RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and Britain announced on Wednesday the new procedures for the electronic visa waiver regime that allows Saudi citizens traveling to Britain to stay a much longer period of time. The new regime of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), that replaced an Electronic Visa Waiver (ETV), is characterized by a validity period of up to two years and multiple entry during the validity period. The visa fee will be a symbolic amount of 10 Pound Sterling, and the new scheme will take into effect on February 22, 2024. The announcement was made during the meeting of Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Walid Al-Kheraiji and Lord Tariq Ahmed, minister of state for MENA, South Asia and the UN at the British Ministry of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development, at the ministry's headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday. Al-Kheraiji and Tariq Ahmed stated that this new visa regime reaffirms the excellent Saudi-British relations and the continuous coordination between the foreign ministries of the two countries to achieve the aspirations of the leadership and peoples of the two friendly countries. They also discussed ways to further strengthen and develop bilateral relations in various fields. The latest regional and international developments of common interest were also figured in the meeting, which was also attended by the British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton. Applications for the new ETA visa for the purposes of tourism, business, short courses of study and treatment can be submitted online effective from February 1, 2024. The beneficiaries of the new ETA visa regime also include citizens of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman. This is an expansion of the ETA scheme, which was launched on November 15, 2023 for nationals of Qatar. According to the UK sources, citizens of these countries may begin applying from Feb. 1 for an ETA, which will be necessary for any travel or transit through the United Kingdom for tourism, business or short studies from Feb. 22 for those nationals. The ETA will be valid for two years unless the applicant's passport expires sooner and allow multiple trips to the United Kingdom. The scheme is set to expand to other nationalities throughout 2024 in additional phases, the sources added. The EVW is a visa waiver for the UK, which allows the holder to enter the country visa-free for short stays.
