Middle East and North Africa

Visas

All visitors, including pilgrims, require a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.  These should be applied for through visa agencies accredited to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.  Please note that until Eid, all Muslim visitors travelling to Jeddah and Medina will need to have a valid Hajj visa.  Non-Muslim visitors travelling to these destinations may be asked to explain the purpose of your trip or asked to show evidence of appointments before being allowed to board a flight to Jeddah if you are not travelling for the Hajj.  Any Muslim visitor arriving in Jeddah or Medina without a valid Hajj visa will be refused entry.  This requirement does not apply to other airports or British residents in Saudi Arabia.

British residents in Saudi Arabia should remember that they require a valid exit/re-entry permit from the Saudi Ministry of Interior in order to leave the country.
 
On occasion, Saudi visas have been refused when passports have reflected travel to Israel or indicated an Israeli birthplace.
 
Passport validity

Passports must have a minimum validity of six months on arrival to allow the holder entry to Saudi Arabia.

Female travellers

Women visitors and residents are required to be met by their sponsor upon arrival.  Women travelling alone, who are not met by sponsors, have experienced delays before being allowed to enter the country or to continue on other flights.

Foreign women married to Saudi nationals require permission from their husbands for themselves and their children to leave Saudi Arabia.

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country, or in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.