Riyadh: Authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have urged all foreign travellers coming to the kingdom to electronically register the vaccination against COVID-19 before their arrival to facilitate their entry, local media reported on Friday.
The Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) said that the registration includes citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, holders of all types of new visas as well as foreign residents and their families.
The step aims to speed up the entry of expatriates into the Kingdom and shorten the waiting time at entry points.
Those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine abroad and travelling to the Kingdom may register their vaccination certificates on the Saudi Ministry of Health website.
The approved vaccines are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
On May 17, Saudi Arabia fully lifted the restrictions on foreign travel for its immunized citizens after 16 months of suspension due to the precautions taken to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Kingdom also reopened all its borders, allowing vaccinated foreign residents to travel abroad and return as long as they did not enter certain countries due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Kingdom still bans flights with 13 countries including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
The validity of iqamas (residency permits), exit and re-entry visas, as well as visit visas of expatriates who are currently stranded in the countries facing travel ban, will be extended until September 30, 2021, free of cost, the Saudi Press Agency reported on August 12.