Saudi permits fully vaccinated expats to return from countries facing travel ban including UAE, India

Saudi Arabia has announced that expats who are fully vaccinated can now return directly to the kingdom, including those travelling from countries facing a travel ban.

The decision also includes those who passed through any of the banned countries during the 14 days preceding the request to enter the kingdom.

However, officials also clarified that only expats with valid residency documents who received two doses of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia before they departed for their home country will be permitted to return.

Saudi imposed a travel ban on several countries earlier this year including the UAE, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

The ban only permitted Saudi citizens, foreign diplomats, health practitioners, and their families to travel back from the countries.

Also read: Three-year travel ban for Saudis who visit “red list” countries

An official source of the Ministry of Interior said that the latest decision was based on the improving Covid-19 situation in Saudi Arabia, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The expats will need to apply all the precautionary measures approved by the relevant authorities, the report added.

Previously, Saudi had said that expats who are stranded abroad due to the current travel restrictions will have their residence permits extended until August 31 automatically and for free. Apart from residents, the validity of visit visas for visitors who are in the countries from where entry is suspended will also be extended until August 31.

Read: Saudi Arabia to extend visa validity of expats stranded abroad until August 31

The kingdom has reported a drop in the new Covid-19 cases in recent days.

It announced 353 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections recorded in the country number to 542,707, including 4,377 active cases.

The kingdom also recorded seven additional deaths have been reported, putting the tally of fatalities at 8,497.

Meanwhile, 456 patients recovered, with the total recoveries at 529,833.