transit/tourist visa for Saudi Arabia...where to start?
 

My car and I will arrive in Durban in a few weeks, plan is to drive North from there. I'm considering once I get to Sudan to cross into Saudi Arabia then UAE then Iran. Where do I start with regards to getting a visa to enter Saudi Arabia? Is there a Saudi embassy in sudan or Addis?

Thanks
CM

There is one in Sudan, don't know about Ethiopia.

saudi trnsit visa problem
 

i recently left UAE and am now in Iran having a great time

I originally tried to get a transit visa for my wife and I to cross Saudi to Jordan and on to Syria. I have done this twice before some years ago but this time I was told by the visa issuing office that Transit Visas were no longer being issued to non Arabs because of personal security risk after the spat of Al Qaida attacks a few years ago.

So,I have come to Iran instead and we are having a great time. Warm friendly people where ever we go and massive things to do and see.

Yes, I read that it's no longer possible to get transit visa to go to Jordan overland because some people were killed in that region. Hopefully there no such ban for travel from Sudan to UAE. I guess that Roaming Yak is correct and I'll only find out when I get to Sudan and visit the Embassy.

Hi, any update on this?
Cheers.

I spent the last year in Saudi and looked into this. Unless you're from one of the neighboring countries, Saudi won't give transit visas or tourist visas.

I offered my place to a couple bikers making their way up Africa. They said all the Saudi embassies said no problem. When they got to the last embassy, they were told no.

Where you working in Saudi? I'm sure if I bought a bike there I could take it out. Have you actually used the visa? How did the bike make it to Jeddah?

Asking in Saudi got me nowhere, and neither did other motorcyclists who tried.

Thanks. I was working so I didn't look very hard on how to bring a bike in. Maybe I'll see you in Portugal. I just received dual citizenship with Portugal and once I get my citizenship card and passport, I'm riding out that way. I guess a month or so.

Biker from Norway was refused a Saudi transit visa at the Khartoum Embassy a few days ago.

Roamingyak - could you go into a bit more detail about the stress you had with the Saudi embassy in Khartoum please? And how you convinced them to give you the visa?
We're headed in the same direction and will be needing a transit visa for Jeddah-Aqaba (I had been hoping to get at least 5 days as we're so slow and it's over 1000km).

Anyone else with recent Saudi South-North transit visas?

Thanks,
Ian

Thanks for the info Roamingyak, it gives me a great deal more confidence to start the long trek north!
We seem to tick all the boxes - LHD Unimog, married, over 45 etc etc. And we only want to get to Jordan, nowhere else!
We're aiming to be up there by next Jan/Feb to avoid the real heat.

Ian

UAE via KSA to Bahrain
 

Do any of you guys have an idea on the following.
I am wanting to buy a R1200GSA in Dubai and ride it back to Bahrain where I live, via Saudi. Any idea of the paperwork/docs required for the trip ?

Hi Ian
We're living in Jeddah.
Let me know, if you need any assistance or "tourguide" for Jeddah.
You are more than welcome at our place.
Don't miss to visit Mada'in Saleh (the Saudi Petra) on your way north.
Need a permit for it.

Volker

Volker,

Can I piggyback on this thread to ask if you know what the situation is for tourists entering Jeddah at the moment?

I'm a UK PP holder with a full UAE residence visa, living in Dubai.... my folks are UK PP holders who will be visiting me in late Jan / early Feb

We'd like to travel to Jeddah for a long weekend but I've read so much conflicting info on visas that I've almost given up!!

You can get a Saudi transit visa in Khartoum, though it might sometines need a second try. Mine was rejected first for no apparent reason and only approved after talking to the consul.

The consulate staff will send you to an agency nearby to do the paperwork. They do the application through a special software. Khaled Medawi of K.M.Z. was very helpful, though quite expensive (I can't really compare the rates but his was 400 Sudanese Pounds which equals more than 300 Saudi Riyals while the stamp on the visa indicates a visa fee of just 50 Saudi Riyals). The K.M.Z. office is in the same side street of the consulate's entrance, some 50 meters on the right hand side (see pic of entrance below).

The procedure usually takes two to three days, so if possible arrive early in the week avoid the weekend!

You definitely need to have a LHD car. The consul and the agency ask this very clearly!

You also need an onward visa, i.e. Jordan or UAE (if you want to continue through Iran). Your passport needs to have at least one free DOUBLE PAGE (one page for the visa, one for the stamp of fees).

Couples travelling together need a marriage certificate.

All the rest is the usual (2 passport pictures plus copies of the car papers, the carnet, your passport, etc.). The agency will tell you exactly.

The visa very clearly states the country of destination, though no precise border crossing. So make sure it is the right one!

Greetings from Khartoum
Achim