In 2017, Saudi Arabia welcomed 19 million international tourists, according to figures released by Statista. This number is expected to rise to 100 million by the end of 2030, with the introduction of the electronic tourist visa in 2019. Given how fond South Koreans are of travelling, the kingdom could well be your next vacation destination. However, to enter Saudi Arabia, the first step is to obtain an e-visa
To obtain the Saudi Arabia tourist visa for citizens of South Korea, the following documents are mandatory.
A South Korean passport, with validity of a minimum of six months beyond the intended travel dates to the kingdom. You will require at least two blank pages for the entry stamp.
You will need a recent passport-sized photograph of yourself, taken against a white background. Make sure your complete face is visible in the photograph.
You will need to provide information regarding where you will be residing while in Saudi Arabia. For this, you can either use the confirmation of hotel bookings in the kingdom or an invitation from a relative or friend to stay with them.
The application process for the visa for citizens of South Korea can be completed in a few simple steps online.
To start the application procedure, login to the official e-visa website of Saudi Arabia.
Create an account on this website by entering your passport type and country of issuance. Basic details like your full name, email address, phone number, along with your login info, such as username and password are also required to create the account.
A link will be sent to the email address you had provided to activate the account. Click on the link within 24 hours of it being sent. After this, your account becomes official and the next time you log in, you will need to enter the verification code which you have received via email, to confirm the account.
You can check all the visa details and even the status of your visa application here.
The first page of the application form will require you to fill personal details, such as your full name, gender, country of birth, marital status, occupation, residential address and so on.
Upload a digital photo of yourself, where your entire face and forehead are clearly visible. The dimensions should be 200x200 pixels and size between 3KB and 100 KB. The photo should be in .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif or .bmp format.
On the next page, fill in your passport information and your intended dates of entering and leaving Saudi Arabia. Fill up the purpose of travel to the country and your place of accommodation.
On the next page, enter the purchase details of the mandatory medical insurance. The cost of insurance is SAR140, including 5% VAT. Finally, the last page will have details of the terms and conditions.
The final step is to make a payment of SAR463.44. The cost breakdown is as follows:
Visa Fee: SAR300
Health Insurance Fee: SAR133
5% VAT: SAR22
Transaction Fee: SAR8.44
You can make the payment through credit or debit card.
The online Saudi visa for citizens of South Korea usually reaches you within 24 to 72 hours of submitting the application. However, it might be delayed if there are any discrepancies in the information provided or documents are missing.
In Saudi Arabia, public behaviour of men and women is strictly orthodox. In case you violate such behavioural guidelines, the punishment could be severe. Here’s a list of guidelines on how to conduct yourself in the kingdom.
Keep in mind that no embassy or consulate officers can intervene in case you have violated the kingdom’s laws and are subject to penalties.
If this is your first time travelling to Saudi Arabia, it might be useful to enlist the services of an experienced agency, like Rapid Visa, who can help make the entire experience smooth and hassle-free for you.