Saudi Arabia entry requirements for travellers from India
India is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest visitor markets, and Indian travellers arrive for three quite different reasons: Umrah, business, and visiting family already working in the Kingdom. Each has its own route, and India sits outside the tourist eVisa scheme, so none of them is the simple online application that travellers from Europe or East Asia enjoy. This guide sets out which route applies to you.
Visa requirement summary
Indian citizens need a visa for Saudi Arabia. India is not among the 66 nationalities eligible for the tourist eVisa, so you cannot obtain one on the strength of an Indian passport alone, and there is no visa on arrival.
There are three realistic routes.
The most useful one for many Indian travellers is an exception rather than a nationality rule. Holders of a valid Schengen, United Kingdom or United States visa that has already been used to enter that country, and permanent residents of the EU, UK, US and GCC states, can apply for the Saudi visitor eVisa whatever passport they hold. Given how many Indian business and leisure travellers already hold a used US or UK visa, this is the route worth checking first. It gives you the full terms: 365 days of validity, multiple entries, and up to 90 days of cumulative stay, with health cover of up to SAR 100,000 included.
The second is the Umrah visa, arranged through the Nusuk platform rather than the tourist system. Since July 2026 there has been a one year multiple entry Umrah visa, valid for 365 days with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days, arranged by buying a service package from an approved Nusuk provider and obtaining an Umrah permit in the Nusuk app before arrival.
The third is a visit visa for family or business, applied for through Saudi channels with a sponsor or inviting party in the Kingdom. Tourist visas for nationalities outside the eVisa scheme are applied for at a Saudi embassy or consulate.
One restriction matters here. Since February 2025 India has been one of fourteen nationalities limited to single entry visit visas rather than the multiple entry versions previously available. Umrah visas, Hajj visas, residence visas and existing multiple entry holders were not affected. The restriction bites on business, tourism and family visit visas.
How long you can stay
If you qualify for the eVisa through a used Schengen, UK or US visa, you have 365 days of validity, multiple entries and up to 90 days of cumulative stay. The 90 days is the sum of all your visits rather than a fresh allowance each time you enter, which matters if you travel to Saudi Arabia regularly for work.
On the one year Umrah visa the terms mirror that: 365 days of validity and 90 days cumulative, with each visit tied to the service package booked and limited to the days remaining.
On a visit visa, the position most recently set out was single entry with a maximum stay of up to 90 days. The letter of invitation does not settle this. Saudi authorities decide validity and the number of entries when the visa is issued.
Passport validity requirements
Your Indian passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date.
Evidence of previous travel to Israel in your passport may result in refused entry.
Proof of funds and financial requirements
Saudi Arabia does not publish a fixed figure for Indian visitors. On a business trip an invitation from the company you are visiting carries most of the weight. On a family visit your sponsor in the Kingdom is central to the application. On an Umrah package, accommodation and transport are already paid for.
If you are applying for a visit visa expect to supply bank statements and proof of employment or business alongside the invitation.
Onward or return travel
You should be able to show onward or return travel inside the period your visa allows. This matters more on a single entry visit visa than on the other routes, because leaving the country ends the permission.
Applying for the visa
Start by checking whether the eVisa exception applies to you. If you hold a Schengen, UK or US visa that you have already used to enter that country, or permanent residence in the EU, UK, US or a GCC state, you can apply at visa.visitsaudi.com and skip the embassy entirely. This is the single biggest time saver available to Indian travellers and it is frequently missed.
For Umrah, applications go through the Nusuk platform. Since August 2025 the Nusuk Umrah service has let pilgrims apply for the visa and book accommodation, transport and tours directly rather than only through a licensed agent. You must obtain the Umrah permit in the Nusuk app before you travel.
The one year Umrah visa does not activate during the Hajj season, from the first of Dhu Al Qi’dah to the 13th of Dhu Al Hijjah.
Hajj requires a separate visa through Nusuk Hajj. In India, Hajj is administered through a committee under a quota system, so places are allocated rather than granted on application.
For a family or business visit visa, your sponsor in Saudi Arabia initiates the invitation and the application is completed through Saudi channels. For a tourist visa, nationalities outside the eVisa scheme apply at a Saudi embassy or consulate.
On timing, be careful in spring. Saudi authorities have described the restrictions affecting Indian travellers as temporary with no promised date for reconsideration, and they have tightened around Hajj before. In April 2025 visit visas for the affected nationalities were suspended outright until after the pilgrimage. Check the current position before booking flights.
Health requirements
Travellers going for Hajj or Umrah must show proof of quadrivalent meningococcal vaccination covering the ACWY strains. This is a pilgrim requirement and it is checked.
A yellow fever certificate is required if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is endemic. A direct flight from India will not trigger this, but a routing through an affected country can.
Other entry requirements
Alcohol is prohibited and bringing it into the country is a serious offence.
Flights into Jeddah, Madinah and Taif are restricted during the Hajj season, which can affect business travellers with no connection to the pilgrimage.
Entry to Mecca is restricted to Muslims, and parts of Medina are similarly restricted.
A visit visa covers meetings, conferences and events. Taking up employment in Saudi Arabia requires an entirely different permission, and if you already hold a Saudi residence permit through work then none of the visitor routes above apply to you.
FAQs
Can Indian citizens get a Saudi eVisa?
Not on an Indian passport alone, because India is not among the 66 eligible nationalities. You can get one if you hold a used Schengen, UK or US visa, or permanent residence in the EU, UK, US or a GCC country.
Is there a visa on arrival for Indians?
No. Visa on arrival is available only to the 66 eVisa eligible nationalities, which does not include India.
Was the Umrah route affected by the 2025 restrictions?
No. The single entry restriction applied to business, tourism and family visit visas. Umrah and Hajj visas were unaffected.
How long can I stay on a visit visa?
The position most recently set out was single entry with a maximum stay of up to 90 days, decided by Saudi authorities at the point of issue rather than at invitation.
Can I perform Umrah on a visitor eVisa?
Yes, if you qualify for the eVisa through the used visa or residence exception. The eVisa permits Umrah but not Hajj.
Does the new one year Umrah visa work during Hajj season?
No. It does not activate between the first of Dhu Al Qi’dah and the 13th of Dhu Al Hijjah.
Official sources
Saudi eVisa portal: https://visa.visitsaudi.com/
Visit Saudi visa regulations: https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/plan-your-trip/visa-regulations
Saudi visa portal: https://ksavisa.sa/
Nusuk platform: https://www.nusuk.sa/