Saudi Arabia reopened its borders to international tourists.
Tourist visa holders who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can therefore enter the country since August 1, 2021 without having to undergo a mandatory quarantine. Travelers must, however, provide proof of vaccination for one of four currently recognized vaccines: two doses of the Oxford / Astra Zeneca, Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson.
Travelers who have received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has opened a web portal: muqeem.sa entirely dedicated to visitors so that they can register their vaccination status. The site is available in Arabic and English.
Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia are also required to provide a negative PCR test no longer than 72 hours prior to departure and an approved (paper) vaccination certificate certified by the official health authorities of the issuing country.
To accommodate travelers, Saudi Arabia has improved Tawakkalna, the mobile app launched to allow temporary visitors to create a profile with their passport details. Tawwakalna is required for
enter many public places in Saudi Arabia, including shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and places of entertainment.
The announcement comes nearly 18 months after international tourism to Saudi Arabia was
suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recall also that Saudi Arabia launched the electronic visa program for tourism in September 2019.
“Saudi Arabia is eager to reopen its doors and its heart to international visitors,” said Fahd
Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA).
“During this break, we have worked closely with our partners in the public and private sectors to ensure that Saudi visitors can have a memorable, authentic and above all safe experience for themselves and their loved ones. Visitors looking for unexplored heritage sites, an authentic and breathtaking cultural experience, will be surprised and delighted to discover the warm welcome of Saudi Arabia.”