COVID-19 Information

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Country-Specific Information:

  • As of April 2, the Saudi Government has reported to the World Health Organization 1720 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
  • The Saudi Government suspended operations in many government agencies starting March 16, 2020. All schools and universities in Saudi Arabia are temporarily closed. Operations of many markets and malls are suspended; gatherings in parks, beaches, and resorts are prohibited. Restaurants are closed with the exception of take-away service. Pharmacies and grocery stores remain open.
  • A nationwide 7 PM – 6 AM curfew is in effect for the entire Kingdom; the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, Taif, and Qatif, are under a 3 PM – 6 AM curfew. The curfew remains in effect for 21 days beginning on March 23, 2020, with limited exceptions for life and safety.
  • The cities of Mecca and Medina are under a 24 hour curfew.
  • International and domestic flights and inter-urban bus, taxi, and train service has been suspended until further notice.
  • Travel between provinces of Saudi Arabia is prohibited for a period of 21days beginning March 26, 2020.

Entry and Exit Requirements:

  • All international passenger traffic, whether by air, land, or sea, has been suspended. All tourist travel is currently suspended.
  • All visits to Mecca and Medina to perform umrah have been suspended, irrespective of nationality, visa type or residence status. Travelers will not be permitted entry to Saudi Arabia with umrah visas.
  • Travelers should check with their air carrier before initiating any travel to Saudi Arabia.
  • Persons who have been in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Italy, and South Korea in the previous 14 days will not be permitted to enter or transit the Kingdom, irrespective of visa or residency status.
  • Travel to/from mainland China has been suspended. The Saudi government has advised that expatriates who travel to China will not be allowed to return to Saudi Arabia.
  • The causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and land borders between Saudi Arabia and all neighboring countries are restricted to commercial traffic only.

Quarantine Information:

  • The Saudi government has suspended all movement into and out of the city of Qatif in the Eastern Province.
  • Travelers arriving from outside Saudi Arabia, including Saudi citizens and residents, will be placed in health isolation for 14 days following their arrival.

Local Resources:

Tips for Repatriation Flights :

Now that limited repatriation flights have begun, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia reminds persons interested in departing of the following:

  • You must have a valid passport. To schedule a passport renewal appointment contact the American Citizen Services Unit nearest you.
  • If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must have legal means to enter the United States, for example a valid LPR card, a valid U.S. visa, or a valid Canadian passport.
  • You must have authorization to leave the country. Please see our previous Health Alert on this topic.
  • You must settle all liabilities and legal actions.
  • Ensure that you have a working phone number where you can be reached and provide that number; when a flight is announced, Saudia fills it as quickly as possible.
  • Expressing interest in a flight does not guarantee that you will be able to buy a ticket, or that you will be allowed to board if you do not meet documentary requirements.
  • Before you depart, you must make arrangements for onward travel in the United States, if applicable to your plans.
  • If you have a temperature or flu-like symptoms, you will not be allowed to fly and should not come to the airport.
  • You must respect the curfew and intra-country travel restrictions. Arrangements for future flights will attempt to address this limitation on your ability to travel.
  • Consider now how you would reach the airport given the curfew.
  • This will be a one-way ticket. We cannot guarantee when you will be able to re-enter Saudi Arabia.  The U.S. Embassy will not arrange any return travel.

Other links:

For more information about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) please click here

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