Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Saudi Press Agency, has announced the launch of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service for UK citizens traveling to Saudi Arabia. The measure will take effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and will apply, according to Saudi authorities, to holders of all types of UK passports.
The electronic travel authorization will allow British travelers to enter Saudi Arabia multiple times with a single ETA. Stays may last up to 180 days, either continuously or across several trips, within a one-year period.
The system will cover travel for tourism, business and short-term study. It will not apply to work visas, residence visas or Hajj visas, which will remain subject to separate procedures.
A measure presented as reciprocal
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launches Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service for UK citizens visiting Saudi Arabia 🇬🇧🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/e1i6p85BR8
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) June 25, 2026
Riyadh is presenting the announcement within the broader framework of bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The Saudi statement specifically refers to the facilitation granted to Saudi citizens by UK authorities.
Since the rollout of the UK ETA, Saudi nationals have been required to obtain an electronic travel authorization to travel to the United Kingdom when they do not need a visa. The UK states that the ETA allows travel for stays of up to six months, including for tourism, family visits and certain other purposes, and currently costs £20.
The former UK Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) process is no longer available to Saudi nationals and several other Gulf nationalities, who must now use the UK ETA.
What are the current entry formalities for British travelers visiting Saudi Arabia?
Before the new Saudi ETA comes into force, British travelers already have several digital options for visiting the Kingdom, depending on the purpose and length of stay.
For tourism, the official Visit Saudi portal lists UK nationals among the nationalities eligible for the Saudi tourist e-Visa. The visa is valid for one year, allows multiple entries and permits stays of up to 90 days. It covers tourism activities, events, family visits, leisure travel and Umrah outside the Hajj season, but notably excludes study.
The United Kingdom also reminds British travelers that they can currently use either an e-Visa or an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW). The Saudi EVW is available for tourism, business, medical treatment, study and Umrah outside the Hajj season. It allows a single entry and a stay of up to six months, but does not include medical insurance. Applications must be submitted online at least 48 hours before the flight and up to 90 days before departure.
The new ETA announced by Riyadh therefore appears to differ from the current EVW in two key ways: it is designed for multiple entries and allows a cumulative stay of up to 180 days over one year. Saudi authorities have not yet specified, in the publicly available information reviewed, whether the ETA will replace the EVW for UK citizens or whether the different systems will coexist depending on the traveler’s situation.
VisasNews Take
For British travelers, this ETA should make trips to Saudi Arabia easier to understand, particularly thanks to multiple entries and the maximum stay of 180 days over one year. The main point to watch will be practical: once the service opens, travelers will need to check which option applies between the ETA and the e-Visa, depending on the purpose of travel. As is often the case with electronic travel authorizations, the process is simpler, but it does not fully replace specialized visas: work, residence and Hajj remain separate categories.
