Choosing your visa
Saudi eVisa for residents: Gulf residents, permanent residents and US, UK or Schengen visa holders
In short
If your nationality does not qualify for the Saudi tourist eVisa, your residence may, through three routes: living in a Gulf country, being a permanent resident of the United States, the United Kingdom or the European Union, or holding a US, UK or Schengen visa that has already been used. Each route needs a specific document, plus a passport valid for at least 6 months. These rules come from 2023 announcements that are still described in 2026; the official portal makes the final call when you apply.
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Three routes to the eVisa without the right nationality
The Saudi tourist eVisa is first open to the nationalities on an official list. Our eligibility checker tracks 68 of them, each with the date it was checked. Many Umrah travellers are not on it: Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, among others.
For them, residence can make them eligible. Since 2023, three situations give access to the eVisa whatever the nationality on the passport. The table sums them up; the detail follows.
| Route | Condition | Document to provide | Family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf resident | Living in a Gulf Cooperation Council country, whatever the profession | Residence permit valid for at least 3 months | First-degree relatives and domestic workers travelling with the resident | Gulf News and Deloitte, March 2023 |
| Permanent resident | Permanent resident of the United States, the United Kingdom or the European Union | Permanent resident card | First-degree relatives | Fragomen, July 2023 |
| Visa already used | Valid US, UK or Schengen business or tourist visa, used at least once | The visa and its entry stamp | First-degree relatives | Fragomen, July 2023 |
In all three cases, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months. The eVisa you get is the same one issued to listed nationalities: multiple entries for one year, stays of up to 90 days, sent by email once approved.
Gulf residents: the residence permit is what counts
In March 2023, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism opened the eVisa to all residents of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, whatever their profession. In practice, that means residents of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The condition rests on the residence permit, which must remain valid for at least 3 months. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months. First-degree relatives and domestic workers can get the eVisa through the same route when they travel with the resident.
Permanent residents of the US, the UK or the EU
Since July 2023, a permanent resident of the United States, the United Kingdom or a European Union country can apply for the eVisa, even if their nationality is not on the list. The document to provide is the permanent resident card, such as a US green card. The announcements only mention permanent residence: a temporary residence permit is not mentioned.
US, UK or Schengen visa already used
The same July 2023 announcement covers holders of a valid business or tourist visa issued by the United States, the United Kingdom or a Schengen country. One condition is decisive: the visa must already have been used at least once to enter the country that issued it.
The proof is the entry stamp. Have both the visa page and the page bearing the stamp ready, and make sure both are legible.
Family and travelling companions
All three routes extend the eVisa to the first-degree relatives of the traveller who meets the condition, as the official portal defines them. The Gulf route adds domestic workers travelling with the resident. Each family member presents their own passport, which must also be valid for at least 6 months.
If a child travels, we link them to an adult in the same request and file them together, the adult first. If the adult takes the residence route, the child normally follows.
Rules from 2023, still described in 2026
Sources also differ on the length of stay: some say 90 days per stay, others 90 days in total over the year. Check the wording printed on your visa once it is issued.
Common mistakes
- Relying on a visa that was never used: without an actual entry into the issuing country, the route does not open.
- Relying on a visa from another country: only US, UK or Schengen visas count, not those of Canada or Japan, for example.
- Travelling on a Gulf residence permit that is about to expire: it must remain valid for at least 3 months.
- Relying on an expired visa: the sources refer to a valid visa.
- Forgetting passport validity: at least 6 months, for every traveller, children included.
- Confusing a temporary residence permit with permanent residence in the US, the UK or the EU.
- Sending an unreadable copy: the entry stamp and the expiry date must be clear at a glance.
What myumrahvisa does for these travellers
We accept all three routes, for individuals and agencies alike. The traveller provides the document that proves their route: residence permit, permanent resident card, or used visa with its entry stamp. Our team checks it before entering the application on the official portal.
In an agency request, only the family concerned waits while the document is missing; the other travellers carry on. If no route applies, we say so clearly and nothing is charged. To compare with the Umrah visa, see eVisa or Nusuk, and for the rest of the trip, Umrah on the tourist eVisa.
Frequently asked questions
Can UAE residents get a Saudi eVisa for Umrah if their nationality is not eligible?
According to the available sources, yes: any resident of a Gulf country qualifies, whatever their profession, with a residence permit valid for at least 3 months and a passport valid for at least 6 months. The official portal confirms it when you apply.
Can a US green card holder get the Saudi eVisa?
According to the July 2023 announcements (Fragomen), yes: permanent residents of the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union are among the eligible groups, with the permanent resident card as proof. The portal makes the final call when you apply.
Is a Schengen visa that has never been used enough?
No. The US, UK or Schengen visa must already have been used at least once to enter the country that issued it. The entry stamp is the proof.
Can my family get the eVisa through my residence?
First-degree relatives are covered in all three routes. For Gulf residents, domestic workers travelling with them are covered too.
What should I send to myumrahvisa?
Your passport, and the document that proves your route: residence permit, permanent resident card, or used visa with its entry stamp. Our team checks it before filing the application.
Sources
Rules change: these are the sources this guide relies on, with the date we consulted them.
- All Gulf residents, whatever their profession, can get the Saudi tourist visa
- Gulf residents: conditions for the Saudi eVisa
- Tourist eVisa extended to US, UK and Schengen visa holders and permanent residents
- The Saudi tourist eVisa in 2026: countries and access routes
- Tourist eVisa opened to citizens of Kosovo and Guyana
- Guide to Saudi visit visas: eVisa, visa on arrival, transit
- Tourist eVisa application and list of the 68 eligible countries