Saudi Arabia Expands Tourist Evisa and Visa-On-Arrival to Kosovo and Guyana

Saudi Arabia added Kosovo and Guyana to its tourist visa program on October 4, 2026, allowing citizens of both countries to apply electronically or obtain a visa-on-arrival. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the expansion. Both routes are now available.

The change gives passport holders from the two countries access to a tourist eVisa or a visa on arrival. It does not make travel visa-free. Applicants still need the Saudi visitor visa.

The announcement lists several permitted purposes. They include tourism, Umrah outside the Hajj season, events, exhibitions, conferences, and visits to relatives or friends.

Guyana’s foreign ministry announced a separate change to eligibility. Kosovo’s access, meanwhile, carries a reported start date earlier than the broader announcement.

Guyanese passport holders can apply without a qualifying third-country visa

Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced the new access on October 4, 2026. Guyanese passport holders can now apply for the Saudi visa without first holding a valid U.S., U.K., or Schengen visa.

That removes a previous condition for Guyanese travelers. They may use either the electronic application route or obtain the visa on arrival, without first securing one of those third-country visas.

Guyana is now the only country in South America whose passport holders have this facility without the third-country visa requirement. The change concerns eligibility for a Saudi visitor visa, not permission to enter without one.

The distinction is straightforward. Guyanese travelers still need the Saudi visa, but the listed U.S., U.K. or Schengen visa is no longer a prerequisite for applying through the newly available channels.

The visitor visa covers tourism and specified visits, not visa-free entry

The visa’s stated uses extend beyond general tourism. Travelers may use it for Umrah outside the Hajj season, or to attend events, exhibitions and conferences.

Visits to relatives and friends are also included. The permitted activities apply to the tourist visa, whether a traveler obtains it electronically or on arrival.

The expansion changes which nationalities can use those routes. It does not remove the visa requirement, nor does the list of permitted activities turn the tourist visa into authorization for every purpose of travel.

Kosovo's access began on October 1 under reported Group A terms

Kosovo’s eligibility took effect on October 1, 2026, under its reported inclusion in Group A. That date came three days before the October 4 announcement of the additions.

The standard tourist visa for Kosovo citizens is valid for one year and allows multiple entries. Its holder can stay for up to 90 days total during that year.

The 90-day limit applies across the visa’s stated one-year period. The visa does not cover Hajj or paid employment.

Umrah is among the permitted activities only outside the Hajj season. Paid work is not included in the tourist visa’s scope.

Kosovo travelers’ passports must remain valid for at least six months from entry. That passport condition is separate from the visa’s one-year validity and total stay allowance.

The additions widen the list of eligible nationalities

The two additions fit a broader pattern of widening tourist access as part of the kingdom’s tourism strategy. They extend the list of eligible nationalities, while leaving the visa requirement in place.

The reported conditions differ by country. Guyanese applicants no longer need the specified third-country visa first; Kosovo’s reported terms include a one-year validity period, multiple entries and a 90-day total stay limit.