On 30 January 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the launching of an electronic Stop-over Transit Visa service for the issuance of visas for arrivals in the Kingdom by air for all purposes, effective as from 30 January 2023.
Applicants and beneficiaries can stay in the Kingdom for four days (96 hours) while the validity of the visa is three months. The visa is free of charge and will be issued immediately along with the flight ticket.
The Transit visa allows transit passengers, who wish to enter Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, in addition to traveling inside the Kingdom, as well as for tourism purposes.
This new service was launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the relevant local authorities and the Saudi national and government owned airlines (SAUDIA and Flynas). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also informed that the applications for this transit visa can be submitted through the electronic platforms of SAUDIA and Flynas.
Once the application is submitted, it will automatically be passed to the Unified National Visa Platform at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for processing. Issue of the digital visa is expected to occur immediately and forwarded to the applicant via e-mail.
The Ministry also informed that the digital Transit Visa service shall contribute to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, by strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a strategic location with global air connectivity. It also aims to present Saudi Arabia as an attractive destination for transit passengers as well as a tourist destination.
01 February 2023
Embassy of Mauritius
Riyadh
