No visa needed

Do citizens of Saudi Arabia need a visa for South Africa?

Citizens of Saudi Arabia don’t need a visa for South Africa and can stay up to 90 days. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Saudi Arabia: the passport opens 53 countries visa-free; Riyadh — Pretoria: ≈ 5,950 km, about 8 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 90 days

Can I travel to South Africa without a visa on a Saudi Arabia passport?

Yes, citizens of Saudi Arabia don’t need a visa for South Africa for up to 90 days. A valid passport is enough.

South Africa visa rules at a glance

With a Saudi Arabia passport you can visit 53 countries visa-free, 27 with a visa on arrival and 41 with an e-visa; 77 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Saudi Arabia passport ranks 102nd of 199.
Saudi Arabia passport: visa-free access to 53 countries; South Africa passport: 60.
Citizens of Saudi Arabia and South Africa can travel together visa-free to 28 countries, for example: Palestine, Georgia, Seychelles, Tunisia, Zambia, Mauritius, Angola, Thailand, Mozambique, Botswana, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau, Philippines, and Barbados.
Citizens of South Africa, in turn, get a visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia visa for citizens of South Africa

Travelling to South Africa: good to know

Riyadh — Pretoria: about 5,950 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 8 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −1 hour.
Local time: Riyadh 12:00 — Pretoria 11:00.
Local currency: South African Rand.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, South Ndebele, and Northern Sotho.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ ZAR 16.
South Africa is the 123rd closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Saudi Arabia.