UK ETA for Saudi Citizens 2026: How to Apply Online

The UK electronic visa waiver (EVW) for Saudi Arabia — introduced in June 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, allowing Saudi citizens to apply online and stay for up to six months in the UK — has been discontinued. Saudi nationals must now apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) instead, which allows travel to the UK for up to six months per visit for tourism, visiting family, business, short-term study or medical treatment. British Ambassador Neil Crompton said at the EVW launch: “This change in our visa system will make the visa process easy for Saudia visitors and it will also strengthen the ties between the two countries.”

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The electronic visa waiver was in effect from Wednesday, 1st June 2022 for citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, but the scheme has since been discontinued. Saudi nationals should now apply for a UK ETA through the UK government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/eta — either online or via the UK ETA app. British Ambassador Neil Crompton said at the time: “This step will make a huge improvement in our service which is in line with the idea of the two nations to improve the bilateral relations and especially to enhance our links between people to people. This is very interesting news for Saudi citizens. If all the process is done smoothly we are looking forward to noticing more Saudis in the UK.”

The ETA application costs £20 and you must wait until you get an email confirming you have an ETA before you travel to the UK. You will usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. The ETA is linked to the passport you applied with — you only need to show your passport when you travel — and it lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. Requirements for the UK ETA include the passport you will travel with, an email address, a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and a photo of the face of the person applying.

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Afnan Ahmed, who often visits the UK from Saudi Arabia, said the new system would be beneficial for travelers. “It was not easy to apply for a UK tourist visa in the past”. He applied for a visa in December 2021 and had to wait for more than three months for approval. He lived in Medina and had to go to Jeddah to do biometrics and other required formalities. It cost him around three thousand riyals plus a train ticket. “It’s really good news for people like Affan to have an easy, fast and cheap online system for Saudis”. (These remarks were made when the EVW launched in 2022; the EVW has since been replaced by the ETA, which remains an easy, fast and cheap online system for Saudis.)

Source: Urdu News