Saudi eVisa for UK Citizens: The Complete, Simple Guide
British passport holders are fully eligible for the Saudi tourist eVisa - one year, multiple entries, 90 days a stay. What to prepare, how the application works, and the few rules that matter.
- UK citizens are on the 72-country eVisa list
- One year, multiple entries, up to 90 days per visit, 180 days per year in total
- Umrah is included outside Hajj season - slots are booked in Nusuk
- Visa on arrival exists as a backup, but the advance eVisa is the safer plan
You are on the list
The United Kingdom is one of the 72 countries whose citizens can apply for the Saudi tourist eVisa online. The visa issued is valid for one year from the date of issue, allows multiple entries, and permits stays of up to 90 days per visit - with a ceiling of 180 days in total across the year.
Eligibility follows the passport you travel on. If you hold two passports, apply on the British one and enter Saudi Arabia on that same passport.
What to prepare
You need your British passport with at least six months' validity, a recent photograph on a plain white background that meets passport-photo rules, and your travel outline. The photo is where applications stumble - phone selfies and cropped holiday pictures are the classic rejections, so treat it as a passport photo, because it is one.
Your total - the official fee, which includes the mandatory medical insurance, plus the service fee if you apply through a specialist - should be confirmed to you in writing before you pay anything. That is how we work, and it is the standard you should hold any provider to.
What the visa covers - and what it does not
Tourism, events, visiting friends and family, and business-adjacent trips like conferences sit comfortably on it. So does Umrah, outside the Hajj season: book your Umrah and Rawdah slots in the Nusuk app once the visa is issued. Hajj itself is never included - it runs through the official Hajj channels only.
Two hard edges: the stay cannot be extended from inside Saudi Arabia, and the visa never authorises work. If your plans involve employment, that is an employer-sponsored route from the start.
Visa on arrival: the backup, not the plan
British passport holders can also be issued a visa on arrival, and some travellers use it for last-minute trips. Our honest advice is to treat it as the backup: the eVisa moves the decision to before you fly, costs you nothing but a few days of planning, and turns arrival into a formality instead of a negotiation at the end of a long flight.
Common questions
Do UK citizens need a visa for Saudi Arabia?
Yes - but you qualify for the eVisa online: one year, multiple entries, 90 days per visit. Apply before you fly and arrival becomes a formality.
Can I perform Umrah on the tourist eVisa?
Yes, outside the Hajj season. Book your Umrah and Rawdah slots in the Nusuk app after the visa is issued. Hajj itself always uses the official Hajj route.
I have two passports. Which do I use?
Apply on your British passport and travel on the same one - the eVisa is attached to that passport number.
Ready when you are
Check your eligibility in a minute, then apply online - a specialist reviews your documents before anything is submitted, and your total is confirmed in writing before you pay.
