Saudi Arabia Launches Instant Tourist Visa via 'Visa by Profile' Platform

Saudi Arabia is set to launch a first-of-its-kind digital visa platform designed to streamline travel and attract high-spending visitors to the kingdom.

Dubbed Visa by Profile, the new system will allow eligible Visa cardholders to apply for and receive an electronic tourist visa in minutes. Speaking on X, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb called the initiative the "world’s first" to enable elibile Visa cardholders to receive instant electronic visas using only card and passport details.

https://twitter.com/AhmedAlKhateeb/status/1988979262926311726

Eligibility for Visa Cardholders

The process is designed to be fast and secure. By analyzing applicants’ financial profiles through their issuing banks, the platform verifies both solvency and eligibility, ensuring compliance with national requirements while dramatically reducing processing times.

Developed in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Interior, the Saudi Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Visa, the platform was unveiled at the Tourise event, following an announcement by the Saudi Press Agency.

Vision 2030: Welcoming More Foreign Visitors

Visa by Profile is a key component of Saudi Arabia’s broader tourism strategy under Vision 2030. The primary goal is to attract more visitors and meet the revised target of 150 million annual tourists.

The program is scheduled for rollout in 2026. While initially limited to Visa cardholders, plans are in place to expand the platform’s network beyond Visa as more global banks and card issuers join.

A Broader Shift to Simplify Travel

This service launch also reflects wider efforts across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) to simplify cross-border travel.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will launch in December 2025 a pilot for a new one-stop travel system allowing travelers to complete security and immigration checks at a single pre-departure point. This initiative, aimed at standardizing border processes and enhancing mobility, is expected to eventually include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Saudi Arabia and Qatar may join the Cruise Arabia Alliance.