Short answer
A Pakistani passport alone opens the Saudi tourist eVisa only if Pakistan is on the Visit Saudi country list. As of 15 September 2026, the rules also allow holders of a used US, UK or Schengen visa, and some GCC residents. Otherwise, apply through a Saudi mission, or be invited by a relative or company. Insurance is required, work is forbidden, and Hajj needs a Hajj visa.
Can Pakistanis get the Saudi tourist eVisa?
Sometimes. Your nationality is only one way in. Saudi Arabia publishes a list of countries whose nationals can apply online, and it also opens the eVisa to people of any nationality who hold certain visas or residence permits.
What the official regulation says
As of 15 September 2026, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism publishes Tourist Visa Regulations that set out three ways to get a tourist visa: a visa on arrival, an eVisa through the Visit Saudi platform, or a visa through a Saudi diplomatic mission or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ digital embassy. The list of nationalities eligible for the first two is published on the Visit Saudi website.
So the first check is simple. Open the eligibility page on the official Visit Saudi platform on the day you plan to apply, and look for Pakistan. Do not rely on a forwarded message, a YouTube video or a travel page from last year. Country lists have been expanded several times, and they can change again.
If Pakistan is not on the list
You are not shut out. The same regulation says that nationals of countries not on the list can still get a tourist visa through a Saudi mission or the digital embassy, with extra documents. It also treats some people as if their country were on the list, because of other visas or residence permits they hold. The next section explains those routes.
Age and passport rules for every tourist
The regulation says tourists must be at least 18, unless accompanied by a guardian or a safe companion. Your passport must be valid for at least six months, subject to any bilateral agreements. You must also register your fingerprints and face during the application or on arrival, give your address in Saudi Arabia, and pay the visa fee.
Which visas or residence permits can open the eVisa for Pakistanis?
As of 15 September 2026, the Tourist Visa Regulations give four routes that do not depend on nationality. If one fits you, you apply as if your country were on the eligible list.
A used US, UK or Schengen visa
You qualify if you hold a valid tourist or business visa from the United States, the United Kingdom or a Schengen country. The regulation adds a condition that catches many people: the visa must have been used at least once to enter the country that issued it. A fresh UK visa you have never travelled on does not count yet.
If you are thinking of getting one of those visas first, read the UK visit visa guide and the Schengen visa guide. Apply for them because you genuinely plan to visit those countries, not only as a key to Saudi Arabia.
Permanent residence in the US, UK or EU
Pakistanis with permanent residence in the United States, the European Union or the United Kingdom are also covered. A student or work permit is not the same as permanent residence, so check which one you hold.
A residence visa in a GCC country
The regulation covers holders of a residence visa in a GCC country, valid for at least three months, for the professions published on the Visit Saudi website. This matters for the many Pakistanis living in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Check that your occupation is on the current list, because the rules for GCC residents have been updated before.
Family members travelling with you
Each of these routes extends to your first-degree relatives who travel with you. For GCC residents, the regulation also includes domestic workers coming with their sponsors.
How do you get a Saudi tourist visa without a US, UK or Schengen visa?
Apply through a Saudi diplomatic mission or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ digital embassy, with more supporting documents. Buying an approved tour package from a licensed provider is another option under the same regulation.
Extra documents for the mission route
As of 15 September 2026, the Tourist Visa Regulations list these for nationals of countries that are not on the eVisa list:
- a return ticket with your flight itinerary;
- an accommodation booking in Saudi Arabia, with your home address in Pakistan;
- an employee identification certificate;
- a bank statement or salary certificate as proof of your finances.
These come on top of the basics every tourist needs: the application form, supporting documents, biometrics, a passport valid for six months, approved medical insurance and the fee. The Saudi embassy website for Pakistan points visa applicants to the KSA Visa platform.
Tour packages from licensed providers
The regulation also lets you apply as if your country were listed if you buy a tour package approved by the Ministry of Tourism, prepared by a licensed travel and tourism provider. The package must include the visa cost, accommodation, a return flight and other travel services. The Ministry can still ask for your details to be verified through a mission.
A local agent selling “Saudi tourist visa packages” should be able to name the licensed Saudi provider behind the package. If they cannot, treat it as a warning.
How long is a Saudi tourist visa valid, and what does it cost?
It depends on whether the visa is single or multiple entry. As of 15 September 2026, the official fee is SAR 300, with medical insurance charged separately.
| Visa | Who applies | Validity and stay | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa, single entry | You, online if eligible, or through a Saudi mission | Valid three months; stay of no more than one month | Passport valid six months, approved medical insurance, biometrics, SAR 300 fee |
| Tourist visa, multiple entry | You, online if eligible, or through a Saudi mission | Valid one year; total stay of no more than three months | As above; no Hajj, no Umrah in the Hajj season, no work |
| Family visit visa | A Saudi citizen or resident with a work Iqama requests it | Shown on the approval and visa; check the KSA Visa platform | First-degree relatives such as parents, wife and children; request authenticated by employer or Chamber of Commerce |
| Business visit visa | A company or institution in Saudi Arabia requests it | Shown on the approval and visa | For people in managerial positions with a business relationship; request stamped by the Chamber of Commerce |
| Hajj | Not possible on any visit or tourist visa | Not applicable | Needs a Hajj visa through official Hajj arrangements |
Single entry or multiple entry
A single-entry visa gives you three months to use it and one month in the country. If you leave, the visa is finished. A multiple-entry visa lasts a year, but your total time in Saudi Arabia during that year cannot pass three months. Count every trip, not only the longest one.
The fee and what sits on top of it
The Tourist Visa Regulations set a fee of SAR 300, as prescribed by Royal Decree No. 2 dated 5/1/1441 AH. Insurance approved in Saudi Arabia is a separate requirement, so the total you pay will be more. Look at the full amount on the official platform before you pay. An agent’s charge comes on top of both.
I have not stated fees for family or business visit visas here, because I could not confirm them on an official Saudi page today. Check the amount on the KSA Visa platform or with the Saudi mission before you pay anyone.
How does the Saudi family visit visa work for Pakistanis?
Your relative in Saudi Arabia starts it. They request the visit online, and once it is approved, you complete the visa process from Pakistan.
Who can invite you
As of 15 September 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ family visit service is open to citizens and residents, for first-degree relatives such as parents, a wife and children. For residents, the Ministry sets two conditions worth checking early:
- the resident’s status must be valid;
- the resident must hold a work Iqama, not a relative’s (dependant) Iqama.
So in a family where only one person holds a work Iqama, that person is the one who should start the request. Check whose Iqama is which before anyone fills in the form.
How the request is made
The Ministry says the host completes the online form on its visa services platform, stamps it electronically, and authenticates it with the Chamber of Commerce or the employer. Data is entered in Arabic, but the visitors’ names must match their passports. The Ministry gives three business days for processing, with delays possible in exceptional cases.
What happens on the Pakistan side
After approval, you complete the visa application, insurance and biometrics through the KSA Visa platform, which the Saudi embassy website for Pakistan points to. Make sure every name, date of birth and passport number matches the passport exactly. A single spelling difference can stop the process.
What about business and personal visit visas?
Both are requested from inside Saudi Arabia. A business visit comes from a company or institution, and a personal visit from a Saudi citizen. Neither allows you to work.
Business visit visa
As of 15 September 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a company or institution in Saudi Arabia can request a business visit for one or more people in managerial positions with a business relationship. The form is stamped by the Chamber of Commerce, and processing takes three business days. Meetings and negotiations are a visit. Running a site or doing a job is work.
Personal visit visa
The Ministry also lists a personal visit service, requested by a Saudi citizen, for visitors who have no business or family relationship with them. Ask your host to check the current conditions on the Ministry’s platform before you book anything.
Can you perform Umrah on a Saudi visit or tourist visa?
Yes, outside the Hajj season, with a permit booked through Nusuk. Hajj is different, and it is not permitted on any visit or tourist visa.
The Umrah permit through Nusuk
As of 15 September 2026, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Umrah permit service lists visitors, GCC citizens, citizens and residents as eligible. The permit is booked through the Nusuk app and website, it is free, and the Ministry says it is issued immediately. You choose an available date and time.
The Ministry’s FAQ says you can register in Nusuk from outside Saudi Arabia as a visitor, as long as you hold a valid visa. It asks for your passport number, visa number, date of birth, nationality, mobile number and email. It also warns that if you cannot enter Saudi Arabia before or at the start of your permit time, the permit is cancelled automatically.
The Hajj season restriction
The Tourist Visa Regulations say a tourist must not perform Umrah during the Hajj season, which the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah determines. Check the dates for the year you travel before you book flights around Dhul Qa’dah and Dhul Hijjah.
Hajj needs a Hajj visa
The Tourist Visa Regulations say a tourist must not perform Hajj except under a Hajj visa. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s FAQ also answers no to the question of performing Hajj on a visit or work visa. For Hajj from Pakistan, use the official Hajj arrangements.
Umrah visas sold by agents
A separate Umrah visa exists. The Ministry’s FAQ says it can be obtained through approved platforms such as Nusuk or an accredited external agent, and that an external agent cannot issue one without a service package covering accommodation and transport. If a Pakistani operator offers an Umrah visa with no package, ask why.
What documents should you prepare in Pakistan?
The online application is short, but your wider file matters. Airlines, FIA and Saudi officers may all ask how the trip is planned and paid for.
For the application
- Passport. Valid for at least six months, with a clear scan of the data page.
- Photo. Recent, in the format the platform asks for.
- Insurance. Medical cover approved in Saudi Arabia, bought through the official process where the visa requires it.
- Eligibility proof. Your used US, UK or Schengen visa, permanent residence card, or GCC residence permit, if that is your route.
- Mission route extras. Return ticket, accommodation booking, employee identification certificate, and a bank statement or salary certificate.
For a family visit
Your host carries most of the paperwork in Saudi Arabia. From your side, keep NADRA documents that prove the relationship ready, such as a family registration certificate, birth certificate or marriage certificate. Ask your host whether any translation or attestation is needed before you pay for it.
For the journey
FIA’s Travellers’ Guide advises carrying a photocopy of the complete set of documents submitted for the visa, a valid return ticket, and enough money in cash or cards, or evidence of how expenses will be met. Add your insurance certificate, your hotel booking or host’s address and Iqama copy, and any Nusuk permit.
Can you work on a Saudi visit visa, and what happens if you overstay?
You cannot work on a visit or tourist visa, paid or unpaid. Overstaying is a breach of Saudi law, and FIA warns that it can lead to deportation and charges.
No work of any kind
As of 15 September 2026, the Tourist Visa Regulations list what a tourist must do in Saudi Arabia. They include keeping to the main purpose of the visa and not engaging in any paid or unpaid work. Unpaid “trial days” at a shop or a workshop are still work.
A job in Saudi Arabia needs an employment visa. On the Pakistan side, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis says that under the Emigration Ordinance 1979, every Pakistani going abroad on a work visa should be protected. A visit visa gives you neither.
Extensions
Saudi Arabia’s visit visa extensions are handled through the Ministry of Interior, and the rules differ by visa type. Check the current conditions on the Ministry’s official platforms, or ask your host, before you plan to stay longer. Never assume an extension will come through.
Overstaying
The Tourist Visa Regulations list staying within the visa’s validity and permitted stay as an obligation, and say penalties apply under the relevant laws. Check the current penalties with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior, and do not trust figures passed around on social media. FIA’s guide warns that overstaying abroad can lead to deportation and charges under that country’s laws.
What will FIA check at the Pakistani airport?
FIA immigration officers check that your passport and visa are genuine and valid, and they may ask questions about your trip. Anyone really travelling for work needs emigration protection.
At the immigration counter
FIA’s Travellers’ Guide says officers check that your travel documents are authentic and valid for the journey. They ask questions to confirm your identity and the authenticity of your passport and visa. A second officer re-checks the documents before you enter the departure lounge.
If you are offloaded
FIA’s guide says the shift in-charge will personally tell an offloaded passenger the reasons. It also says that if your passport and visa are genuine and valid, and there is no apparent misdeclaration of facts, immigration staff are not authorised to offload you. Raise any concern with the supervisory staff on duty. FIA’s helplines are 1991 and 051-111-345-786.
The protector requirement for work
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis explains that protection means a Foreign Service Agreement between you and the foreign employer or Overseas Employment Promoter, countersigned by the Protector of Emigrants. Section 15 of the Emigration Ordinance requires the person to appear before the Protector before emigrating. FIA’s guide says an employment visa should be obtained only through government-approved recruiting agents.
So someone travelling for a job cannot fix that with a visit or Umrah visa. As a lawyer, this is the point I stress to families: the story at the counter must be the true one.
Other practical checks
- Government officials need ex-Pakistan leave or a departmental NOC, and FIA says they must declare their official status.
- FIA says children under 12 travelling without parents need a power of attorney from their legal guardian, or must travel as unaccompanied minors.
- Keep a cancelled or expired passport with your new one for at least two years, as FIA’s guide suggests.
How do you spot a Saudi visa or job scam?
The most damaging scam is a paid “visit visa with a job” that leaves you with neither lawful work nor protection. Treat any offer that ties a job to a visit or Umrah visa as a serious warning.
Warning signs
- A job offer that says you will travel on a visit visa and “the company will convert it later”.
- An agent who suggests going on an Umrah visa and staying on to work.
- Offers of a “free visa”, where the visa is free but you pay a large sum for the job.
- Requests to hand over your original passport and keep it for weeks.
- Cash payments with no receipt, or deposits into a personal account.
- Advice to tell FIA you are visiting family when the real plan is work.
What Pakistani law says
Only a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter may recruit people in Pakistan for work abroad. Section 22 of the Emigration Ordinance 1979 makes it an offence, punishable with up to fourteen years’ imprisonment, a fine or both, for anyone who is not a promoter to take money for providing, or pretending to provide, a job abroad. A licensed promoter who charges more than the prescribed fee also commits an offence.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis says complaints against unlicensed recruiters are referred to FIA under Rule 29(4) of the Emigration Rules 1979. Check a promoter’s licence with the Protectorate of Emigrants before you pay.
Check the visa and the company
FIA’s Travellers’ Guide advises that a visa obtained through an agent should be verified with the destination country’s diplomatic mission in Pakistan well before travel. For the company itself, the guide to checking a visa consultant in Pakistan sets out the registration and licence checks, and where to report fraud.
How do you apply, step by step?
The route depends on your passport, the visas you already hold and who is inviting you. The order below works for most Pakistani visitors.
Match the visa to the real purpose
Write down why you are going: tourism and Umrah, a family visit, a business meeting, or work. Tourism, family and business each have their own visit visa. Work needs an employment visa and protection in Pakistan, never a visit visa.
Find your eligibility route
Check whether you hold a used US, UK or Schengen tourist or business visa, permanent residence in the US, UK or EU, or a GCC residence visa. If not, your route is a Saudi mission, a licensed tour package, or an invitation from a relative or company in Saudi Arabia.
Prepare your documents in Pakistan
Collect a passport valid for at least six months, your CNIC, a recent photo, a return ticket, an accommodation booking or your host’s details, a bank statement or salary certificate, and your employer’s identification certificate if you work.
Apply only through official channels
Use the Visit Saudi eVisa platform, the KSA Visa platform or a Saudi mission, as your route requires. Buy medical insurance approved in Saudi Arabia where it is required. If an agent helps, get the visa type, fee and service charge in writing first.
Check the visa and plan Umrah properly
Compare your name, passport number, visa type, entries, validity and length of stay with your plans. If an agent obtained the visa, have it verified with the Saudi mission, as FIA advises. Book any Umrah permit in the Nusuk app, outside the Hajj season.
Travel with your file and leave on time
Carry printed copies of the visa, insurance, return ticket, bookings or host documents, and proof of funds. Answer FIA in line with your papers. In Saudi Arabia, do no work of any kind, and leave before your permitted stay ends.
What goes wrong most often?
Applying on an unused UK, US or Schengen visa
The regulation requires that the visa has been used at least once to enter the issuing country. A traveller who got a UK visa last month but has not flown to Britain yet does not qualify through it.
A host with the wrong kind of Iqama
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a resident requesting a family visit must hold a work Iqama, not a dependant’s Iqama. Families lose weeks when the wrong person starts the request.
Planning Umrah in the Hajj season
Tourists must not perform Umrah during the Hajj season, and no visit visa allows Hajj. Booking flights for Dhul Hijjah on a tourist visa, in the hope of joining Hajj, puts you in breach of the visa’s terms.
Miscounting the stay
A single-entry tourist visa allows one month. A multiple-entry visa allows three months in total across a year. People confuse the visa’s validity with the days they may stay, and overstay without meaning to.
Going for a job on a visit visa
This is the costly one. The traveller pays for a visa and a promised job, travels without protection, and has no lawful right to work on arrival. The money is often gone for good.
A realistic example
This is a hypothetical illustration, not a real client. Naveed works as a site engineer in Riyadh on a work Iqama. His parents, Abdul Ghafoor and Shamim, live in Gujranwala. They want to spend three weeks with him and perform Umrah during the visit.
- Two months before. Naveed confirms that parents are first-degree relatives and that his work Iqama qualifies. He submits the family visit request and has it authenticated by his employer.
- Documents. His parents’ passports have more than a year left. Their names on the request match the passports exactly, letter by letter.
- The visa. After approval, they complete the visa, insurance and biometrics through the KSA Visa platform. They check the stay on each visa and book return flights well inside it, outside the Hajj season.
- Umrah. Once in Saudi Arabia, they register in Nusuk as visitors and book a free Umrah permit for a date when Naveed can drive them to Makkah.
- At Allama Iqbal airport. They carry the visas, insurance, return tickets, Naveed’s address and Iqama copy, and some cash. Their answers to FIA match their papers.
Everything in their file tells one simple story, and it is the true one.
The version that goes wrong
Now imagine Naveed’s cousin Waqas, 25, from a village near Gujranwala. An agent offers him a “free visa” for Saudi Arabia with a driving job. The visa, he is told, costs nothing, but the job costs PKR 600,000. The agent keeps his passport, gives no receipt, holds no promoter licence, and says he will travel on a visit visa and be “converted” later. Waqas is told to say he is visiting his cousin. If FIA’s questions uncover the plan, he may not fly. If he does fly and starts driving, he is working in breach of his visa, with no protection from Pakistan, and his stay runs out while he waits for a conversion that may never come.
Key takeaways
- A Pakistani passport alone opens the Saudi tourist eVisa only if Pakistan is on the current Visit Saudi country list.
- A used US, UK or Schengen tourist or business visa, US, UK or EU permanent residence, or a qualifying GCC residence visa can open the eVisa route.
- Without those, apply through a Saudi mission or the digital embassy with a ticket, booking, employer certificate and bank statement.
- As of 15 September 2026, a tourist visa costs SAR 300 plus approved medical insurance; single entry allows one month, multiple entry three months in a year.
- A family visit is requested by a citizen or a resident with a work Iqama, for first-degree relatives.
- Visitors can book a free Umrah permit in Nusuk outside the Hajj season, but no visit or tourist visa allows Hajj.
- Working on any visit visa is forbidden; a job abroad needs an employment visa and protection in Pakistan.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistanis apply for the Saudi tourist eVisa online?
Only if Pakistan appears on the eligible-country list on the Visit Saudi platform, or you qualify another way. As of 15 September 2026, the Ministry of Tourism’s Tourist Visa Regulations open the eVisa route to holders of used US, UK or Schengen visas, US, UK or EU permanent residents, and some GCC residents.
Does my UK or US visit visa let me get a Saudi eVisa?
It can. The Tourist Visa Regulations cover a valid tourist or business visa from the United States, the United Kingdom or a Schengen country, provided you have used it at least once to enter the country that issued it. An unused visa does not qualify. Accompanying first-degree relatives are also covered.
I live and work in Dubai. Can I get a Saudi eVisa?
Possibly. The regulations include holders of a GCC residence visa valid for at least three months, in the professions published on the Visit Saudi platform. Your first-degree relatives travelling with you are covered too. Check that your occupation is on the current list, because eligibility rules for GCC residents have been updated before.
How long can I stay on a Saudi tourist visa?
As of 15 September 2026, the Tourist Visa Regulations say a single-entry visa is valid for three months with a stay of no more than one month. A multiple-entry visa is valid for one year, with a total stay of no more than three months during that year. Check the stay printed on your own visa.
How much does the Saudi tourist visa cost?
As of 15 September 2026, the Tourist Visa Regulations set a fee of SAR 300, under Royal Decree No. 2 dated 5/1/1441 AH. Medical insurance approved in Saudi Arabia is a separate requirement, so the amount you pay in total will be higher. Agents add their own service charge on top.
Can my son in Saudi Arabia call me on a family visit visa?
Yes, if he meets the conditions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says citizens and residents can request a family visit for first-degree relatives, such as parents, a wife and children. A resident must hold a work Iqama, not a dependant’s Iqama, and have the request authenticated by his employer or the Chamber of Commerce.
Can I perform Umrah on a Saudi tourist or visit visa?
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah lists visitors among those who can book an Umrah permit, free, through the Nusuk app and website. The Tourist Visa Regulations say tourists must not perform Umrah during the Hajj season set by that Ministry. Book the permit well before your chosen date.
Can I perform Hajj on a visit visa?
No. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s FAQ answers “no” to performing Hajj on a visit or work visa, and the Tourist Visa Regulations say a tourist must not perform Hajj except under a Hajj visa. Pakistanis who want to perform Hajj should use Pakistan’s official Hajj arrangements instead.
Is medical insurance compulsory for a Saudi visit visa?
For a tourist visa, yes. The Tourist Visa Regulations list medical insurance approved in Saudi Arabia among the applicant’s obligations. For family and business visit visas, check the insurance step on the KSA Visa platform when you apply, and buy cover only from providers that platform approves.
Can I work in Saudi Arabia on a visit visa?
No. The Tourist Visa Regulations forbid a tourist from any paid or unpaid work. Work needs an employment visa, and in Pakistan every person going abroad on a work visa should be protected under the Emigration Ordinance 1979. A job that starts on a visit visa leaves you unprotected in both countries.
Do I need a protector stamp to visit Saudi Arabia?
Not for a genuine visit, family trip or Umrah. Protection is for work. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis explains that it means a Foreign Service Agreement between you and the employer or promoter, countersigned by the Protector of Emigrants. If the real purpose is a job, you need it.
Can Ch. Bilal Rasheed help me with a Saudi visit visa?
He offers a free first consultation in Lahore, on WhatsApp or by phone, with general guidance and a lawyer’s reading of any job offer or agent agreement. No one can guarantee a visa. He is a qualified lawyer in Pakistan, not a Saudi lawyer, and he does not offer job placement.
