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Understanding Saudi Arabia Business Vs. Tourist Visa
Planning on travelling to Saudi Arabia? You may need a visa!
The type of visa you will need will depend on the purpose of your visit.
Two common reasons why you may visit Saudi Arabia are for tourism or business purposes.
It’s important that when you apply for a visa, you apply for the right one for your circumstances.
In this article, we’re going to help you:
- Distinguish between the Saudi Arabia Tourist Visa and the Saudi Business Visa
- Highlight why it’s important that you apply for the right visa for your circumstances
- How you can apply for these visas
Do I need a visa for Saudi Arabia?
Whether or not you need a visa for Saudi Arabia largely depends on where you are from.
There are visa-exempt countries and if you’re from one of these, you may not need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.
For example, if you’re from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, you do not need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia for tourist or business purposes.
However, if you’re not from one of these countries, you’ll likely be required to obtain a visa before your travels.
What is the difference between the Saudi Arabia Business Visa & Saudi Arabia eVisa?
The Saudi Arabian Business Visa and eVisa have different purposes.
The business visa is used for business trips like meetings and conferences.
Whereas, the Saudi Arabian eVisa is an electronic visa that you can apply for online and is used for tourism purposes like exploring the country or visiting family and friends.
Another main difference between the two is the application process.
The Saudi Business Visa typically involves a more traditional application process where you have to submit paper documents to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in your country of residence.
On the other hand, the Saudi eVisa is generally faster and more convenient than the traditional visa application process.
How do I know which type of visa to apply for?
To know which visa type you should apply for, you’ll need to consider whether or not you are eligible depending on the country you are from and also why you want to travel to Saudi Arabia.
If you’re planning to travel for business-related activities such as meetings, conferences, or negotiations, a Business Visa for Saudi Arabia might be more appropriate.
However, if you simply want to visit or see friends or family, the eVisa might be a suitable Tourist Visa for Saudi Arabia.
Make sure that before you apply for either of these visas, you check whether or not you are eligible
Read:
New Saudi Arabia Holiday Visa is a Game-Changer for Local Tourism
Why is it important to travel with the appropriate visa?
When you apply for a visa, it’s always important that you apply for the appropriate type of visa, even more so for a country like Saudi Arabia, where regulations around visas are strict.
One of the main reasons you should make sure you apply for the correct visa type is for legal compliance.
Otherwise, you may face legal consequences like fines, deportation, or even being barred from entering the country in the future.
What are the requirements for the Saudi Arabia eVisa and Business Visa?
The application requirements slightly differ depending on whether you are applying for the Saudi Arabia eVisa or Business Visa.
The Saudi eVisa requirements are as follows:
- Passport from an eligible country with two blank pages, valid for at least six months from the date you arrive
- A photo in colour
- An up-to-date email address
- Filled out application form
The requirements for the Saudi Arabia Business visa are:
- Passport valid for a minimum of six months from the entry date with two blank pages
- Digital invitation letter issued by a Saudi company
- Employment verification letter from your employer
- Completed application form
- 2 photos in colour
Who is eligible?
Anyone can be eligible for the paper Business Visa Saudi as long as you meet the business visa criteria.
To be eligible for the Saudi Arabian eVisa, you must be from one of the following countries:
- Albania
- France
- Malta
- Singapore
- Algeria
- Georgia
- Maurice
- Slovakia
- Andorra
- Germany
- Monaco
- Slovenia
- Australia
- Greece
- Montenegro
- South Africa
- Austria
- Hungary
- Morocco
- South Korea
- Azerbaijan
- Iceland
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Belgium
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Brunei
- Italy
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Bulgaria
- Japan
- Panama
- Tajikistan
- Canada
- Kazakhstan
- Poland
- Thailand
- China
- Kyrgyzstan
- Portugal
- Turkey
- Croatia
- Latvia
- Romania
- Ukraine
- Cyprus
- Liechtenstein
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- Czech Republic
- Lithuania
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- USA
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- San Marino
- Uzbekistan
- Estonia
- Malaysia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Finland
- Maldives
How long is the processing time for these visas?
The processing time may vary depending on whether you are applying for the business or eVisa.
After completing your application and providing the necessary documents, the Saudi Arabia Business Visa processing time can take around a week, once documents are submitted to the Embassy, to be processed.
Whereas, the Saudi Arabia eVisa processing time can take 24-48 hours.
It’s always advisable that you apply for your visa well in advance of your trip in case any delays arise.
What are the Saudi Arabia Visa prices?
When applying with Visa First, the Saudi Arabia eVisa cost starts from €255.
Then the Saudi Arabian Business Visa cost starts from €550.
How to apply for a Saudi Arabia visa with Visa First
If you’re looking for Saudi Arabia Visa services, Visa First is here to support you!
To apply with Visa First, you will first need to create your online account.
Once you’re logged in, the process is as follows:
- Add your details to our eligibility checker
- You will then see the visa you are eligible for, click on that and start the application process
- Fill out the application
- Pay the required fees
- Upload any requested documents
- You will then hear from us on what the next steps are to check the status of your application, simply click on ‘Applications in Progress.’
Why apply with Visa First?
- We’ve been applying for visas for customers worldwide for over 20 years
- Our service is fast and reliable
- A dedicated agent will guide you through the process
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