' can apply for a visa when they land in Saudi Arabia. If using a visa from another country, it must have already been used and have the entry stamp of the issuing country.
- Via a consulate — This is the most admin-heavy procedure and one we strongly advise against pursuing. If you cannot obtain an eVisa and cannot take the risk of requesting a visa on arrival, we recommend that you apply for a one-year multiple-entry business visa instead.
