Saudi Arabia entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you arrive
Visa (FCDO): Read the official visa text below
Official source: GOV.UK – Saudi Arabia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 16 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Saudi Arabia, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Driving in Saudi Arabia, do you need an international driving permit? Australian licence
Do I need a visa for Saudi Arabia with a British passport?
We quote the FCDO text word for word and do not summarise it. The FCDO text describes an electronic visa or travel authorisation (ETA): read it in full.
You must get a visa to visit Saudi Arabia. The type of visa you choose depends on your reason for travelling and how long you want to stay.
If you overstay your visa, you could face large fines, detention and deportation. You could be banned from returning to Saudi Arabia.
Applying for an electronic travel authorisation
You can apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) if you are travelling to Saudi Arabia for:
tourism
business
study
medical treatment
Umrah (outside the Hajj season)
An ETA is is valid for 730 days from the date of issue.
Valid for multiple entries, but only 180 days in total across the 730 day period .
Apply for an ETA online before you travel. If you are travelling for Hajj, you must obtain a separate Hajj visa. See Pilgrimage for more information.
An ETA does not include health insurance for your visit. Visas issued before the ETA was introduced will remain valid, in accordance with the conditions and dates on the visa when issued.
Applying for an e-visa
You can apply for an e-visa if you are a tourist.
E-visas are:
- valid for 365 days from the date of issue
- valid for multiple entries, but only for 90 days in total across the 365 day period
Apply for an e-visa online or when you arrive at any of Saudi Arabia’s international airports.
An e-visa includes health insurance for your visit up to 100,000 Saudi Arabian Riyals (SAR). Medical treatment in Saudi Arabia can be expensive, and you should consider taking out additional travel insurance to cover costs beyond 100,000 SAR.
You must get a separate visa for Hajj. See Pilgrimage.
Applying for an electronic visa waiver
Electronic visa waivers are for:
- tourism
- business
- medical treatment
- study
- Umrah (outside of Hajj season)
An electronic visa waiver allows you to enter Saudi Arabia once and stay for up to 180 days.
An electronic visa waiver does not include health insurance for your visit.
Apply for an electronic visa waiver online at least 48 hours before your flight, or up to 90 days in advance. You will need to give your flight details.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Travelling overland
Your visa may only allow you to enter Saudi Arabia by air. If you plan to travel to Saudi Arabia by the Bahrain causeway, check your visa before travelling. Ask your travel agent or the Saudi Embassy if you need help.
Travelling through Saudi Arabia
If you’re transferring through Saudi Arabia, you may need a transit visa if:
- you will pass through immigration control
- you will leave Saudi Arabia on a separate ticket to the one you arrive on
- the connecting time between your flights is more than 12 hours
Check with your airline or travel agency if you require a transit visa.
Official source: GOV.UK – Saudi Arabia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 16 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
For entry into Saudi Arabia, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
Previous travel to Israel
You may not be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia if your passport shows that you have travelled to, or were born in, Israel.
Official source: GOV.UK – Saudi Arabia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 16 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Saudi Arabia
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 6 July 2026: “Updated information about visa requirements, including new information about applying for an electronic travel authorisation ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 27 May 2026: “Updated information about e-visas, which includes health insurance for your visit ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 9 March 2026: “New information about entry to Saudi Arabia (see ‘Warnings and Insurance’ and ‘Entry requirements’ pages).”
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 15 April 2025: “Temporary entry restrictions from 13 April for entering Mecca (see 'Entry requirements' on 'Pilgrimage' page).”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Saudi Arabia (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (6 months after arrival)
and 79 more destinations with the same rule: see all
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