Travellers from Mexico, Serbia, Bosnia and N. Macedonia now eligible for Saudi e-Visa

Saudi Arabia has added Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia to the list of nationalities that can obtain its tourist electronic visa (e-Visa), taking the total to 72. Citizens of the four countries can now apply online and receive the visa upon arrival at designated entry points in the Kingdom.

Key facts

• Four new nationalities: Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia
• Total eligible nationalities: 72
• Validity: one year
• Maximum stay: up to 90 days
• How to get it: apply online and obtain it on arrival at designated entry points
• Permitted activities: tourism, events, exhibitions, conferences, visiting relatives and friends, and Umrah outside Hajj season

What is changing?

Citizens of Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia can now apply for the Saudi tourist e-Visa. They submit the application online and then collect the visa when they arrive at designated entry points in Saudi Arabia.

Panama is already among the nationalities covered by the scheme. The wider list includes countries across the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania, among them the Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United States, Guyana, the United Kingdom, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

How long does the visa last and what does it allow?

The tourist e-Visa is valid for one year, and holders may stay in the Kingdom for up to 90 days. It permits holders to attend tourism events, exhibitions and conferences, to visit relatives and friends, and to perform Umrah outside Hajj season.

For multiple-entry tourist e-Visas, the permitted duration of stay is cumulative: the total number of days a holder may spend in the Kingdom falls with each visit.

What are the rules on overstaying and renewals?

Saudi authorities have warned visitors not to overstay their authorised period. They also noted that a tourist e-Visa cannot be renewed until the existing one has expired.

What else changed for pilgrims?

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has also introduced a multiple-entry Umrah visa. It is valid for 365 days from issuance and allows pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia on several occasions, subject to entry requirements and Hajj-season restrictions.

What this means for travellers

Travellers from the four newly added countries can plan trips to Saudi Arabia using the online tourist e-Visa rather than a traditional visa application. Passport holders of the other eligible nationalities, including Panama, can continue to use the same route. Anyone travelling should check that their nationality is on the list, apply online before departure, and keep within the authorised length of stay, since overstaying is explicitly prohibited and no renewal is possible before the current e-Visa expires.

No fee or processing time has been announced, and the source gives no date for when the four new countries were added or when any further expansion may follow. Saudi Arabia said the expansion forms part of its effort to attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures as it develops its tourism sector; its tourist e-Visa package combines visa processing with flight bookings, accommodation and optional tourism experiences and activities.