Saudi Visa For UK Nationals

All UK citizens need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia. The type of visa you need to apply will depend on the purpose of your travel and number of entries.

You can apply for a Saudi Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) which is a single entry visa or a multiple entry Saudi Arabia tourist e-visa. For those travelling for business meetings or conferences  must apply for the electronic visa waiver. 

Saudi Visas Overview

Saudi Visa Types

Saudi embassy in London has categorised their visas into different types as per the requirements and reason for travel. Applicants must apply under the correct category of visa to avoid penalties and rejection.

Saudi eVisa for UK citizens

Saudi Arabia is now issuing electronic visas, known as evisa to UK citizens for tourism.

The visa is a multiple entry visa that allows citizens of UK to visit KSA for short stays. You can use the Saudi e visa for tourism or for performing umrah.

Once granted, the evisa is normally valid for multiple entries for one year. You can stay in KSA for upto 3 months in any one visit.

How to apply for Saudi e-visa?

To apply for the evisa, you need to make the application online on the Saudi evisa official website. Here you are required to complete an online form, upload a copy of your passport and pay the fees.

The passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of your travel.

The confirmation or approval of the visa will be received by email as an attachment. You are required to print a copy of this evisa and keep it with you at the time of your travel.

What is the cost of Saudi evisa?

The e visa for Saudi Arabia from UK costs £101 per application. This can be paid at the time of application using a credit or debit card.

What are the visa conditions?

You can only enter KSA on the same passport used to apply for the visa. If you renew your passport then you must apply for a new visa with your new passport details.

The evisa is valid for entry from any airport or seaport.

On arrival, the immigration at KSA will collect your fingerprints. The visa is strictly granted for tourism and any business or work is not permitted.

Saudi Arabia business visa UK

Saudi Arabia issues business visas to UK nationals who wish to visit the country exclusively for business purposes. As per the requirements, foreign nationals can opt for single entry or Saudi multiple-entry business visa. The validity of these visas ranges from three months to five years.
Apart from the three-month valid business visas, all other business visas offer multiple entry privileges for foreign travelers.
Please find below the necessary documents required to obtain a Saudi visa for business.

• All foreign nationals should submit a medical insurance policy cover from an approved provider to visit Saudi Arabia. Visa Genie will help you to obtain the medical insurance policy on your behalf.

• The traveler should submit the passport which has at least six months validity. The passport should also have two blank pages, and it should be machine-readable.

• A photograph taken within the last three months must be submitted. The photograph’s size should be 35mm x 45mm, and it should have a white background.

• A business introduction letter from the applicant’s UK employer should be submitted to obtain a Saudi Arabian business visa. It should be noted that the business introduction letter should be dated within one month of the application submission.

• It is necessary to submit a letter of invitation issued by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This letter should carry the name of the UK company, and it should match with the business introduction letterhead. This letter of invitation should be issued within six weeks before the visa application date.

• The UK national should carefully fill and sign the e-number application form. The applicant is supposed to take the printed copies of this form in A4 sized pages with nothing in the reverse.

• A formal undertaking form stamped and certified by the British Chamber of Commerce should also be submitted, including the signed declaration form.

• The visa application form should be submitted correctly without any errors. There are various things to consider while submitting this form, and you can visit our Saudi Arabia business visa page for more details.

Note: If you need to work in Saudi Arabia for a short period of time, you should apply for a work visit visa.

Validity of Saudi Arabian business visas

For single entry Saudi Arabia business visas, the maximum validity will be three months, and the maximum stay of duration will be thirty days.
Multiple entry visas valid for six months offer a maximum stay of 90 days. Multiple entry visas valid for one year, two years, and five years offer a maximum stay duration of 180 days.

Saudi Visa Fees UK

The visa fees for a business visa will depend on your Nationality and the number of entries. For UK nationals, the single entry visas are £130 and Multiple entry visas fees is £460.

For non UK nationals, fees starts from £80 and upto £540 depending on your nationality.

How to apply for a business visa for Saudi Arabia from UK?

Below are the typical steps one has to take to apply for a business visa to Saudi Arabia.

You can read our detailed step by step guide here on How to apply for a business visa for Saudi Arabia from UK?

Step 1 – Get an official invitation letter from Saudi Arabia. Your inviting company in Saudi Arabia need to register their invitation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will in turn issue a formal invitation with a unique number. This document is in Arabic and you will need a copy of this for your application.

Step 2 – Once you have the official invitation, you will then need to organise a letter of support from your employer in the UK. The letter must mention the invite number and your designation.

Step 3 – You will then need to get the UK letter from Arab Chamber of Commerce in London.

Step 4 – Once the letter is attested, you will then need to complete the visa forms and submit the application to the Saudi embassy in London.

Saudi Business visa Processing Time

The Saudi London embassy normally take 2-3 days to process the visa after submission.

However, you must be mindful of the fact that gathering and preparation of documents can take longer.

The invitation usually take 3 days, followed by Arab chamber of commerce attestation, which will take another 2 days.

Overall, from start to finish, you are looking at 8-10 days processing time. You must plan your trip accordingly. Alternatively, you can use our service for urgent visa processing.

Saudi Arabia family visit visa and personal visit visas

Saudi Family visas allow citizens and expatriates living in Saudi Arabia to bring their relatives to the country. It should be noted that these are not permanent residential visas, and the visitor should leave the country before the expiry of the visa validity.
Please find below the necessary documents to obtain a Saudi Arabian family visit visas and personal visit visas.

• Initially, the UK citizen should complete a registration procedure. In order to complete this registration procedure, the Saudi Arabian embassy charges £9.00.
• The applicant should submit the medical certificate.
• The passport submitted by the applicant should have at least six months validity along with two blank pages.
• It is necessary for the foreign applicant to provide his or her proof of relationship with the Saudi Arabian citizen or expatriate.
• The applicant should submit a recently taken colour photograph. Please note that the photograph you a submit must be taken on a white background, and it should provide the full-frontal view of your head. You are also not supposed to wear a headcover unless it is for religious purposes.
• The declaration form and e-number application form should be submitted.
• The visa application form should be completed without any errors. There are several cases where UK citizens were denied visas for Saudi Arabia due to errors in the visa application form. So, always make sure that you are completing this form with the utmost care and attention. In case of any queries, you can contact Visa Genie and we will be glad to assist you.

Special Note: Family visit visas offer single entry privilege to travelers, and it offers two months of validity.

Saudi Arabia work visas

Saudi Arabia work visas allow foreign nationals to get employment in the country. Without a work visa, no foreign nationals are supposed to get an employment in the country, and if anybody violates the rule, they will face strict legal actions.
Please find below the necessary documents to obtain a Saudi Arabia work visa.

• The UK citizen should submit his or her passport, photograph, and medical certificate. Please note that the passport should have two blank pages, and six months of validity.
• The applicant should also make sure that the medical certificate is signed by a registered doctor in the UK. The medical certificate should be also legalized by the by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
• The applicant should submit his or her employment contract. Please note that this employment contract should be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce.
• The foreign national should submit all his educational documents, and it should be in the field of job applied for. Before submitting these educational documents, please make sure that all of them are attested by the Saudi Cultural Bureau, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Saudi Arabian Embassy.
• The applicant should also submit their curriculum vitae.
• While applying for a Saudi Arabian work visa, the foreign national should submit a standard criminal record certificate.
• It is also necessary to submit a letter from the power of attorney residing in the destination country.
• A letter of introduction from the former employer if the applicant has previously worked in Saudi Arabia.
• The applicant should properly fill out the visa application form without any errors. While filling this application form, always use capital letters, and write with a black ink pen.

Special note: All UK citizens can enter Saudi Arabia only via air, and they are not permitted to visit the country through the King Fahd Causeway.

Saudi Arabia Escort visas

Saudi Arabia escort visas will be issued to applicants and holders of business and commercial visas who wish to apply for their spouses and children, who need to travel with them to Saudi Arabia for a brief time. Using this visa, the foreign national is not supposed to work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Special note: If any visitor is seen overstaying in Saudi Arabia, he or she will face severe legal consequences. Travellers who visit Saudi Arabia should also make sure that they are abiding Islamic laws that are followed. The country shows no tolerance towards drug trafficking, and if found guilty, the foreign national may even face the death penalty.
Please find below the documents needed to obtain Saudi Arabia Escort visas.

• The passport should have six months validity, and its blank pages should be adjacent to each other.
• A recent photograph with white background should be submitted.
• The UK citizen should submit a proof of kinship. Marriage certificate should be submitted for spouses, while birth certificates should be produced for children.
• The valid Saudi Arabia visa of the principal traveller should be submitted.
• Medical insurance proof of the applicant should be submitted.
• Minors traveling to Saudi Arabia should submit an authorization letter from both the parents.
• The completed visa application form. The visa application form should be completed in capital letters.

Saudi Arabia residence visa

In order to obtain a Saudi Arabian residence visa, the foreign national should submit the below-mentioned documents.

• The foreign national should carefully fill and sign the Saudi Arabian visa application form.
• He or she should submit the passport which has at least six months' validity and two blank pages.
• Photographs taken in white background.
• A medical report, for 15 years and over, duly completed by a competent medical authority and authenticated by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Applicants applying from the Republic of Ireland should legalize their medical report at the Irish Foreign Office in Dublin.
• A copy of the visa reference slip, which is the authorization from the Saudi Ministry of Interior, obtained by the sponsor in Saudi Arabia. Please note that both the city of departure and the Nationality must match the authorization received by the Consulate.
• A letter of invitation from a Saudi Arabian entity.
• The applicant should submit a proof of application, and it can be either the long copy of the birth certificate or the marriage certificate.
• For children under 16 years, it is necessary to provide a consent letter signed by both the parents.
• A copy of the residency card (Iqama) should be submitted.

Special note: You are not supposed to hold two valid visas at the same time. If you already have a valid visa, please cancel that visa and apply for a new one.

Saudi Arabia new-born visa

New-born visas are issued to babies born outside the country for parents hailing from Saudi Arabia or expatriates. Please find below the necessary documents to obtain a new-born visa.

• The original passport of the baby should be submitted.
• The passport sized pictures of the baby should be provided.
• Parents should sign and submit the declaration form.
• It is necessary to submit the original birth certificate of the baby.
• Copies of both the parents’ Iqama should be submitted.
• The passport of both parents should be provided.
• Marriage certificate of the parents.
• The applicant should also submit the medical insurance copy.

Saudi Arabia pilgrimage (umrah) visa

UK nationals who intend to visit Saudi Arabia for umrah can apply for a pilgrimage visa. Scroll down to know more about the documents that should be submitted to obtain an Umrah visa.

• Passport with six months validity and two blank pages for visa stamping should be submitted.
• The applicant should submit a recently taken photograph.
• Copy of flight reservations should be submitted. It is always recommended to book tickets to Saudi Arabia only after the visa approval.
• The foreign national should submit the proof of accommodation, and it can be a hotel room booking confirmation.
• Except for children under the age of two, all foreign nationals should submit a medical certificate of vaccination against Meningococcal Meningitis taken within three years.

Saudi Arabia government visit visa

Government visit visas are issued to foreign nationals for visiting government agencies in Saudi Arabia. In order to obtain a government visit visa, the applicants should submit the below-mentioned documents.

• Passport, photograph, and the completed visa application form.
• It is necessary to submit a letter of invitation from the Saudi Arabian government-sponsored agency.
• If the UK citizen is trying to obtain a government visit visa independently, he or she should provide an employment letter from the British company.
• Proof of the applicant’s residence proof should be submitted.
• Proof of medical insurance should be provided.

Saudi Visa Fees UK

The visa fees vary as per the number of entries granted and the purpose of your trip. Even your nationality influences the cost of Saudi visa.

For UK citizens, Saudi Arabia tourist visa fees starts from £70 for online applications. This is payable directly to the embassy using a debit or credit card.

Business visa costs starts from £130 for single entry visa to £460 for a multiple entry business visa.

Family visit visa fees for Saudi Arabia is £30 for UK nationals.

Besides the embassy fees, there are additional costs that you must allow for like attestation fees, embassy legalisation fees and postage fees. Call us on 0208 571 0883 for more details.

How long to process Saudi visa?

One the applications are submitted, it typically take 3-4 days to process the visa. However more time is normally required for preparing the applications.

For example, all business visas need the UK support letter attested from the Saudi Chamber of commerce in London. This takes at least 2 days.

For work visas, attestation of educational certificates from the Saudi cultural bureau takes at least 3-4 weeks.

Once again, it is advisable to start the processing of the visas as early as possible. We recommend you to contact us for a more detailed time line of the visa processing.

Saudi Iqama Check

Saudi Iqama is essentially the work and residence permit of Saudi Arabia. This is issued to all foreigners residing in Saudi Arabia. 

The interior ministry is responsible for authorising and managing the Iqama applications. It is normally applied on your behalf by the local employer in Saudi Arabia.

All resident foreign nationals must ensure that their Iqama status is valid at all times. The Saudi Iqama check can be easily done online on the Saudi Interior Ministry website.

You will need your user login details and Iqama number when checking this online. You can use our detailed guide on Saudi Arabia Iqama check if required.

Saudi Embassy Legalisation

If you are applying for a Saudi work visa then you will need some of your documents legalised from the Saudi embassy in London first before submitting the visa application.

These documents include your educational certificates, medical reports, police reports etc.

Depending on the documents you want to legalise, the Saudi legalisation from London embassy is an extensive process involving prior attestations from the Saudi cultural bureau, solicitors attestations and FCO attestations.

You can use our fully managed Saudi visa service for Saudi legalisation and visa submission.