Saudi Arabia has officially canceled the quarantine requirement for those COVID-19 vaccinated foreign visitors arriving by air from most countries.
The civil aviation authority (GACA) stated that from May 20 non-Saudi visitors arriving in the kingdom from eligible countries by air who are fully vaccinated, or have had COVID-19 and recovered, will no longer have to spend seven days in government-approved hotels as long as they provide an official vaccination certificate upon arrival.
Currently, all travelers coming into Saudi Arabia need to quarantine for a period of seven to fourteen days depending on the countries where they are coming from and provide negative PCR tests.
As per the new rules, anyone over the age of eight years old who is not vaccinated must quarantine for seven days at their own expense on arrival in Saudi Arabia as of May 20 and provide a negative PCR test on the sixth day of their arrival, GACA said.
Further, they must provide a valid health insurance policy to cover potential risks from COVID-19. They will also need to provide a negative PCR test taken no later than 72 hours before boarding their flight to the kingdom.
As per the new rules visitors from 20 other countries, including the US, India, Britain, Germany, France and the UAE, remain banned from entering the kingdom, however, under measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Separately, the Saudi ministry of interior announced that Saudi citizens are still banned from traveling to 13 countries through direct or indirect flights without prior permission from authorities due to COVID-19 risks. The countries are Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Belarus, and India.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia suspended entry from 20 countries, with the exception of diplomats, Saudi citizens, medical practitioners and their families, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
