The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced the implementation of new quarantine procedures for non-Saudi travelers arriving to Saudi Arabia starting May 20, 2021. The new procedures state that a seven-day quarantine will be applied to unvaccinated non-Saudi citizens arriving from countries no longer on the Kingdom’s travel ban.*
The following groups of people are excluded from the new rules regarding institutional quarantine:
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- Saudi citizens, citizens’ spouses, sons and daughters of citizens, and domestic workers accompanying any of the aforementioned groups. Non-immune travelers in this category must comply with a home quarantine for a period of 7 days and are allowed to take a PCR test on the 6th day of quarantine;
- Unvaccinated domestic workers accompanying a vaccinated resident. Non-immune travelers in this category must comply with a home quarantine for a period of 7 days and are allowed to take a PCR test on the 6th day of quarantine;
- Immune travelers. Travelers who have completed 14 days since receiving all doses of a vaccination do not need to quarantine upon arrival; however they must present official vaccination certificates that have been attested by authorities in their home country. Travelers who have not received the full dose of vaccination will be required to quarantine. The approved vaccines are two doses of the Pfizer/-BioNTech vaccine, two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, two doses of the Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Jansen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. All travelers must also show a COVID-19 PCR test showing a negative result at least 72 hours before their flight;
- Official delegations;
- Those holding diplomatic visas, diplomats, and their families residing with them;
- Airline crew, sea crew;
- Truck drivers and their assistants from all ports;
- Those involved in health supply chains, according to the Ministry of Health.
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GACA has obligated air carriers to coordinate with shelters and accommodation facilities, approved by the Ministry of Tourism, to accommodate travelers who need to quarantine. The cost of quarantine will be included in the ticket price, however each traveler must have a valid health insurance policy to cover the risks that may result from infection with the Coronavirus.
GACA applies all precautionary measures at airports across Saudi Arabia with the aim of providing an integral safe environment for visitors. GACA has also opened 24/7 communication channels in the Passenger Care Center at the following toll-free number: (800116888).
Vaccination Registration Web Portal: The Government of Saudi Arabia has created a web portal for travelers to the Kingdom to register their vaccination data to expedite entry procedures into the Kingdom: https://muqeem.sa/#/vaccine-registration/register
Visa Services: With the resumption of international flights into the Kingdom, the Council is available to facilitate every step of the visa process for members and non-members. Learn about our member sponsorship letters, 2-day turnaround for expedited visa processing, and other services HERE.
*The full list of countries from which travel is suspended is as follows: Argentina, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, and India.
