Saudis To Get Entry Visa Exemption To EU
Saudi nationals will soon be exempt from pre-entry visa requirements to European Union (EU) countries, allowing them to travel freely within the Schengen area, which comprises the EU's 27 member states, an EU official has said.
Christophe Farnaud, the EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, confirmed that work is underway to exempt Saudi citizens from short-stay visa requirements entirely. In the meantime, recent changes already mark a major development in easing travel between the Kingdom and the EU's 27-member Schengen area. 'About a year ago, specifically in April 2024, the European Commission adopted new rules enabling Saudi citizens – and those from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman — to obtain multi-entry visas valid for short stays of up to five years,' Farnaud said.
He noted that these changes go beyond convenience; they are a meaningful step toward strengthening people-to-people ties and encouraging regular exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Europe.
Ambassador Farnaud also highlighted Saudi Arabia's growing openness to international tourism, emphasising that Europe has a key role to play in supporting this transformation. He pointed to enhanced tourism exchange and streamlined travel procedures as drivers of greater mutual understanding and a shared sense of global community.
With this new visa policy, Saudi citizens will be able to travel to Europe multiple times over a five-year period with a single visa — ushering in a new era of accessibility, cultural dialogue, and strategic partnership.
In April 2024, the European Union announced its decision to grant a five-year valid multiple-entry visa to citizens of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The decision was adopted by the European Commission to harmonise the rules for granting multiple-entry visas for the citizens of the GCC countries. The landmark decision allows Saudi citizens to visit the EU multiple times over a period of five years with the same visa.
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