British Tourists Can Stay Up to 180 Days in Saudi Arabia Under New Visa Rules

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RIYADH, June 26 (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for British citizens, effective July 1, 2026. This initiative allows UK passport holders to enter the Kingdom for tourism, business, and short-term study with significantly increased flexibility.

Under the new policy, visitors can remain in the country for up to 180 consecutive days within a one-year period. The authorization supports multiple entries, allowing travelers to move in and out of the Kingdom under a single electronic permit.

The service is available to holders of all British passport types. The initiative aims to strengthen ties between the two nations, mirroring travel facilitation measures previously introduced by the UK for Saudi citizens.

According to the official statement from the Ministry, “The ETA allows UK citizens to enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under an electronic travel authorization with multiple entries and to stay for up to 180 days, either consecutively or across multiple visits within one year.”

While the ETA provides broad access for leisure and professional development, specific activities remain excluded. The authorization does not permit employment or legal residency in Saudi Arabia.

Travelers planning to perform the Hajj pilgrimage must still utilize standard, dedicated visa channels. However, the current tourist-focused framework does allow for the performance of Umrah, the minor pilgrimage, at any time of the year.

The extension to a 180-day allowance is designed to accommodate a wider range of international visitors, including those interested in the Kingdom’s ongoing development projects. This flexibility provides high-net-worth tourists and business investors enough time to explore large-scale initiatives such as NEOM and the Red Sea Project without the constraints of shorter-term visas.

This policy update arrives alongside a record-breaking performance for the Saudi tourism sector. In the first quarter of 2026, the industry generated SAR 82.7 billion, with visitor arrivals growing by 8% year-on-year to 37.2 million.

Avatar of Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio è Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.

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