Holders of diplomatic and special passports from Saudi Arabia and Cyprus will be able to travel to each other countries visa-free.

The mutual visa exemption agreement was signed by both foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Cyprus in Riyadh on April 25, VisaGuide.World reports.

HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan and H.E Dr. Constantinos Kombos signed the Agreement on Mutual Visa Waiver for Holders of Diplomatic and Special Passports following the meeting.

According to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia, foreign ministers also reviewed the bilateral relations between the two nations and discussed ways to enhance them in various fields.

The ministers also talked about strengthening cooperation on shared interests, as further noted in the official statement.

Citizens of Saudi Arabia & Cyprus Need Visa to Travel to Each Other Countries

Even though visa waivers have been agreed upon for diplomatic and special passport holders, regular citizens of Saudi Arabia and Cyprus still require visas to visit each other’s countries.

As of April 2024, holders of Saudi passports can travel without a visa to 59 countries worldwide, including five passport-free countries. On the other hand, they are required to obtain a traditional visa to enter 107 other countries, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index.

Meanwhile, citizens holding a Cypriot passport are able to visit 146 countries visa-free, including 30 passport-free countries. However, Cypriot nationals need visas to travel to 29 other countries worldwide.

Saudi Arabia Has Updated the Umrah Visa Policy

Recently, the Saudi government has introduced other changes related to visas, including the Umrah visa.

More specifically, the Umrah visa is now valid for three months from the date of issuance, as revealed by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

According to the previous rules, Umrah pilgrims were granted a three-month to complete their pilgrimage once they arrived in Saudi Arabia. However, under the new regulations, the visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issuance.

Through a statement on the X platform, the ministry said that the new changes come in response to inquiries received through the official ministry account on the X platform.

Concluding your spiritual Umrah journey with a timely departure before your visa expires is unparalleled.

As further revealed by the Ministry, Saudi Arabia welcomed a record of 13.5 million Umrah pilgrims in 2023.