“This development makes me very happy since South Africa is now the first African nation on the list. This will undoubtedly have a significant positive impact on Umrah and leisure travellers, as well as our efforts to increase tourism between Saudi Arabia and South Africa,” Minister de Lille recently stated.

The one-year multi-entry e-visa permits visitors to stay in the Kingdom for up to ninety days at a time. The price is 535 Saudi riyals, and health insurance is included.

Regarding the South African visa regime, visitors from Saudi Arabia are classified as visa-exempt nations and can enter the country for up to 90 days without a visa.

Increasing Travel To Other Countries

Additionally, the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Department of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their shared goals of increasing tourism between our two nations.

Recently, Minister de Lille travelled to Saudi Arabia on official business to attend the ‘International World Tourism Day Conference’, where several events were held to improve ties and collaboration between Saudi Arabian stakeholders and the tourism industry.

The Saudi Tourism Authority and the team from the Ministry of Tourism’s Air Connectivity Programme were among the Saudi Arabian partners that Minister de Lille met with.

Enhancing Air Travel To Saudi Arabia

Actions required to enhance air connectivity between South Africa and Saudi Arabia as well as a cooperative marketing plan to advertise both locations to travellers in both nations were discussed.

Additionally, it has been stated that, as of December 1, 2023, direct flights between Jeddah and Johannesburg will resume operating under the name Saudia, or Saudi Arabian Airlines.

To support the idea of a direct route between Jeddah and Cape Town, we presented study findings to the Saudi Air Connectivity Team throughout our interactions.

“Since many of South Africa’s Muslim citizens travel for religious reasons, the introduction of e-visas is significant. This will facilitate travel for many tourists, particularly for religious tourism and pilgrimages, in addition to the direct flights,” according to Minister de Lille.

The tourist visa permits the visitor to engage in events, visits with family and relatives, leisure, and Umrah (except the Hajj); it does not let the traveller engage in other activities, such as studying.

“We will continue working with our counterparts in Saudi Arabia, through the Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, to look at new and innovative ways to grow tourism between our countries, as this key sector is an important part of our countries’ economies and a key job creator,” the minister concluded.

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According to a statement from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Tourism, the visitors of the eight countries may apply for permission either online or when they arrive at one of the country’s ports.

These eight countries are Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Those who enter the Kingdom on this visa are permitted to perform the Umrah, pay visits to family and friends, conduct business, and travel around the nation.

The Ministry also outlined a list of guidelines for tourists to be aware of:
• The length of stay that is specified on the visa must be followed
• Visas with multiple entries have shorter stay times
• Visitors must depart the Kingdom before the allotted time has passed in order to avoid penalties
• People with visitor visas are unable to work or conduct Umrah during the Hajj
• Visas can only be renewed only after they expire

A new e-visa waiver programme for British nationals was recently announced by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are eligible for the initiative.

Nationals are allowed a single entry and a six-month stay in Saudi Arabia with the e-visa waiver.

The application for the waiver must be submitted between three months and 48 hours before the travel date to the Kingdom.

The application forms can be filled out by visiting Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Meanwhile, Indian passport holders who have UK, US and Schengen visas that have been used once can now apply for Saudi e-visa online.

Saudi Arabia is also making it easier for millions of visitors to enjoy its country, with the 96-hour stopover visa and the 9 VFS Tasheel Visa offices that have been established across developed and developing nations.

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