Until a few years ago a Saudi Arabia visa was only issued for Umrah and Hajj, through a tour operator. Since 2023 Saudi Arabia has opened its electronic tourist visa to citizens of Azerbaijan as well, and you can now travel to Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla and the Red Sea coast as an ordinary tourist. What is more, the same tourist visa allows Umrah outside the Hajj season — the point people ask about most.
This article covers the terms and cost of the eVisa, Umrah access, the documents, what the «visa-free regime» headline of 2026 actually meant, and the direct flights from Baku to Jeddah and Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia visa: the essentials
| Visa type | Online tourist eVisa |
| Validity | 1 year, multiple entry, up to 90 days per stay |
| Total cost | About 535 riyals including insurance and tax, roughly 240 manat |
| Decision time | Usually 5–30 minutes, occasionally up to 3 working days |
| Umrah | Possible outside the Hajj season, through the Nusuk app |
| Passport | At least 6 months’ validity |
| Direct flights | Baku–Jeddah and Baku–Riyadh with AZAL and flynas |
How to get the eVisa
The application goes through the official portal of the Saudi Ministry of Tourism: you open an account, upload your passport details and photograph, choose the compulsory medical insurance on the portal itself and pay the total by card. That total includes the visa fee, the insurance and tax, which is why the final figure comes to around 535 riyals. The answer usually arrives within minutes. The official address is the Visit Saudi visa portal; middleman sites sell the same visa for considerably more.
A visa on arrival is available on the same terms, but given the queues and the risk of a system outage, getting the visa online beforehand is safer.
Can you perform Umrah on a tourist visa?
Yes. The tourist eVisa allows Umrah at any time outside the Hajj season; permits for Umrah and for visiting the Rawdah are obtained free of charge in the Nusuk app. Hajj is different: it requires a separate Hajj visa and an official package, and entry to Mecca during the Hajj season on a tourist visa is prohibited. A dedicated Umrah visa still exists for tour operators, but for families travelling independently the tourist eVisa is more flexible — it allows several trips within the year.
What did the «visa-free» news mean?
In February 2026 Azerbaijan granted citizens of Saudi Arabia a one-year visa-free regime: three visits a year, 30 days each. That decision is unilateral and applies only to Saudis coming to Azerbaijan. Citizens of Azerbaijan still travel to Saudi Arabia on an eVisa. Do not trust the reports circulating online that have it the other way round.
Read next: Do you need a visa for Dubai? 90 days visa-free, the passport rule and how to fly cheaply
Documents for a Saudi Arabia visa
No bank statement, employment letter or invitation is required. Children under 18 apply separately, at the same time as the parent’s visa.
How to fly from Baku to Saudi Arabia
AZAL restores its Baku–Jeddah service four times a week from 15 September 2026 and also flies to Riyadh; the Saudi carrier flynas operates direct from Riyadh and Jeddah to Baku. The flight takes about three and a half to four hours. Fares to Jeddah climb sharply during Ramadan and the school holidays, when the Umrah traffic peaks. Medina is two hours from Jeddah by high-speed train.
The eVisa suits independent travellers; those going in a group choose an Umrah tour package, where the visa, the flight, hotels in Mecca and Medina and a guide come together.
Frequently asked questions about the Saudi Arabia visa
Can women travel alone?
Yes. The tourist eVisa allows women to travel and perform Umrah without a mahram, with no age restriction.
Is the visa refused over an Israeli stamp in the passport?
There is no official ban and the eVisa is issued automatically; you might face extra questions at the border, but in practice problems are rare.
Can you cross into Bahrain or the UAE and come back?
Yes, the visa is multiple entry for a year; you can cross to Bahrain overland on the King Fahd Causeway, and the UAE admits citizens of Azerbaijan without a visa.
In closing
A Saudi Arabia visa now arrives within minutes online, lasts a year and covers Umrah as well; the main cost is the 535-riyal total. The Viza.az team helps with the eVisa application, the Nusuk permits and planning an Umrah trip.
Read more about Saudi Arabia as a destination and our service fees, or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is accurate as of the publication date. Fees and Umrah rules can change, so check the official portal again before applying.
