Saudi Arabia launches e-visas in seven countries including India

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has launched new initiative to issue electronic visas, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Starting in seven countries, e-Visas will replace visa stickers on passports and make it possible to retrieve visitor data using a QR code.

The initiative is part of the process to automate and improve the quality of consular services.

The new initiative went into effect in seven countries on May 1, 2023.

As the first phase, the new procedure was activated at the Kingdom’s diplomatic missions in

• UAE

• Jordan

• Egypt

• Bangladesh

• India

• Indonesia

• Philippines

The country is seeking to diversify its oil-dependent economy and attract more foreign visitors.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib said in March 2023 that the number of visitors to Saudi Arabia reached 2.4 million in January and rose to 2.5 million in February.

The Kingdom aims to receive 25 million foreign tourists this year.