The visa to Saudi Arabia for Spanish citizens allows Spanish passport holders to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism and is available through a simple application form online.
Up until recently, only pilgrims were allowed to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for religious purposes, whereas business visitors with sponsoring employers were able to visit the country with the exception of Mecca and Medina.
However, in September 2019, the government of Saudi Arabia introduced an electronic visa for tourism for over 45 nationalities, including citizens of Spain.
Eligible applicants are now able to complete the simple Saudi Arabian eVisa application to receive an approved tourist visa valid for 1 year from the date of issuance. The eVisa can be used for multiple visits to the country of up to 90 days at a time (unless stated otherwise) and is received via email.
The Saudi tourist visa for Spanish citizens has been introduced as part of Vision 2030, an initiative implemented by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, to modernize the country and to significantly boost tourist arrivals to the Kingdom.
The initiative has also resulted in some of the more conservative laws in the country being relaxed, including several controversial restrictions for women.
The government of Saudi Arabia is also promoting the online visa with the aim of making it easy to travel between neighboring countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Kuwait, and boosting tourism in other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Saudi Arabia Visa Requirements from Spain
In late 2019, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to start issuing electronic tourist visas as a direct attempt to increase tourism in the country. The eVisa is currently available for citizens of the Schengen Area, including Spain. Spanish passport holders wishing to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure or business may do so with an approved Saudi Arabia eVisa.
Currently, Saudi Arabia visa requirements for Spanish citizens include the following list of documents:
- A passport valid for at least 6 months, from the date of entry to Saudi Arabia
- A completed and correct eVisa online application form
- A credit or debit card for visa fee payment
It is also necessary to provide a current email address to receive the Saudi Arabia online visa. Any further requirements for the Saudi Arabia visa online will be published on this website once made available by the government of Saudi Arabia.
How To Apply for a Saudi Arabian Visa for Spanish Passport Holders
Spanish citizens traveling to Saudi Arabia must fill in the online application form, in order to process their visas. The form contains simple questions about the applicant’s data and registrants must provide the following:
- Passport information: passport number, expiry date, nationality
- Personal information: full name, address
- Security information: detailing any history of criminal convictions
- Health information: health history
- Travel information: itinerary, hotel address, dates
The online visa application form should be completed in capital letters only. The whole process of completing the form will only take around 10 minutes in total.
Applicants should revise all the information provided before submitting the form in order to avoid any possible errors. Usually, the eVisa is processed within 24 hours up to a maximum of 72 hours. However, in the case of errors on the form or missing documents, the process of obtaining the visa may take longer.
Once the application is processed and approved, the Saudi Arabia eVisa for Spanish citizens will be sent to the email address provided on the application form. It will also be electronically linked to the applicant’s passport.
The eVisa to Saudi Arabia for Spanish citizens is issued alongside a Mandatory Insurance Policy that remains linked to the eVisa. This policy is taken out on the visitor’s behalf at the moment the eVisa is issued.
The Mandatory Medical Insurance Policy is an obligatory requirement to enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with a valid eVisa and a current passport.
However, there is no need to select the insurance provider since the government takes care of that once the Spanish citizen requests an eVisa.
The policy provider is selected randomly by the Saudi Arabian government at the moment the eVisa is granted.
Upon approval, travelers must print out a copy of the electronic visa confirmation email and the insurance document sent with the eVisa. Applicants can then present these at passport control at the airport in Saudi Arabia in order to gain access to the country.
It is important that travelers abide by the Saudi Arabian Islamic laws upon entering the country to avoid problems.