Since Saudi Arabia announced the ease in their travel restrictions, they have seen a large number of people who wish to travel to their country. For those countries still on the red list, there has been no update on their quarantine guidelines. They have to wait for further updates to see if they get taken off the red list. Saudi Arabia is constantly updating their travel policies and therefore it is crucial to stay in the loop to know when you may be able to travel. For countries that are experiencing a larger number of positive cases than usual, Saudi Arabia may restrict travel without notice. Keeping all this in mind, it is very important to always stay updated on travel guidelines to and from your country.
For travelers entering the country for Umrah, they are exempt from the mandatory quarantine hold. This is as long as they meet certain criteria. The first criteria is that they’re traveling only for the purpose of Umrah. If they’re traveling for other reasons, they would need to be quarantined first. The second criteria to be met is that they should be vaccinated with one of the approved vaccines. At this time, the approved vaccines include Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca. Saudi Arabia is constantly reviewing the credibility of COVID vaccines. Therefore the list of approved vaccines is subject to change at any time.
Travelers from Pakistan or any other country which is not on the red list, and who are not coming for Umrah need to go through the mandatory quarantine hold. Passengers who are fully vaccinated with both doses in their country of origin will need to be quarantined for five days in one of the authorized hotels. For passengers who received at least one dose of vaccine from within Saudi Arabia, quarantine in a hotel will only be mandatory for three days, subject to a negative COVID result at the end of the stay. The number of mandatory quarantine days are also subject to the COVID situation in your country of origin. The Saudi Arabia authorities can extend your mandatory quarantine period without notice.
When arriving in Saudi Arabia, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed during these difficult times. These include the following:
- All travelers above the age of 8 will have to provide a negative PCR test from an authorized laboratory that was taken not more than 72 hours before departure.
- Proof of vaccination of an authorized vaccine. This includes Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca.
- Proof of insurance that can cover all COVID related medical expenses
- Proof of registration on the Tawakalna App before departure
Different airlines have introduced different quarantine hotel packages for travelers to the Holy country. Saudi Airlines are among the top airlines who introduced some of the best quarantine hotel packages for their passengers. Pakistani travelers who will land in Riyadh through the HK100 airplane can even get a special discount on their hotel quarantine package. This would cost them only PKR 175,000 for a limited period. This is one of the best deals you can get these days considering how high in demand these packages are. Therefore, don’t miss out on it!