Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has updated its electronic transit visa (e-stopover visa) policy, limiting eligibility to travellers associated with a specific list of 19 countries.
According to a circular issued by Saudia Airlines and based on guidance from the Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority, the visa will now only be issued to passengers whose flights either depart from or arrive in countries listed under “Group A.”
Eligible countries are
- Canada
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Austria
- Cyprus
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Switzerland
- China (including Hong Kong and Macau)
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Mauritius
In addition to being linked to a Group A country by travel route, eligible passengers must also hold a valid visa for at least one of the listed countries. Crucially, that visa must have already been used—indicating that the traveller has previously entered the corresponding country.
A source familiar with the matter told Cairo 24 that the updated policy is designed to focus on clearly defined travel patterns and ensure that only verified travellers benefit from the transit service.
Saudia has reiterated the importance of these conditions, advising travellers to consult the official Visit Saudi website for full eligibility criteria and the latest updates.
This move is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to modernise its tourism framework and aviation protocols, while improving the structure and security of international transit through the Kingdom.
