Saudi Arabia to allow fully vaccinated tourists from Aug 1 without quarantine

By Shilpa Annie Joseph, Official Reporter
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Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders to international tourists who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from August 1, 2021, without the need for an institutional quarantine.

The Ministry of Tourism has stated that the “Kingdom will open its doors to tourists and lift off the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1.”

According to the reports, “Travelers will need to 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.”

Travelers who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has opened a web portal for visitors to register their vaccination status. The website is available in both Arabic and English. Furthermore, the visitors have to register their data via the “Tawakkalna” application, which is mandatory to enter public places.

Ahmed Al-Khateeb
Ahmed Al-Khateeb Tourism Minister
Saudi Arabia

“We welcome tourists again, and we are very happy to receive the Kingdom’s guests again after a hiatus due to the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic. We focused our efforts during the pause on close cooperation with our partners in all sectors to ensure a safe return through which visitors to the Kingdom can enjoy exploring its treasures, important destinations, and landmarks, enjoy unique tourist experiences, and learn about the culture of generosity and hospitality that characterizes Saudi society.”

The Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia must additionally present a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure, as well as an approved paper vaccination certificate validated by the issuing country’s official health authority.

Further, all visitors will be required to follow all Ministry of Health-approved precautionary measures, which include wearing a face mask in public and maintaining a physical distance.

Related: Saudi premium residency visa holders can avail tasattur status modification concessions until Aug 23

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