Saudi Arabia Entry Requirements for UK Travellers: Visas, Passports & Vaccines

Your passport should have at least six months of validity remaining from the day you arrive in Saudi Arabia. Airlines and tour providers can apply their own checks as well, so check with them if your passport is close to the limit. A lost or stolen passport, or one that has been reported as such, will not be accepted for entry.

Be aware that travellers with evidence of travel to Israel in their passport, or who were born in Israel, may be refused entry. British dual nationals should travel on a valid British passport, or hold a certificate of entitlement, to make sure they can return to the UK.

British citizens can usually choose from several online options. A Saudi electronic travel authorisation covers tourism, business, study, medical treatment and Umrah outside the Hajj season. It stays valid for 730 days and allows multiple entries, with a total of up to 180 days in the country. It does not include health insurance.

The tourist e-visa is for holidays only. It is valid for a year with multiple entries and up to 90 days in total, and you can apply online or at a Saudi international airport on arrival. It includes health insurance up to a stated limit, although separate travel insurance is still wise for larger medical costs.

An electronic visa waiver is a single-entry option for tourism, business, medical treatment, study and Umrah outside the Hajj season, allowing a stay of up to 180 days. It is applied for online at least 48 hours before your flight and you will need your flight details. Visas that were issued before the newer systems launched remain valid on their original terms.

Pilgrims can perform Umrah on the travel authorisation, the e-visa or the visa waiver, as long as they travel outside the Hajj season. Hajj itself needs a separate Hajj visa, and the standard visitor options do not cover it.

Around Hajj, the authorities can restrict visitors who are not performing Hajj from flying to Jeddah, Madinah or Taif, and you may be asked for a Hajj visa for those flights. Check with your airline and with us before booking travel near the Hajj dates. Most UK pilgrims simplify all of this by booking flights, hotels and the visa through an Umrah package, see our guide to Umrah visa requirements for UK pilgrims.

Umrah and Hajj pilgrims need proof of the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine, so book your vaccination well ahead of travel and keep the certificate with your documents. A yellow fever certificate is only required if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.

For other recommended jabs and general health advice, check the TravelHealthPro guide for Saudi Arabia, or ask your GP or travel clinic.

Alcohol, pork products, pornographic material, narcotics, weapons and certain religious symbols and sculptures are prohibited. Videos, books and electronic devices can be inspected on arrival. Some items need prior approval or a licence, including certain medicines, wireless equipment, drones and radio-controlled aircraft, satellite phones, recording devices and powerful cameras or binoculars.

If you take prescription medicines, check the rules beforehand and carry them in the original packaging with a copy of your prescription. If you are unsure whether an item is allowed, declare it.

If you are changing planes in Saudi Arabia you may need a transit visa if you pass through immigration, leave on a separate ticket, or have a connection longer than 12 hours. Some visas are valid for air arrival only, so check before crossing by land, for example by the Bahrain causeway.

Overstaying a visa can lead to heavy fines, detention, deportation and a ban on returning, so keep a note of your permitted stay.

We book flights to Jeddah, Madinah and Riyadh from airports across the UK, as well as Umrah packages with hotels near the Haram, visa processing and transport. Request a quote with your dates, and read our guide to the best time of year to perform Umrah if you are still deciding when to go.