Saudi Arabia introduces Electronic Travel Authorization for British passport holders from July 1

The ETA covers tourism, business, and short-term study, and is framed as a reciprocal measure following the UK's own ETA requirement for Saudi nationals

Saudi Arabia will roll out an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for British citizens starting Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The new system will apply to holders of all types of UK passports and allow multiple entries with stays totaling up to 180 days within a one-year period, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The ETA will be valid for tourism, business, and short-term study. Those three categories still go through their own dedicated channels and are unaffected by this change: work visas, residence visas, and Hajj visas all remain separate.

Saudi Arabia frames the move as reciprocal

Riyadh has positioned the announcement as a direct response to the UK's own ETA requirement for Saudi nationals. Since the UK launched its Electronic Travel Authorization system, Saudi passport holders must now go through the UK's own ETA process whenever they want to visit Britain visa-free. The UK ETA currently costs £20 ($26) and permits stays of up to six months for purposes including tourism and family visits.

The UK's previous Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) route is no longer an option for Saudi nationals or several other Gulf nationalities, who have been moved onto the ETA system instead.

How the Saudi ETA compares to existing options

British travelers already have digital routes into Saudi Arabia, and the new ETA sits alongside these rather than clearly replacing them.

For tourism, UK nationals currently qualify for the Saudi tourist eVisa through the Visit Saudi portal. That visa is valid for one year, supports multiple entries, and allows stays of up to 90 days per visit. It covers tourism, events, family visits, leisure, and Umrah outside the Hajj season, but does not include study.

There is also the Saudi Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW), which British travelers can currently use for tourism, business, medical treatment, study, and Umrah outside the Hajj season. The EVW grants a single entry with a stay of up to six months but does not include medical insurance. The EVW requires an online application between 90 days and 48 hours ahead of the scheduled flight.

The incoming ETA differs from the EVW in two important ways. British travelers will be able to come and go freely rather than being locked into a single trip, and the total time they can spend in Saudi Arabia within a 12-month window is set at 180 days, compared to 90 under the tourist eVisa. Saudi authorities have not yet clarified whether the ETA will eventually take over from the EVW for British travelers or whether both systems will operate side by side, depending on the individual's travel needs.