(RIYADH) — Saudi Arabia and Russia launched a mutual visa-free travel regime on May 11, 2026, opening short-term travel between the two countries without visas as they marked the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The arrangement allows citizens of both countries to enter without a visa for tourism, business, or visits to family and friends, for up to 90 days per calendar year. Travelers can use those days in one continuous stay or across multiple trips.

Saudi Arabia signed the agreement with Russia on December 1, 2025 in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Saudi-Russian Investment and Business Forum. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi foreign minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi minister of energy, and Alexander Novak, Russian deputy prime minister, signed the deal.

Relations between the two states date to February 19, 1926, when the Soviet Union became the first country to recognize the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. Saudi Arabia was later unified in 1932.

Under the new regime, the exemption applies to all passport holders from both countries, including diplomatic, special, and ordinary passports. Russia is the first country with which Saudi Arabia has concluded a mutual visa exemption for ordinary passport holders.

Several categories remain outside the agreement. Travel for work, study, residency, Hajj, or Umrah still requires specific visas.

That carveout leaves the deal focused on short-term mobility rather than labor migration or long-term relocation. It is designed for visits, not settlement.

Saudi and Russian officials tied the launch to a broader diplomatic calendar in 2026. Centennial events include a historical photography exhibition in Moscow hosted by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives.

Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian deputy foreign minister, pointed to a sharp increase in air links as the two countries prepared for the new regime. Russian flights to Saudi Arabia rose by 42% in 2025, while Saudi flights to Russia increased by more than 35%.

Those increases offer a measure of how traffic was already building before the visa rules changed. Easier entry removes an administrative hurdle for travelers who previously needed consular approval even for short trips.

Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the Federation Council, described the relationship as having “depth and strong prospects” and called for broader cooperation in trade, energy, culture, and regional issues. Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, addressed the centenary at the opening of the Moscow exhibition.

A Kremlin statement issued ahead of the July 19 anniversary described relations between President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as “comprehensive and mutually beneficial.” The language placed the travel agreement inside a wider effort to deepen state-to-state ties.

The visa-free arrangement also fits Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program, which aims to expand tourism and attract investment. Shorter, simpler entry rules can support business travel as well as leisure trips, particularly as flight volumes rise between the two countries.

Saudi Arabia has spent recent years widening its international tourism profile, while Russia has looked to strengthen commercial and diplomatic ties beyond its traditional markets. The new rules create a clearer pathway for reciprocal visits by business delegations, tourists, and families with cross-border ties.

Ordinary travelers still face limits despite the looser entry regime. The 90-day cap applies across the calendar year, and the exemption does not convert into permission to work, enroll in study programs, or remain for residency purposes.

That distinction matters in practice because the agreement broadens access without replacing existing immigration controls. A Saudi or Russian national can now enter for a holiday, a business meeting, or a family visit without a visa, but anyone seeking employment, academic study, residence status, or religious travel for Hajj or Umrah must still apply under the relevant visa category.

By launching the agreement on May 11, 2026, both governments attached a practical travel measure to a centennial year heavy with symbolism. The result is a deal that serves diplomats and ordinary travelers alike, while giving Saudi-Russian ties a concrete public face beyond official ceremonies and summit statements.