Saudi Arabia's Visa by Profile: Instant eVisa in Minutes
Saudi Arabia has rolled out an instant tourist eVisa system called Visa by Profile, designed to let eligible travellers secure entry authorisation in minutes rather than days. The initiative, developed in partnership with Visa and initially announced at the TOURISE summit in Riyadh in late 2025, is now operational for eligible cardholders worldwide.
The process works differently from a conventional online visa application. Instead of uploading bank statements, employment letters, or other supporting documents, applicants authorise a check through their Visa card. The system reads the financial profile attached to the card and confirms eligibility automatically — no paperwork, no interview, no consular appointment required. Approval takes minutes.
The eVisa issued is a standard Saudi tourist visa: one year validity, multiple entry, and a cumulative stay of up to 90 days. Travellers wishing to explore Riyadh, the UNESCO-listed heritage landscape of AlUla, or the historic districts and waterfront of Jeddah can use the same process. Holders of a valid US, UK, EU, or GCC residence permit who hold a Visa card are among those covered in the initial eligibility criteria; the scheme is expected to expand to additional card issuers in future.
The Visa by Profile initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism strategy, which aims to attract 150 million visitors annually by the end of the decade. The kingdom reached approximately 123 million domestic and international visitors in 2025, with new resort developments, adventure tourism infrastructure, and an expanding events calendar driving growth.
Travellers not covered by the Visa by Profile scheme can still apply for the standard Saudi tourist eVisa, open to citizens of 66 eligible countries. The Saudi Arabia visa guide covers all visa types, eligibility by nationality, current fees, and processing timelines.
How Visa by Profile works in practice
The application is accessed through the Visit Saudi platform or through the Visa card issuer’s travel portal, depending on the integration a given bank has activated. The process has three steps: confirm nationality and passport details, authorise the Visa financial profile check, and receive the eVisa confirmation by email. There is no requirement to submit photographs, bank statements, hotel bookings or return flight confirmation — the financial profile check replaces all of that.
The eVisa is sent to the applicant’s email address and can also be retrieved from the Visit Saudi portal using the passport number. At the Saudi border, the standard eVisa process applies: biometrics are taken, the visa is stamped, and entry is granted. The Visa by Profile approval does not skip the standard border formalities; it only speeds up the pre-travel application stage.
Why this matters for Saudi Arabia’s tourism targets
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism target of 150 million annual visits by 2030 is ambitious. One of the structural constraints has been the application process — even the standard eVisa, which is relatively straightforward, involves document uploads and a 24–72 hour processing window that has deterred spontaneous or short-notice travel decisions. A system that approves a visa in minutes from a mobile app changes the impulse-booking calculus significantly.
The Visa by Profile partnership with Visa Inc. also reflects Saudi Arabia’s strategy of embedding travel facilitation into existing financial infrastructure rather than building a standalone government portal. Mastercard and other card networks are expected to join the programme in future phases, which would extend eligibility to a much larger cardholder base globally.
Comparison with neighbouring Gulf states
The UAE, Bahrain, and Oman all offer on-arrival visa facilities or straightforward eVisa processes for most Western travellers. Saudi Arabia’s standard eVisa has been broadly comparable since it launched in 2019, but the Visa by Profile system is a step ahead in frictionlessness for eligible cardholders. For frequent Gulf travellers who visit multiple countries in the region, reduced Saudi Arabia application friction makes it easier to add the Kingdom to an itinerary that previously defaulted to the UAE as the easier entry point.