Saudi lifts Covid-19 restrictions, scraps PCR testing requirement for incoming travellers

Saudi Arabia announced that it is lifting all precautionary and preventive measures related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, incoming passengers are not mandated to provide negative PCR tests or rapid antigen tests when arriving into the kingdom. Institutional as well as home quarantine for passengers arriving into the country has also been discontinued.

However, travellers arriving into the kingdom on visit visas are required to have medical insurance that would cover all treatment costs related to Covid-19 during the passenger’s stay in the country.

People in the kingdom are also no longer required to wear a mask in open places, while they must continue to do so within closed spaces, Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an official source in the Ministry of Interior.

An official source at Ministry of Interior: All precautionary and preventive measures related to combating Corona pandemic are lifted.https://t.co/SzOMJRv35K#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/KlSUYso4Ns

— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) March 5, 2022

Additionally, social distancing protocols in all closed and open places, activities and events has been suspended. Physical distancing measures in mosques, including the Holy Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque also been removed, although people must continue to wear masks.

Also, Saudi has lifted the suspension on flights to and from countries, which include South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia, Madagascar, Angola, Seychelles, United Republic of Comoros, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Afghanistan.

However, authorities confirmed that implementing the national plan for immunisation was important, which includes taking the third booster dose.

Saudi citizens who wish to travel abroad are mandated to take the third Covid-19 vaccine booster shot, it was announced last month.

Read: Saudi mandates Covid-19 booster shot for citizens travelling abroad

The kingdom reported 317 new Covid-19 infections on March 6, raising nationwide case count to 747,436.

#الصحة تعلن عن تسجيل (317) حالة إصابة جديدة بفيروس كورونا (كوفيد-19)، وتسجيل (2) حالات وفاة رحمهم الله، وتسجيل (668) حالة تعافي ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات المتعافية (727,544) حالة ولله الحمد. pic.twitter.com/BmM72oIj3y

— وزارة الصحة السعودية (@SaudiMOH) March 6, 2022