• Christophe Farnaud, the EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, stated since April 2024, Saudi citizens, along with those from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, can now obtain multi-entry visas valid for up to five years for short stays.
Saudi nationals will soon be exempt from pre-entry visa requirements for European Union (EU) countries, enabling them to travel freely within the Schengen area, which includes the 27 EU member states, according to an EU official, as reported by Gulf News.
Christophe Farnaud, the EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, confirmed that efforts are underway to fully exempt Saudi citizens from short-stay visa requirements. Meanwhile, recent changes already represent a significant step in easing travel between Saudi Arabia and the Schengen area.
Farnaud noted that, since April 2024, Saudi citizens, along with those from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, can now obtain multi-entry visas valid for up to five years for short stays.
He emphasized that these changes not only improve convenience but also represent a significant step in strengthening people-to-people ties and fostering regular exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Europe.
Ambassador Farnaud also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing openness to international tourism, stressing that Europe plays a key role in supporting this transformation. He pointed to the increased tourism exchange and streamlined travel procedures as important factors in enhancing mutual understanding and a sense of global community.
With this new visa policy, Saudi citizens will be able to travel to Europe multiple times over a five-year period with a single visa, marking a new era of accessibility, cultural dialogue, and strategic partnership.
In April 2024, the EU announced that citizens of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states would be granted a five-year multiple-entry visa. The European Commission adopted this decision to harmonize visa rules for GCC nationals, enabling Saudi citizens to visit the EU multiple times within five years using the same visa.
