If you have always wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia and see what the country has to offer, now is the perfect chance to do so.
This once closed-off country has recently opened its borders to tourism by introducing an easy to access and quick to fill online form for a Saudi Arabia visa. Now Irish citizens can get ready to travel to the Middle Eastern Kingdom in a much shorter time.
This page explains everything you need to know about the new electronic visa, how to apply with an Irish Passport, and what documents are required.
Saudi Arabia Offers Visa Travel for Irish Citizens
For many years, Saudi Arabia was known for being one of the hardest countries to get a visa. Travelers who wished to visit the Kingdom were required to find a local sponsor, submit a mountain of paperwork, and often have to face rejection due to the strict rules and regulations.
Vision 2030, developed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud has since been implemented in an effort to move away from the country’s dependence on oil by focusing on tourism. The initiative has started to build hotels, improve tourism infrastructure, and, best of all, introduced a new type of visa called the eVisa (electronic visa).
This visa is currently available to nationals from more than 45 countries, which includes Ireland. Now, getting a visa for Irish citizens is quick, simple, and can be done from the comfort of your own home.
Documents Required for Irish citizens
If you are ready to start the process to obtain a Saudi Arabia visa for Irish citizens, the first step is to gather all of the KSA visa requirements for Irish citizens. There are only a handful of items that applicants from Ireland need, such as a passport, a recent photo, and a form of payment.
The current visa requirements for Irish citizens traveling to Saudi Arabia are as follows:
- A valid Irish passport: The document must have at least 6 months’ validity remaining after the date that of entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also recommended to have at least one empty page in the passport in case it needs to be stamped by an immigration officer.
- A recent photo of yourself: At the end of the application, applicants must submit a recent photo of themselves that was taken within the past 6 months. Please make sure that your face and features are clearly visible.
- Personal information: This includes the applicant’s first and last name, contact details and passport information (number, date of issue, date of expiry). Its recommended to keep your passport on hand while filling out the application.
- A device with internet access such as a laptop, computer, or tablet. This is necessary in order to access the application form and fill it out properly.
- A current email address to receive notifications about the eVisa and to receive the approval document.
- A valid form of payment: A debit or credit card, to pay the application fee and finish the process.
As part of standard touristic procedures, please note that you will be asked to provide an accommodation address in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You do not need to have it booked, however – it is simply a requirement to have a contact point at your accommodation while in the country.
Apply for a Saudi Arabian Visa from Ireland
The online application is divided into different sections. The first section asks about the traveler, with spaces to fill out information such as your first name and surname, gender, date of birth, and nationality. The next section will ask for your passport information, such as your passport number, date of issue, and date of expiry.
Next, you will need to fill in your contact information – it is important to provide a working email address in this section, as all notifications regarding your visa will be sent here. At the end of the application, you will need to upload a clear and recent photo of yourself and pay the visa application fee.
The final step in obtaining a visa for Saudi Arabia from Ireland is to complete the application by submitting the information provided.
Once approved, the Saudi visa is delivered directly to the applicant via the email address provided previously. The majority of Saudi Arabian electronic visas are approved within 3 to 5 business days, but some may take longer depending on the demand and holidays.
All tourists traveling to Saudi Arabia are encouraged to apply for their eVisa at least 5 days before their intended departure in order to account for processing times. After you have received the email confirming your Saudi visa, please print the email and present it to the immigration officer when arriving in the Kingdom.