Saudi visa for Jeddah: e-visa, ETA or visa waiver compared

Almost everyone needs a visa or an authorisation to visit Saudi Arabia, and the document you choose changes how long you can stay and whether health insurance is included. The UK government lists three options for tourists: an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), a tourist e-visa and an electronic visa waiver. This page explains how each works for a traveler arriving at Jeddah, with the Jeddah travel guide for the city and the Saudi Arabia guide for country rules. It is a reference, not a recommendation to travel: the UK warns of missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, Jeddah among them, since 13 July 2026, and Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel.

The rules below come from the UK government's entry requirements page for British citizens, last updated on 20 September 2026, and from the official Saudi e-visa portal. Other nationalities should check the same portal and the Saudi embassy, because eligibility differs by passport. No fees are quoted here, since they were not confirmed on an official page.

The three documents solve different problems. The ETA is the longest-lasting: the UK says it is valid for 730 days from issue and allows multiple entries, but only 180 days in total across that period. It covers tourism, business, study, medical treatment and Umrah outside the Hajj season, and it does not include health insurance. The e-visa is shorter: valid for 365 days with multiple entries and 90 days in total across the year, for tourists only, and it includes health insurance up to 100,000 Saudi riyals. The electronic visa waiver allows one entry and a stay of up to 180 days, with no health insurance, and must be applied for at least 48 hours before your flight or up to 90 days in advance, with flight details.

For most short holidays, the e-visa is the simplest because it includes insurance and can be applied for online or on arrival at any international airport, according to the UK. For repeat visits across two years, the ETA gives more days. For a single long stay, the waiver gives the longest period. The official portal describes the e-visa as a one-year, multiple-entry visa allowing up to 90 days and says it covers events, family and relative visits, leisure and Umrah, but not Hajj, study or work.

The page is on GOV.UK. It also says that visas issued before the ETA was introduced remain valid under the conditions and dates printed on them.

The official Saudi e-visa portal, visa.visitsaudi.com, says visitors from 68 eligible countries can apply for the e-visa. Its list includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, among others. If your country is not on the list, the portal says to contact the nearest Saudi embassy. Check the portal yourself, because lists change and this guide cannot state your passport's status.

Apply only through official channels. The e-visa portal is the Saudi government's tourism site, and the UK page says you can apply online for the e-visa or on arrival at any international airport. For the ETA and the waiver, the UK page says to apply online, so confirm the exact portal on the Saudi embassy or Visit Saudi pages before you pay anyone. Any agent that adds a service fee is charging for a form you can complete yourself. Keep your confirmation on your phone and a printed copy in your bag.

Your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the day you arrive. The UK also says you may not be allowed to enter if your passport shows that you have traveled to, or were born in, Israel. Have your hotel address for the first night ready, since border officers can ask for it.

The only application window the UK page gives is for the electronic visa waiver: at least 48 hours before your flight and up to 90 days in advance, with your flight details. For the e-visa, the UK says you can apply online or when you arrive at an international airport, and the ETA is applied for online before you travel. Waiting until arrival is possible, but it puts a document you need to board on the wrong side of the check-in desk, so most travelers apply a week or more ahead and confirm with the airline.

Keep a short folder on your phone: your passport photo page, the approved document, your flight details, your first night's address and your insurance. The e-visa includes health insurance, but you should still carry your own policy details, because the UK advises considering extra cover for costs above 100,000 riyals. If you plan to enter by one airport and leave by another, tell your airline, and if your plans change after a waiver is issued, remember that it allows only one entry.

Jeddah has a rule that most cities do not. The UK says the Saudi authorities have stopped visitors who are not performing Hajj from flying to Jeddah, Madinah and Taif around the pilgrimage, and that you may need a Hajj visa to board flights to those cities during that period. You can still enter Saudi Arabia through other airports. If your trip falls near Hajj, ask your airline in writing which airports accept tourist visas on your dates, and plan for Riyadh or another airport if necessary.

Hajj itself needs a separate visa, and the UK says you can only book a Hajj place through the official Nusuk Hajj platform. For Umrah outside the Hajj season, you can apply for an e-visa or electronic visa waiver. The UK also warns that organized crime groups target people planning Hajj or Umrah trips, so check that your travel agent or operator is ATOL protected for Umrah bookings, use a credit card where possible and get everything in writing.

Transit has its own rule. The UK says you may need a transit visa if you will pass through immigration control, leave on a separate ticket from the one you arrived on, or have a connection of more than 12 hours. Check with your airline. If you plan to cross a land border, such as the Bahrain causeway, check that your visa allows entry by land, because some visas may only allow entry by air. The Haramain train and the getting around Jeddah guide cover moving on from the airport.

Expect questions about where you will stay and how long. Border officers check your passport, your visa or authorisation and your onward travel. If you overstay, the UK says you could face large fines, detention and deportation, and could be banned from returning. Have your insurance details ready: the e-visa includes cover up to 100,000 riyals, and the UK advises considering additional travel insurance because medical treatment can be expensive.

Customs rules are strict. The UK lists alcohol, pork and pork products, pornographic material, distillery equipment, weapons and narcotics among items it is illegal to import, and says personal videos, books and electronic devices may be examined. Some pharmaceutical products need approval, and UK prescriptions are not accepted in Saudi Arabia. You may need a license for satellite phones, listening or recording devices and powerful cameras or binoculars. It is also illegal to hold two passports in your name, and immigration officers will take additional passports.

Carry ID at all times: the UK says you can get a fine or prison sentence without it, and that tourists should carry a copy of their passport and visa. For women traveling alone, Canada says women of any age may travel without a mahram to perform Hajj or Umrah, and the UK notes that female visitors do not have to wear an abaya or cover their hair.

The first mistake is choosing a document by price alone. The e-visa includes health insurance and the ETA does not, so a cheaper-looking authorisation can leave you uninsured. The second is arriving on a date near Hajj without checking whether you can fly to Jeddah. The third is leaving passport validity to the last minute: six months is required. The fourth is trusting a third-party site that does not show an official domain.

The fifth is ignoring the advice that sits beside the visa. A visa does not make a destination safe, and the UK warns of regional tensions, flight disruption and airspace closures. Read the UK advice for Saudi Arabia, check what your insurer will cover and compare travel insurance before paying for non-refundable travel. For the other rules, see visas and entry, and for where to sleep, see where to stay in Jeddah.