Riyadh: The electronic service of visa to enter Saudi Arabia has started for the holders of ‘Haiya Card’, a fan ticket for the FIFA World Cup, which will start in Doha from the 20th of next month. The electronic service of visiting visas announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia to be issued free of charge as part of welcoming football fans from around the world to the country, started on Sunday. Those who get such a visa can disembark at any airport in Saudi Arabia from November 11 and stay in the country for up to 60 days.
You can leave the country and come back as many times as you want. There is no requirement to enter Qatar before arriving in Saudi Arabia. The authorities have also announced that Muslims among those arriving in the country will be allowed to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. Haya card holders can apply for a visa through the Saudi unified visa platform at the link https://visa.mofa.gov.sa, the ministry said.
Once the health insurance process is completed and the application is made, the visa can be obtained online. ‘Haiya’ is a personal fan card issued by Qatar to football fans visiting their country for FIFA World Cup matches. Haya Card enables accommodation arrangements and free domestic travel. About 15 lakh people have applied for Haya card so far. Doha News reported that between 4,000 and 5,000 cards are printed per day.