Saudi Arabia entry requirements for U.S. citizens

Do you need a visa for Saudi Arabia?

Yes. For a tourist trip, the rule is: Visa required before travel¹. Have your visa before you start your trip.

This guide does not list an official application site for Saudi Arabia. Before you book, check the Saudi government's official sources, such as the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the United States, for how U.S. tourists apply, the current government fee and the passport rules. Be wary of websites that only look official.

How long you can stay

Tourist visa holders are generally admitted for stays of up to 90 days². Your total time in Saudi Arabia is also capped at 180 days³ in a year, so earlier visits count.

Check the dates on your visa and confirm with the official source how the days are counted before you plan a long trip or several visits.

Passport rules

This guide does not list Saudi Arabia's passport validity or blank-page rules. Confirm them with the Saudi government's official sources before you apply. If your passport expires soon, renew it first. Renewing by mail takes 4–6 weeks⁵ plus mailing time: see Renew your passport by mail. Short on time? If you travel internationally soon, you can book an appointment at a passport agency or center once you are within 14 calendar days of your trip, or 28 days if you also need a foreign visa.⁶ Read Urgent travel: getting a passport fast.

Leaving Saudi Arabia

Two rules can affect how you leave the country:

• Permission to leave: Women and minors, including U.S. citizens and dual nationals, may need a male guardian's permission to leave Saudi Arabia.⁷
• Which passport to use: Travelers must leave Saudi Arabia on a passport of the same nationality they used to enter.⁸

If either rule could apply to you or someone traveling with you, check the official source or ask an immigration attorney before you go.

Travel advisory

The U.S. Department of State's travel advisory for Saudi Arabia is Level 3: Reconsider Travel⁴. The level can change at any time, and the full advisory can say more about specific areas. Read it before you decide to travel and again before you go; the link is under "Sources and verification" at the end of this guide.

Step by step

Checklist

Before you fly to Saudi Arabia

Print checklist

• Latest U.S. travel advisory read
• How to apply and current fee confirmed with official Saudi sources
• Passport rules confirmed and your passport checked against them
• Saudi visa in hand before you travel
• Trip dates within the allowed stay and the yearly limit
• Exit rules checked for any women or minors in your group
• Same-nationality passport for entry and exit, if you have two nationalities
• Official sources checked again in the week before you fly

Do and don't

Do

• Get your visa only through official Saudi government channels.
• Keep track of your days, including earlier visits in the same year.
• Ask for a larger book with more visa pages when you renew, if you travel often: no fee⁹.

Don't

• Don't start your trip without the visa.
• Don't pay a website that only looks official for a Saudi visa.
• Don't enter on one nationality's passport and plan to leave on another.

Fees

This guide does not list the government fee for a Saudi tourist visa. The Saudi government's official sources show the current fee before you pay. That fee is paid to the government of Saudi Arabia, not to Passmere. Passmere does not charge for this guide and does not process visas.

Frequently asked questions