Saudi Arabia to extend visas of Ukrainians in kingdom

Saudi Arabia has decided to extend the visas of those within the country, including tourists and businesspersons.

Following a royal directive issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Friday, the General Directorate of Passports announced the visa extension on humanitarian grounds, according to Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The visas will be extended without fees charged or any fines collected, and the extension will be carried out automatically without the applicant needing to file for an extension.

Earlier this month, SPA reported that Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense for Saudi Arabia, received a phone call from President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

In implementation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s royal directive, “the GD of Passports” announced extension of visas for Ukrainians in the Kingdom for humanitarian considerations, whether they are tourists or businessmen.#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/ZPr30fDe9I

— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) March 18, 2022

During that call, the Crown Prince affirmed the kingdom’s support for everything that contributes to de-escalating the crisis, and its readiness to mediate between all parties, as well as its support for all international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis politically.

The Crown Prince at the time indicated that Saudi would extend the visas of Ukrainian visitors, tourists and residents in the kingdom for three months. However, the latest directive has not specified a timeframe for which the visas will be renewed.

The neighbouring country of UAE meanwhile reinstated the visa-free entry of all Ukrainian citizens from March 3. Ukrainian citizens who arrive in the UAE before March 3 can continue to stay for a period of up to a year without having to pay any fines, while those who arrive after March 3 can only stay for 30 days.

Read: UAE reinstates visa-free entry for Ukrainian citizens