Entry to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy in Western Asia. The kingdom is located on the Arabian Peninsula and borders Yemen, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. The country is situated on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has existed in its current borders since 1932. The capital and largest city of the country is Riyadh. The second-largest city is the port city of Jeddah. Two of the holiest sites in Islam, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and the Kaaba in Mecca, are located in the Saudi Arabian kingdom. The state religion is Islam in the Wahhabi interpretation. The form of government is absolutism, and the country is still ruled authoritarian. The daily life of Saudis is heavily influenced by their religion and millennia-old culture.

Saudi Arabia is popular among visitors from around the world not only because of its religious sites but also because of its spectacular landscapes. The country offers dreamy beaches, vast deserts, spectacular mountain landscapes, and exciting insights into Islamic culture. Muslims from around the world visit the country on their pilgrimages. Due to its hot, dry weather, the kingdom is a popular travel destination all year round. With temperatures often exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, it is considered one of the hottest countries in the world. The best time to visit is from November to April. Since the temperatures are pleasantly warm even in winter, many European travelers visit the Middle Eastern country in the winter months. While Europe experiences snow and icy temperatures, the beaches, deserts, mountain landscapes, cities, and villages of Saudi Arabia invite visitors to sunbathe and stroll.

Visitors from Germany require a valid residence permit for their trip to Saudi Arabia. This must be applied for at buch-dein-visum.de before the trip. Since September 27, 2019, citizens of 49 different countries, including German citizens, can apply for an E-Visa for the kingdom online. The application, including all necessary documents, can be submitted via the internet. As all costs are settled when applying, travelers do not have to pay any fees upon arrival in the kingdom.

The electronic Visa for Saudi Arabia is valid for one year from the date of issue. It allows multiple entries within a year and permits stays for tourist purposes with a maximum duration of 90 days. Once the 90-day stay has been used, it cannot be extended or reissued until its expiration. For longer stays or if you wish to work in the kingdom, you will need a different residence permit. Our consular service is happy to assist you in obtaining the desired permit.

To obtain an electronic residence permit for Saudi Arabia, you must fill out the visa application on buch-dein-visum.de. You will also need a recent passport photo and a passport valid for at least six months from the desired entry date. After submitting the application, you will receive an email confirming your application, your application number, and the estimated processing time. The average processing time is 72 hours. Upon approval, the E-Visa will be sent to you via email. You must print this and carry it with you upon entry and stay in the kingdom.

Visitors to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia require travel health insurance for their stay that also covers treatment for COVID-19 including institutional quarantine and all necessary treatments. Exempt from the insurance requirement are only Saudi nationals, residents in the Kingdom, and citizens of other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Travel health insurance must always be taken out before departure. In some cases, this is even possible on the day of departure. However, we recommend that you take care of insurance coverage in good time before starting your journey. We are happy to assist you with this.

When choosing the right travel health insurance, you should ensure that your coverage also includes high treatment costs, long hospital stays, and a rescue flight back home. Without adequate insurance coverage, high costs can arise in the event of illness, which travelers must bear themselves. In Arab countries, medical treatment costs can be very high. In addition, in many countries it is common for treatment costs to be paid before discharge. With sufficient insurance coverage, you can avoid incurring high, unforeseen costs. All bills that you have to pay in your travel destination will be reimbursed to you by the health insurance upon your return to your home country.

In addition to mandatory health insurance, it is advisable to take out travel cancellation insurance before starting your journey. In case of sudden illness, flight cancellations, changes in entry conditions, travel warnings, or other unforeseeable events, you will be reimbursed for already paid costs for flights and hotels. With the right insurance coverage, you can relax before starting your journey.

When entering Saudi Arabia, neither a negative PCR test nor proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is currently required. The use of the Saudi Arabian vaccination app "Tawakkalna" is occasionally mandatory in passenger traffic and health facilities. This provides information about vaccination and health status. Persons without the "immune" status will be denied access to corresponding facilities. All persons aged 12 and above who have valid protection against COVID-19 are considered "immune". Vaccination certificates must be registered before entering the kingdom. They can be submitted on the Saudi Arabian government's website no earlier than 72 hours before the planned arrival. Vaccination certificates must be recognized by the official health authority of the traveler's home country and be written in English or Arabic. Registered vaccination certificates will be automatically transferred to the app. In addition to the app, travelers should carry their vaccination certificate in original throughout their entire stay.

Travelers are advised to check the timeliness of their standard vaccinations according to the vaccination calendar of the Robert Koch Institute before departure. A current vaccination protection against Hepatitis A is particularly recommended for trips to Saudi Arabia.

Entry to Saudi Arabia with a child is possible as long as travelers follow the valid entry requirements. Children need a valid visa and a valid passport. Entry with a temporary passport or ID card is not possible. Children under 12 years old need a special child passport valid for one year. Child passports issued before 2021 are valid for 6 years. Children aged 12 and above need a regular passport. Parents or legal guardians must apply for the documents in advance at the local authorities. Processing time for child passports and regular passports is usually a few weeks.

Children are subject to the same visa requirements as adults when entering the kingdom. When entering with a minor, the adult guardian must first submit their own visa application before applying for an E-visa for the minor. Multiple minors can enter with one adult. The Saudi Arabian government only considers father, grandfather, or brother as a "guardian". Entry with a child is not possible for female guardians without a male companion.

Children over 12 months old from a yellow fever area need a valid vaccination proof. Children under 12 years old do not need a valid COVID-19 vaccine to be considered "immune."

Entry to Saudi Arabia with a dog is only possible under certain circumstances. Tourists are not allowed to bring pets into the kingdom. However, if you plan to live and work in the country for a longer period of time, you can take your pet under certain conditions.

Only guide dogs for the blind, guard dogs, and hunting dogs are allowed to be brought into the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To import your dog, you need approval from the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture. You also need a valid health certificate issued in advance by an official veterinarian. To obtain this, your dog must have sufficient vaccination protection. Additionally, you need a certificate from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia. All these documents must be presented at check-in, to the airline, and upon arrival at the airport.

However, some dog breeds are not allowed to enter the kingdom under any circumstances. These include Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, and some other breeds classified as dangerous. For more information, contact the Embassy or Consulate of Saudi Arabia.

To avoid fines or imprisonment, you should carefully observe the customs regulations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The import and export of narcotics and stimulants of any kind are strictly prohibited. The purchase of narcotics is also punishable by imprisonment. Since there is no tolerance for personal possession in the kingdom, even the possession of very small quantities is severely punished. For the import, export, and possession of narcotics in Saudi Arabia, the death penalty can be imposed even for very small quantities. When importing medications, you need a medical certificate in English or Arabic. If you have concerns about the legal status of the medications, you can inquire with the Saudi Arabian embassy before traveling.

The import of pornographic content is also strictly prohibited. Data carriers such as DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and USB sticks can be confiscated upon entry and checked for prohibited content. After inspection by the censorship authority and obscuring any potentially offensive images, the data carriers may be collected. If the images cannot be removed for technical reasons, the data carrier will be confiscated and disposed of. Special caution is also required when importing printed matter. Almost every Western magazine contains content that is considered pornography in the kingdom and is strictly prohibited. All data carriers and printed matter must be presented independently upon entry.

The import of all religious texts is strictly prohibited. Goods with Hebrew labeling and logos, as well as items of Israeli origin, are also not allowed to be imported into the kingdom. Furthermore, the import of gambling items is prohibited.

In Saudi Arabia, there are currently 27 airports that offer scheduled passenger flights. Among them are some international airports that offer direct flights to Germany and other European countries. You can reach the kingdom from Germany in about 5 hours and 30 minutes by direct flight. Thanks to the well-developed network of airports and flight connections, you can also move quickly and comfortably within the country during your vacation. This gives you the opportunity to discover the most spectacular places of the large kingdom within a few days or weeks.

The international King Fahd Airport in Dammam (DMM) is the largest airport in the world in terms of area. It serves about 5 million passengers per year. Jeddah Airport (JED) is located near the pilgrimage city of the same name and offers special flights for pilgrims as well as numerous scheduled flights to various international and domestic destinations.

Riyadh Airport (RUH) is located near the Saudi Arabian capital and offers numerous international and domestic flight connections. Medina Airport (MED) is located near the city of the same name in the west of the country. Arar Airport (RAE) offers flights to four domestic destinations of Saudi Arabian Airlines. Hail Airport (HAS) is located in the north of the country and offers flights to the Saudi cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam as well as to the Egyptian capital Cairo. The former military airport Tabuk (TUU) is now a civilian airport. It offers flights to various cities in Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian capital.

When traveling through a country to reach your destination country, it is called transit. German citizens need a valid transit visa for transit (connecting flight) through Saudi Arabia. This visa allows passage through the kingdom by air, land, or sea. To obtain the transit visa, you need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months at the time of planned entry. The passport must not have Israeli entry stamps, as the application will be rejected in this case. If you plan to stay for more than 72 hours, it is recommended to apply for a tourist visa instead of a transit visa. This allows multiple entries and exits within a year. For a second transit, for example, on your return to Germany, you do not need a second transit visa.

Currently, female individuals only receive a transit visa for the kingdom if they are accompanied by a male individual. To obtain a transit visa, you must fill out the visa application completely and submit a valid residence permit for your destination along with your passport and onward flight ticket. If you are flying back to your home country, you obviously do not need a visa for your destination.

To obtain a transit visa for Saudi Arabia that allows you to cross the kingdom by land, you need additional documents. In this case, you must write a letter to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia stating the planned date of entry and exit. The exact purpose of travel and the exact travel route through the country must be mentioned in advance. If you enter with your own vehicle, you must provide the vehicle type and license plate. In addition, a copy of the vehicle registration certificate, vehicle title, and a copy of international vehicle insurance must be submitted. You also need a negative HIV test, which must be no more than three months old and confirmed by the Saudi consulate.

The German Foreign Representation in Saudi Arabia serves the representation of German interests as well as the cultivation of bilateral relationships. The consulate represents the state administration of Germany abroad.

Among the most important tasks of the German Foreign Representation in Saudi Arabia are:

- issuing and renewing passports and other documents
- assistance in emergencies, such as financial matters
- monitoring of legal proceedings and care for German citizens in prison
- reporting births, marriages, and deaths to authorities in the home country
- issuing tourist visas for foreigners
- information about entry, work, and residence conditions.

You can find the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Saudi Arabia in the Saudi capital in the Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh. The embassy is open to visitors from Sunday to Thursday from 08:00 to 15:30. The consular district covers the provinces of Riyadh, Qassim, Jawf, Qurayyat, Eastern Province, Hail, and Northern Borders.

In addition, you will find the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Jeddah. This consulate offers various consular services. However, neither an identity card can be applied for nor certifications can be made there. The consular district covers the provinces of Tabuk, Mecca, Medina, Asir, Baha, Najran, and Jazan.

The Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh is lively and diverse. Visitors will find modern skyscrapers next to historical monuments. The Masmak Fort is one of them - the fortress built in 1865 now houses the museum about the history of Saudi Arabia.

The port city of Jeddah is located on the Red Sea and is considered the most beautiful city in Saudi Arabia. The historic city center of Al Balad was built in the 7th century and still houses numerous magnificent old buildings. The city is also known as the gateway to Mecca and is now considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Off the coast of Saudi Arabia, there are numerous incredibly beautiful islands. The Farasan Islands are located 40 to 90 kilometers off Jazan and are an archipelago consisting of 170 islands. The nature reserve is home to numerous coral, fish, and crustacean species and is ideal for snorkeling and diving.