Mexican Passport Holders Can Now Apply for Saudi Tourist eVisa Directly

Saudi Arabia has opened its instant tourist eVisa to citizens of Mexico, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Tourism announced jointly on 5 November 2026. Travellers from the four countries can apply online or collect a visa on arrival, with no embassy appointment needed. The move lifts the number of nationalities eligible for the Saudi tourist eVisa to 72.

Key facts

• Announced: 5 November 2026, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Tourism
• Who is affected: citizens of Mexico, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia
• Visa terms: one-year, multiple-entry tourist visa, stays of up to 90 days per visit
• Cost: about SAR 395 (around USD 105) as of late October 2026, including mandatory medical insurance
• Processing: typically 5 to 30 minutes, with most decisions the same day
• Where to apply: the Saudi eVisa portal at visa.visitsaudi.com, or on arrival at a Saudi port of entry

What is changing?

Citizens of the four newly added countries receive the same eVisa terms as other eligible nationalities: a one-year, multiple-entry tourist visa allowing stays of up to 90 days per visit. Applications can be submitted online at visa.visitsaudi.com or obtained on arrival at any Saudi port of entry, and no consular appointment is required.

Saudi Arabia held a formal reception for the envoys of the four countries in Riyadh on 6 November 2026.

How do I apply, and how much does it cost?

The online application requires a valid passport, a recent passport-size photograph, a credit or debit card for payment, and evidence of a return or onward journey. Processing typically takes 5 to 30 minutes and most applicants receive a decision the same day.

The fee is approximately SAR 395 (around USD 105) as of late October 2026. That amount covers the application fee and a mandatory medical insurance premium included with every Saudi tourist visa. The final charge appears at checkout and is subject to change, and Saudi Arabia adds VAT where applicable, so travellers should check the portal when applying. A visa-on-arrival option is available at all Saudi international airports and land border crossings on the same terms.

What does the visa allow?

The eVisa is valid for one year from the date of issuance and permits multiple entries. Each stay is capped at 90 days, and the cumulative stay allowance is 180 days per year, so travellers making several visits should keep track of time used. The visa cannot be extended after issuance; anyone needing to stay longer than 90 days on a single trip must depart and re-enter.

The visa covers leisure travel, visits to family and friends, events, exhibitions and conferences, and Umrah, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Umrah on a tourist visa is not permitted during the Hajj season, which falls in a shifting window each year on the Islamic calendar, so travellers should confirm current Hajj dates before booking. Hajj itself requires a separate Hajj visa. Paid employment, including freelance work for Saudi employers, is prohibited on the tourist visa.

What this means for Mexican travellers

The change is especially significant for Mexican passport holders. Saudi Arabia introduced a "Package Visa" in July 2026 for citizens of selected countries including Mexico, which required buying a bundled round-trip flight and hotel through an approved travel operator before an e-visa could be issued. Mexican nationals could not apply outside that operator-managed product.

The standard tourist eVisa announced on 5 November carries no such bundling requirement. Mexican travellers can now apply directly at visa.visitsaudi.com, book their own flights and accommodation, and receive a one-year multiple-entry visa. The Package Visa remains available as an operator-led option.

Why is Saudi Arabia expanding the scheme?

Saudi Arabia launched its tourist eVisa in September 2019 with 49 eligible nationalities as its first systematic opening to international leisure tourism, part of the Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. The list has grown incrementally since then and now stands at 72 nationalities.

The Saudi Tourism Authority reported 122 million visitors in 2025, which it cited as a 5 percent increase over the previous year. Vision 2030 targets call for 150 million total annual visitors by 2030, including 70 million international arrivals, with tourism revenue targeted to reach 10 percent of gross domestic product. Saudi Arabia is also scheduled to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, a factor tourism officials have cited in explaining the accelerating visa liberalisation programme.

No further nationalities or rule changes have been announced. Travellers from the four newly eligible countries can use the scheme immediately.