The Saudi passport entitles its holder to visa-free entry to 40 nations in the world. It allows access to many Asian countries, as well as some American, European, and African ones, without the need for a visa. Many locations grant Saudi citizens visa-free entry or issue visa-on-arrival, or even eVisa for Saudi nationals, making traveling around the world very easy. Continue reading to see a list of visa-free territories for Saudi Arabian passport holders as well as countries where a visa or eTA authorization is required in 2023.
| TYPE OF ACCESS | NUMBER OF COUNTRIES |
|---|---|
| Visa-Free Countries | 40 (20%) |
| Visa-On-Arrival Countries | 32 (16%) |
| eVisa Countries | 23 (12%) |
| eTA Countries | 7 (3,5%) |
| Visa Countries | 105 (53%) |
How many countries can Saudi Arabian citizens travel to visa-free?
To be precise, Saudi nationals are granted visa-free entry into 40 countries. However, Saudi Arabian citizens are able to travel to some locations without even needing a passport, relying solely on their ID. In 2023 most nationals of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) nations, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman were granted access to each of the member countries using only their national IDs. Only Qatar is excluded from the aforementioned group. However, for citizens with a valid passport, there are many more destinations that do not require a visa.
What countries can Saudi Arabian citizens go to without a visa?
Saudi citizens are allowed to cross the borders of 20% of the world’s countries without a visa. The majority of them are in Asia. The list of nations that Saudi passport holders can visit visa-free is provided below. In round brackets, we have included information about how long they can stay in a country if they travel without a visa.
| Albania (90 days) | Malaysia (90 days) |
| Bahrain | Mauritius (90 days) |
| Barbados (90 days) | Micronesia (30 days) |
| Belarus (30 days) | Montenegro (30 days) |
| Botswana (90 days) | Morocco (90 days) |
| Dominica (21 days) | Nicaragua (90 days) |
| Ecuador (90 days) | Oman (90 days) |
| Egypt (180 days) | Palestinian Territories |
| El Salvador (90 days) | Panama (90 days) |
| Georgia (360 days) | Philippines (30 days) |
| Guatemala (90 days) | Saint Kitts and Nevis (90 days) |
| Haiti (90 days) | South Africa (90 days) |
| Honduras (90 days) | St. Vincent and the Grenadines (30 days) |
| Hong Kong (30 days) | Syria |
| Jordan (90 days) | Tajikistan (30 days) |
| Kazakhstan (30 days) | Thailand (45 days) |
| Kosovo (90 days) | Tunisia (90 days) |
| Kuwait | Ukraine (90 days) |
| Kyrgyzstan (60 days) | United Arab Emirates |
| Lebanon (180 days) | Vanuatu (30 days) |
Going abroad and need a visa? Check out our other articles for more guidance:
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How many countries can Saudi Arabian citizens visit with a visa on arrival?
32 countries allow Saudi citizens to enter their territory with a visa on arrival.
In some countries, Saudi citizens are permitted to apply for a visa after their arrival. This type of document is therefore known as a visa-on-arrival, and it can be obtained at the airport or border. Saudi nationals opting for this solution are exempt from applying for a visa before leaving on a trip. Visitors can continue their journey after the application process is completed and the visa on arrival is granted, but their stay cannot exceed the document’s validity.
What countries can Saudi Arabian citizens go to with a visa on arrival?
The majority of countries in which Saudi citizens are obligated to obtain a visa on arrival are located in Africa and Asia. We have compiled a comprehensive list of nations that issue this type of visa to Saudi nationals, along with the number of days it is valid for:
| Angola (pre-visa) | Maldives (30 days) |
| Azerbaijan (30 days) | Mauritania |
| Bangladesh (30 days) | Mozambique (30 days) |
| Bolivia (90 days) | Nepal (90 days) |
| Brunei (30 days) | Nigeria (pre-visa) |
| Burundi (30 days) | Palau (30 days) |
| Cape Verde (EASE) | Rwanda (30 days) |
| Comoros (45 days) | Samoa (60 days) |
| Cuba (tourist card, 30 days) | Seychelles (tourist registration, 90 days) |
| Gabon (90 days) | Sierra Leone (30 days) |
| Guinea-Bissau (90 days) | Somalia (30 days) |
| Guyana (pre-visa on arrival) | Tanzania |
| Indonesia (30 days) | Timor-Leste (30 days) |
| Laos (30 days) | Togo (7 days) |
| Madagascar (90 days) | Tuvalu (30 days) |
| Malawi (30 days) | Yemen (90 days) |
How many countries can Saudi Arabian citizens visit with an eVisa?
To enter 23 countries, Saudi passport holders must obtain an eVisa (electronic visa), which is a type of electronic travel authorization that is applied for and granted online. It can be used for short stays abroad for tourism, business, or transit purposes. Because it is an online process, all required documents, rather than being sent or handed in paper form should be photocopied. Unlike in the case of a visa on arrival, this document must be applied for before the trip.
Which countries require Saudi Arabian citizens to obtain an eVisa?
Nations that demand an eVisa from Saudi citizens are mostly located in Africa and Asia. We have compiled a list of countries that require Saudi Arabian nationals to obtain an eVisa before entering their territory.
| Armenia (120 days) | Laos (30 days) |
| Azerbaijan (30 days) | Lesotho (14 days) |
| Bolivia (90 days) | Madagascar (90 days) |
| Cambodia (30 days) | Malawi (30 days) |
| Congo (Dem. Rep., 90 days) | Rwanda (30 days) |
| Djibouti | South Sudan |
| Ethiopia | Suriname |
| Gabon (90 days) | Tanzania |
| Guinea (90 days) | Turkey (90 days) |
| Guinea-Bissau (90 days) | Uganda |
| Iran (30 days) | Uzbekistan (30 days) |
| Kenya (90 days) |
In how many countries Saudi Arabian citizens are required to have a visa to visit?
105 countries require Saudi Arabian citizens to have a visa.
The data shows that most countries do not allow Saudi Arabian passport holders to enter their territory without a visa. It’s always good to double-check if all documents necessary for traveling are in order before booking a flight. The official government website of the country of our destination is always the best place to find all the needed information.
What countries require Saudi Arabian citizens to get a visa?
Most of the nations with no visa-free policy for Saudi Arabian citizens are located in Africa and Asia. Below we have listed the countries that currently require a visa from Saudi passport holders in order to enter their territory.
| Afghanistan | Liberia |
| Algeria | Libya |
| Andorra | Liechtenstein |
| Antigua and Barbuda (eVisa) | Lithuania |
| Argentina | Luxembourg |
| Australia (eVisa) | Macao (COVID-19 ban) |
| Austria | Mali |
| Bahamas | Malta |
| Belgium | Marshall Islands |
| Belize | Mexico |
| Benin (eVisa) | Moldova (eVisa) |
| Bhutan | Monaco |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mongolia |
| Brazil | Myanmar [Burma] (eVisa) |
| Bulgaria | Namibia |
| Burkina Faso | Nauru |
| Cameroon | Netherlands |
| Canada | Niger |
| Central African Republic | North Korea |
| Chad | North Macedonia |
| Chile | Norway |
| China | Papua New Guinea |
| Colombia (eVisa) | Paraguay |
| Congo | Peru |
| Costa Rica | Poland |
| Croatia | Portugal |
| Cyprus | Romania |
| Czech Republic | Russian Federation |
| Denmark | Saint Lucia |
| Dominican Republic | San Marino |
| Equatorial Guinea | Sao Tome and Principe (eVisa) |
| Eritrea | Senegal |
| Estonia | Serbia |
| Eswatini | Singapore (eVisa) |
| Fiji | Slovakia |
| Finland | Slovenia |
| France | Solomon Islands |
| Gambia | Spain |
| Germany | Sudan |
| Ghana | Sweden |
| Greece | Switzerland |
| Grenada | Taiwan (COVID-19 ban) |
| Hungary | Tonga |
| Iceland | Trinidad and Tobago |
| India | Turkmenistan |
| Iraq | United States of America |
| Ireland | Uruguay |
| Israel | Vatican City |
| Italy | Venezuela |
| Jamaica | Viet Nam |
| Japan | Zambia (eVisa) |
| Kiribati | Zimbabwe (eVisa) |
| Latvia |
Saudi Arabian citizens can travel to 7 countries with an eTA authorization
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is an entry requirement for visa-exempt visitors and is utilized to track the number of travelers. It also improves the host country’s security, as it is automatically connected with the passenger’s passport, and allows authorities to screen visitors incoming by air before they land in a given territory.
There are 7 countries that grant this type of entry to Saudi Arabian passport holders:
| Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast, pre-enrollment, 90 days) | South Korea (30 days) |
| New Zealand (90 days) | Sri Lanka (30 days) |
| Pakistan (30 days) | United Kingdom (EVW, 180 days) |
| Qatar (30 days) |
Key takeaway on visa-free countries for Saudi Arabian citizens
Saudi Arabian passport holders are able to travel additional-documents-free to 20% of nations. As of 2023 Saudi Arabian citizens with valid passports can visit 40 countries visa-free, 32 using visa-on-arrival, and 23 others with an eVisa. However, as many as 105 destinations worldwide require Saudi nationals to obtain a visa, with 7 others permitting them entry using the eTA system. This data shows that Saudi Arabian passport holders can travel to only around 20% of the countries without additional documents, and another 31% using the more accessible types of visas.
FAQ on Saudi Arabian passport accessibility
Which countries can Saudi Arabian passport holders travel to visa-free?
Saudi citizens can visit Albania, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Botswana, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, and Malaysia without a visa including the GCC member countries to which they can travel with just an ID.
To how many countries can Saudi Arabian passport holders travel without a visa?
Saudi Arabian passport holders can travel to 40 countries visa-free.
Can Saudi Arabian passport holders obtain a visa on arrival in Pakistan?
Pakistan isn’t one of the nations that grant Saudi passport holders the possibility to obtain a visa on arrival. This country requires an eTA from the nationals of Saudi Arabia.
Justyna is a graduate of the Institute of Applied Linguistics (University of Warsaw). Learning foreign languages is her passion – from Spanish to Korean, and someday in the future even sign language.
