Saudi Transit Visa: The 48 and 96-Hour Stopover Explained
How the free stopover visa with Saudia and flynas works, what 96 hours in the Kingdom actually allows, and when a normal tourist eVisa is the better choice.
- Stopover visas run for 48 or 96 hours, tied to a Saudia or flynas ticket
- The visa is requested as part of the flight booking, not as a separate application
- One entry: it covers a single stopover in Saudi Arabia on that journey
- Enough time to leave the airport, see a city and sleep in a hotel
A visa that comes with your ticket
Saudi Arabia's stopover programme turns a connection into a short trip. When you book a flight through Saudi Arabia with Saudia or flynas, a transit visa for 48 or 96 hours can be issued alongside the ticket. It is designed for exactly this: one booking, one short stay, then onward travel.
Because the visa is tied to the booking, the flight comes first. You cannot apply for the stopover visa on its own and attach it to another airline's ticket.
What you can do with 96 hours
Ninety-six hours is enough for a Jeddah city break - Al-Balad's coral-stone old town, the Corniche, the Red Sea - or a first taste of Riyadh. Outside the Hajj season, stopover travellers can also perform a short Umrah, which has made the Jeddah connection a popular routing for pilgrims from Asia and Africa.
- Jeddah: Al-Balad, Corniche, Red Sea
- Riyadh: Diriyah and the old city
- Short Umrah outside Hajj season
Stopover visa or tourist eVisa?
If Saudi Arabia is your destination rather than your connection, take the tourist eVisa: one year, multiple entry, 90 days per visit, and no dependency on a particular airline's routing. The stopover visa wins only when your journey already passes through the Kingdom and a few days is genuinely all you need.
48 or 96 hours - which one will you get?
The stopover visa is issued alongside an eligible Saudia or flynas booking that connects through a Saudi airport. Which length you receive - 48 or 96 hours - depends on your itinerary and fare: the length of your connection and the booking channel decide it, and it is shown during booking, before you pay. A 96-hour visa comfortably covers two nights; 48 hours suits one night and a day of sightseeing.
The important detail: the visa is applied for during the flight booking flow on the airline's own site. It is not something you add afterwards through a separate portal, so decide before you complete the booking.
Making the most of a stopover
Jeddah connections put you an hour from Al-Balad's coral-stone old town and the Red Sea corniche. Riyadh connections suit the National Museum, Diriyah's mud-brick palaces and Kingdom Centre's sky bridge. Both airports have fast road links into the city, and your stopover visa covers hotel stays like any other visit visa.
Keep the basics in order: your onward flight time governs everything, so stay within reach of the airport on departure day, and keep your passport and onward boarding pass with you - hotels will ask for both.
Common questions
Is the stopover visa free?
The visa is arranged as part of the airline booking; depending on the fare, a modest service and insurance charge can apply. What you will pay is shown during booking before you confirm - there is no separate fee at the airport.
Can I leave the airport on a stopover visa?
Yes - that is the point of it. You can clear immigration, stay in a hotel and tour the city within your 48 or 96 hours.
My connection is only 10 hours. Is it worth it?
For a short connection most travellers stay in the airport or take a brief city trip in Jeddah or Riyadh. The visa makes sense from roughly a 12-hour connection upward, when a hotel night and real sightseeing fit comfortably.
