United States passport → Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia visa for American citizens

Visa on arrival

Visa on arrival · 90 days

American citizens need a visa for Saudi Arabia, but can get it on arrival, for stays of up to 90 days. Eligible travellers get a one-year multiple-entry tourist eVisa online or at an international airport, for up to 90 days in total. The UK advises against all but essential travel and against all travel within 10 km of the Yemen border.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
Visa on arrival
Max stay
90 days
Also limited
90 days per year (counted here as any 365 days)
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

90 days is about three months. If you arrive on 1 November 2026, your last legal day is 29 January 2027, because the arrival day is day one. Use the stay calculator for your own dates.

Days in Saudi Arabia also add up over time: 90 days per year (counted here as any 365 days). Leaving and coming back does not reset that total, so earlier stays count. The stay calculator checks both limits when you add your earlier trips.

How Saudi Arabia counts your stay: Tourist visa: up to 90 days in total per year. Overstaying brings heavy fines, detention and a re-entry ban, and you cannot leave until fines are paid (including automated traffic fines).

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • Tourist visa on arrival — Processing: At international airports; Validity: Same as the tourist eVisa: one year, multiple entry; Stay: 90 days in total per year.
  • Saudi tourist eVisa — Before departure (or on arrival at an international airport); Shown on the official portal; includes health insurance. Tourism only, not Hajj or study. The visa includes health cover up to SAR 100,000; extra travel insurance is advised. Some visas allow entry by air only: check before using the causeway from Bahrain. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Passport valid at least 6 months from entry
  • Evidence of travel to Israel, or of birth there, may lead to refusal; some Egyptian or Jordanian stamps from crossings with Israel have also led to refusals
  • Alcohol, pork, pornography, weapons and narcotics are prohibited
  • Umrah pilgrims need a meningococcal (ACWY) vaccination certificate

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Plan to leave a day or two early. With 90 days, book your exit before the last legal day so a cancelled flight doesn't push you over.
  • Extensions. Our data has no extension route for Saudi Arabia; plan to leave on time or arrange a different visa in advance.
  • Keep a record of every entry and exit. The period limit adds up all your stays, and border officers can see them.
  • What overstaying costs. Overstaying brings heavy fines, detention and a re-entry ban, and you cannot leave until fines are paid (including automated traffic fines).

Good to know

Official details are shown in English.

  • Hajj needs a separate Hajj visa; during Hajj non-pilgrims may be stopped from flying to Jeddah, Madinah and Taif.
  • A transit visa may be needed if you pass through immigration, travel on separate tickets or connect for over 12 hours.

Questions

Do American citizens need a visa for Saudi Arabia?

American citizens need a visa for Saudi Arabia, but can get it on arrival, for stays of up to 90 days.

How long can American citizens stay in Saudi Arabia?

Up to 90 days, according to Bordr's data. Tourist visa: up to 90 days in total per year. Overstaying brings heavy fines, detention and a re-entry ban, and you cannot leave until fines are paid (including automated traffic fines).

What do I need at the border in Saudi Arabia?

Passport valid at least 6 months from entry; Evidence of travel to Israel, or of birth there, may lead to refusal; some Egyptian or Jordanian stamps from crossings with Israel have also led to refusals; Alcohol, pork, pornography, weapons and narcotics are prohibited.

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for Saudi Arabia against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

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