Saudi Arabia: visa and entry rules

Saudi Arabia's borders: every crossing point

Saudi Arabia's land border crossings, listed by the neighbours it shares a border with:

With the UAE: Al Batha - Al Ghuwaifat, the only crossing in this direction, open around the clock.

With Qatar: Salwa - Abu Samra, also the only one. It was closed from 2017 until January 2021 because of the blockade of Qatar.

With Bahrain: the King Fahd Causeway — an embankment about 25 kilometres long. It is Bahrain's only land link with the outside world.

With Kuwait: Al Khafji and An Nuwaiseeb on the coast, As Salmi inland.

With Jordan: Al Haditha and Ad Durra.

With Iraq: Arar.

With Oman a direct road across the Rub al Khali desert opened in 2021.

The border with Yemen is closed because of the war.

Driving to Saudi Arabia

The country lies on the route between the Gulf and the Levant, so all road transit passes through it: there is no other way to drive from the UAE to Jordan.

The temporary import period for Saudi Arabia and whether a carnet is needed are questions for the local customs service. The neighbouring countries have their own rules, and general figures do not carry over here.

An International Driving Permit is compulsory.

Insurance is taken out locally.

Women may drive — the ban was lifted in 2018, and rental companies rent cars to women on the same terms as to men.

Travelling to Saudi Arabia with a pet

An import permit is required, arranged in advance.

An international-standard microchip is compulsory.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

The veterinary certificate is endorsed by the state veterinary service of the country of departure.

Dogs are a separate matter. Import is essentially allowed only for working, hunting and guide dogs; bringing in a small dog as a household pet is difficult, and this has to be settled before you buy tickets.

Check vaccination and test timings for Saudi Arabia with your national veterinary service before buying tickets.

Overstaying your visa in Saudi Arabia

Fines here are noticeably harsher than in the neighbouring countries, and deportation and an entry ban are added to them.

The fine is worked out at the border on departure, and the sum cannot be learned in advance. In a country this strict it is better to have a reserve of cash for the way out.

The calendar year has to be counted. An overstay arises not only when the stamp has expired, but also when all 90 days for the year have been used up and you are still in the country.

Leaving of your own accord is cheaper than waiting for a document check.