Saudi Visa for GCC Residents
Any Passport, Any Profession

GCC citizen or GCC resident: which are you?

The two are treated completely differently at the Saudi border, and the search results mix them up.

The rest of this page is for the second group.

The GCC resident eligibility rule

Since September 2022 the Saudi eVisa portal has listed "valid residence in the GCC countries" as its own eligibility category, alongside the list of eligible nationalities. What you need:

• A residence permit issued by Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman or the UAE with at least three months of validity left on the day you apply.
• A passport valid for at least six months from your planned entry date.
• Any occupation. The original 2022 rule limited the route to a list of approved professions; that restriction has been removed and the list is no longer checked.

Your nationality is still recorded, and some nationalities go through an extra security review that can add a day or two. It does not change eligibility.

Family members and domestic workers

• Spouse, children and parents who hold their own GCC residence permit apply on the same route. Each adult submits a separate application; children under 18 are added to a parent's application after the parent is approved.
• Dependants without their own residence (for example a parent visiting you on a family visit visa) are not GCC residents and must qualify on their own passport.
• Domestic workers travelling with the resident sponsor are eligible under the same rule. The application is made in the worker's name and the sponsor's details are entered where the portal asks.

How much the Saudi visa costs for GCC residents

The fee is the same in every GCC state. In local terms that is roughly QAR 330 to 470, KWD 28 to 39, BHD 34 to 48, OMR 35 to 49 or AED 335 to 470. Agencies add a service charge; in the UAE the all-inclusive rate is about AED 700 to 900 and the breakdown is on the UAE residents page. Fees are not refundable if the application is refused.

Documents

How to apply

The full portal walkthrough, photo specification, status check and refusal reasons are on the Saudi Arabia eVisa page.

Country by country

The eVisa and its rules are identical from every state; only the document you upload and the border you cross differ.

Driving to Saudi Arabia from the Gulf

All five land routes accept eVisa holders. The visa must be approved before you arrive; nobody is issued an eVisa at a land border.

• Documents at the border: passport, eVisa PDF, residence permit, vehicle registration, and motor insurance that covers Saudi Arabia. Standard GCC policies usually do not; buy a Saudi extension from your insurer or at the crossing.
• Vehicle not in your name: a rented car needs the rental company's written permission and cross-border cover. A company or family car needs an authorisation letter from the registered owner.
• Exit: your 90-day stay is counted from the entry stamp. Overstay rules apply from day one, whichever border you used.

Validity, Umrah and overstay

• Valid one year from issue; unlimited entries; 90 days per visit; not extendable.
• Umrah is permitted on the eVisa outside the Hajj season, with a permit booked on the Nusuk app. Entry to Makkah on visit visas is suspended for several weeks around Hajj each year.
• Overstay costs SAR 100 per day. Since June 2025 a 30-day grace period allows a fine-free final exit after expiry. Details: Saudi overstay penalties.

GCC unified tourist visa

The six GCC states have approved a single tourist visa covering all of them. As of September 2026 no launch date or fee has been published, and the scheme is aimed at international tourists rather than existing GCC residents. Until it goes live, residents continue to use the eVisa described here.

Related Saudi visa guides