Saudi Arabia expands e-visas to 12 more countries

Has your country made the list yet?

Looking to travel to Saudi Arabia soon? Things have just gotten a whole lot easier. Saudi Arabia is taking a step into the future by expanding its QR code visas to 12 additional countries. More globetrotters will now be able to apply for the e-visa with a nifty QR code to simplify their journeys to the Kingdom.

In May 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia decided to shake things up and go all high-tech. They launched an initiative to digitise passport services for everyone heading to their Kingdom. They introduced snazzy Saudi e-visas with QR codes and they ditched the old-school visa stickers on passports. The initiative had kicked off with seven countries at the time: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Jordan, Philippines and the UAE.

Now, it has officially announced that the Saudi e-visa with QR code is now expanding to an additional 12 countries, making the e-visa application process smoother and more tech-savvy. Different countries will be able to access the service at different times.

The first one is Pakistan, which got the service on 24 July. Yemen was the recent addition, getting this service on 26 July. Next in line is Sudan on 2 August, Uganda on 7 August, Lebanon on 9 August, Nepal on 14 August, Turkey on 16 August, Sri Lanka on 21 August, Kenya on 23 August, Morocco on 28 August, Thailand on 30 August and Vietnam on 4 September.

The QR code visas will be applicable for visitor, residency, and labour visas, meaning that whether you’re planning a vacation, seeking work opportunities, or thinking of relocating to the Kingdom, this digital revolution has got you covered.

This digital visa expansion is way more than just making the visa process cool. It’s all part of a master plan to digitise the entire process over at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This includes everything from residency permits to work permits and visit visas.

So get your passports ready and embark on a new adventure to the Kingdom.

GO: Visit www.mofa.gov.sa/en for more information.