Travellers vaccinated with Sinopharm, Sinovac can enter Saudi Arabia after booster shot

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Web Desk
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Passengers at Saudi Arabias King Abdulaziz International Airport. — Twitter/@Saudi_Gazette
Passengers at Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz International Airport. — Twitter/@Saudi_Gazette

  • Booster shots of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson required.
  • Fully vaccinated tourists can enter without the need for an institutional quarantine.
  • Passengers from 49 countries, including the USA, Canada, Belgium, can apply for e-visa.


Saudi Arabia has said travellers who have received two doses of Sinopharm and Sinovac jabs can enter Kingdom after they have been administered an additional booster shot of the country's approved vaccines.

The country’s e-visa portal said the country has approved four vaccines — Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

"All visitors arriving in the country with a valid tourism visa must provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson," it said.

Fully vaccinated tourists can enter the Kingdom without the need for an institutional quarantine period, provided that an official vaccination certificate is presented upon arrival, and proof of a PCR test with its negative result within 72 hours from the time of departure.

"The e-visa will be a one-year, multiple-entry visa, allowing tourists to spend up to 90 days in the country. It covers tourism-related activities and Umrah (excluding Hajj season) and excludes other activities such as studying," the e-portal said.

Passengers from 49 countries, including the United States, Canada, Belgium, Austria, and Italy, can apply for an e-visa.

The Ministry of Tourism had said the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift off the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting August 1.

“All travellers entering on previously-issued tourism visas will be required to pay an additional fee of SAR40 ($10) at the airport of their arrival to cover insurance for any COVID-19 related medical expenses,” the ministry said.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had launched the tourist visa in September 2019 [...] and at that time achieved remarkable numbers as 400,000 visas were issued within 6 months, before the suspension of travel and the closure of ports and borders following the pandemic of coronavirus," the ministry said.