Indian eVisa for Saudi Citizens: the Stepwise Guide
India has often been Saudi Arabian citizens’ favourite destination. To visit India, a Saudi Arabian citizen is required to hold a valid India visitor visa. However, apart from tourism purposes, there can be other reasons, such as medical or business reasons for which Saudi Arabians can visit India.
To make travel for Saudi Arabian and other international travelers coming to India easier and less complicated, the Indian government launched online India visa services in 2014. As of 2024, a Saudi Arabian citizen can come to India by applying for an online visa for India from Saudi Arabia. The process of obtaining an online visa for India is less complicated and much faster as compared to the sticker visa process for India.
Saudi Arabian travelers must keep themselves aware of the current Indian eVisa requirements and other details like the online Indian visa fee and process of acquiring an Indian eVisa from Saudi Arabia in order to submit a successful Indian eVisa application.
Online India Visa for Saudi Arabian Citizens
Only a small number of qualifying nations are exempt from the visa requirement for travel to India. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia is not one of the nations that can enter India without a visa; as a result, Saudi Arabians must have a current Indian visa.
However, Saudi Arabians can acquire an online India visa from Saudi Arabia, as it is much faster and does not require complicated visa paperwork like the offline visa process.
Indian eVisa for Saudi Arabian Citizens: Types and Durations
Tourist eVisa
Travelers from Saudi Arabia who wish to travel to India to visit famous Indian sites or experience Indian culture need to apply for an Indian tourist visa. If visiting friends and family, Saudi Arabians can also obtain an Indian e-tourist visa.
Validity Options:
- 30 days
- 1 year (365 days)
- 5 years
Entries Allowed:
- 30-day visa: 2 entries
- 1-year and 5-year visas: multiple entries
Purpose: Tourism, cultural trips, casual visits to family or friends.
The travelers from Saudi Arabia can easily complete their Indian eVisa application in 15 to 20 minutes.
Business eVisa
Saudi Arabian business professionals can obtain an Indian business eVisa if they are to attend conferences, trade meetings, or other business activities in India.
Validity: 1 year
Entries Allowed: Multiple entries within the validity period
Purpose: Business negotiations, trade fairs, or professional gatherings.
Keep in mind that Saudi Arabian citizens also need to provide a business invitation letter from an Indian company as proof of their invitation to an Indian business trip.
Medical eVisa
Most of the time, Saudi Arabian travelers turn to India for quality healthcare that is low-cost. So a Saudi Arabian seeking any sort of medical facility in India that requires them to take admission to the hospital in India needs to obtain a Medical eVisa.
Validity: 60 days
Entries Allowed: 3 entries
Purpose: Medical consultations, procedures, or treatment at an Indian hospital.
Medical Attendant eVisa
A Saudi Arabian citizen coming along as a companion to another citizen of Saudi Arabia needs to obtain a medical attendant eVisa.
Validity: 60 days
Entries Allowed: 3 entries
Online India Visa for Saudi Arabian Citizens: Document Requirements and Process
Get the Right Online India Visa Type
Saudi Arabian travelers, once they begin their Indian eVisa application process, will have different types of online visas for India to apply for. The type of your chosen Indian eVisa must match your purpose of visit for a successful Indian eVisa application.
Go to a Trusted Indian eVisa Website
Visit a reliable website that provides online India visa services or the official Indian government portal. After that, you must carefully fill out the following information on your online visa application form:
- Full name (as it appears on your regular Saudi Arabian passport)
- Saudi Arabian passport number and expiration date
- Travel details, including dates and purpose of visit
Upload Necessary Documents
To complete your application, Saudi Arabian citizens need:
- A copy of their valid regular ordinary Saudi Arabian passport that has 6 months validity.
- Traveler’s recent passport-sized photograph (5 cm x 5 cm)
Additional Documents for Specific Visas:
Business eVisa: A business letter or any other document that justifies your business purpose.
Medical eVisa: A document that is signed and stamped by an Indian hospital and shows your need for medical care in India.
Pay the Online India Visa Fee
Check the online visa fee amount for India and make the payment through a cashless mode, either using a credit or debit card. Once submitted, your application will be processed.
Entry Points for Saudi Arabian Citizens with an eVisa
The citizens of Saudi Arabia who hold an eVisa can enter India through any of the 31 designated airports or 6 seaports mentioned in the list below.
Airports:
- Varanasi
- Goa (Mopa)
- Bengaluru
- Chandigarh
- Delhi
- Jaipur
- Mangalore
- Pune
- Chennai
- Mumbai
- Bhubaneshwar
- Ahmedabad
- Amritsar
- Gaya
- Lucknow
- Goa (Dabolim)
- Madurai
- Hyderabad
- Nagpur
- Vishakhapatnam
- Bagdogra
- Guwahati
- Coimbatore
- Kannur
- Trivandrum
- Indore
- Tiruchirapalli
- Port Blair
- Cochin
- Kolkata
- Calicut
Seaports:
- Port Blair
- Goa
- Mangalore
- Cochin
- Mumbai
- Chennai
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a citizen of Saudi Arabia have to go to any embassy office for an Indian eVisa?
No. Saudi Arabian citizens are not required to visit any Indian embassy office at any point during their Indian eVisa application. The online India visa services were started to eliminate the need for physical visits to embassies and save time for international travelers. Therefore, the Indian government has made the Indian eVisa process, from start to finish, an online process.
In India, immigration officials will use a centralized system to access your information, so your physical stamp or confirmation sticker on your Saudi Arabian passport is not needed.
Can a citizen of Saudi Arabia obtain a business visa for India online?
Yes, citizens of Saudi Arabia are eligible to obtain an Indian business visa online. A business invitation letter is one of the supporting documents needed for the Indian e-business visa, which permits multiple entries during its one-year validity.
How long do Saudi Arabian applicants need to wait to get their Indian eVisa?
Usually, applicants receive Indian eVisa confirmation or rejection message in 3 to 4 business days if all the information in the Indian eVisa is accurate and documents required for the Indian eVisa are correctly uploaded.
For Business or Medical eVisas, additional documents like:
- Business eVisa: Business invitation letter from a company located in India
- Medical eVisa: Letter from a registered hospital in India
Travelers from Saudi Arabia should be aware that if they apply during periods of high application volume (such as festival seasons), the Indian eVisa application process may take more than three to four days.
Make sure your application for an online India visa from Saudi Arabia is submitted at least 6 to 7 days in advance to experience a smooth process.
Is India visa on arrival service eligible for Saudi Arabian citizens?
No, as of 2024, the governments of India and Saudi Arabia have not signed any agreements that make citizens of Saudi Arabia eligible for India visas on arrival. Saudi Arabian citizens cannot, therefore, obtain a visa on arrival in India. However, travelers from Saudi Arabia can obtain an online visa for India.
Which visa is best for a long-term stay in India?
If Saudi Arabian citizens plan to stay in India for an extended period, such as 1 year or more, a 5-year tourist visa can be applied. The 5-year India tourist visa gives multiple entries to Saudi travelers suitable for long-term visits.
Ready to visit India?
Saudi Arabian tourists can apply for an India visa online for different reasons. However, you must fulfill specific Indian visa requirements in order to apply for an India visa online, so be sure to fulfill them.
Travelers from Saudi Arabia must stay informed about the latest Indian eVisa standards and requirements in order to avoid delays and rejections. So, if you have a valid ordinary Saudi Arabian passport, opt for an online India visa and get a valid visa to visit India hassle-free.