Saudi Arabia adds visa options for Indians
As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom aims to welcome 7.5M Indian tourists between now and 2030.
To facilitate that happening, the Saudi government has introduced multiple visa options for visitors from India:
Stopover Visa: Permits a stay of up to 96 hours, and is valid for 90 days. Available through the Saudia airline website for a small charge to cover admin fees and medical insurance. Requires relevant travel document and a flight ticket for a further destination.
E-visa: Available online from the Saudi visa portal to Indian citizens who hold (1) a valid tourist or business visa issued by the US, the UK or any Schengen country with an entry stamp from the issuing country or (2) a permanent residence visa from one of the GCC countries, if valid for at least 3 months from date of entry to Saudi Arabia. This is a multiple-entry visa that permits stays of up to 90 days and is valid for a year. Cost varies from approximately INR 7,568 to 10,997.
Visa-on-Arrival: Indian citizens who are eligible for the E-visa can also apply for a Visa-on-Arrival via land, air or sea. This is a multiple-entry visa, good for a year, that permits stays up to 90 days and costs approximately INR 10,685.
Tourism Visa: Indian citizens who don't meet the eligibility requirements for any of those 3 types of visas can apply through their nearest Saudi Embassy, Consulate or Tasheer Centre for a Tourism Visa. Cost is INR 7,010 and up. Length of validity, number of entries and days of stay are at the discretion of the embassy. Tasheer Centres are available in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Patna (more to be added soon).
More visa help is available here:
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Note that WTTC predicts that over the next 10 years India will become the world's #4 tourism market, sending more international visitors around the globe than any country except for the USA, China and Germany.
