Saudi Arabia on 12 July formally launched its ‘Package Visa’ platform, adding India to a list of seven pilot countries whose citizens can obtain a tourist e-visa automatically when booking pre-approved flight-and-hotel bundles. The scheme—promoted by the Ministry of Tourism via licensed tour operators—integrates visa issuance, mandatory medical insurance and civil-aviation data exchange in one payment checkout. For Indian leisure and MICE travellers the appeal is speed: the e-visa number is issued within minutes of completing the package purchase, eliminating separate uploads of passport scans and bank statements on the traditional Enjaz portal. Prices start at SAR 4,000 (≈ ₹89,000) for a three-night stay in Jeddah with flights on Saudia or IndiGo, insurance and a multi-entry visa valid for 90 days. Tour operators in Mumbai and Hyderabad anticipate demand during the upcoming school-holiday window and the 2027 Asian Winter Games in Trojena.
![Saudi Arabia’s new ‘Package Visa’ opens bundled e-visa, flight and hotel booking for Indians]()
For travelers who prefer a more customized or traditional visa process, or who need assistance with alternative visa categories such as business or transit, VisaHQ can help. Through its India site the agency offers step-by-step guidance, document validation and application tracking for Saudi visas and dozens of other destinations, making it a convenient back-up or complement to the new package option.
Meanwhile, corporate mobility managers see an opportunity to streamline last-minute site-visits to megaprojects such as NEOM and the Red Sea Global development—provided itineraries fit the packaged dates. Limitations remain: the visa is strictly for tourism; business meetings require the existing commercial visit visa. Travellers must enter and exit with the booked airline, and modifications trigger re-issuance fees. The Saudi embassy in New Delhi has advised Indian nationals with prior immigration violations to avoid the package route and apply via regular channels. Nonetheless, the Package Visa underscores Riyadh’s shift toward seamless digital entry and positions Saudi Arabia as a competitor to Dubai for Indian tourist spend. Airlines and Indian OTAs are already in talks to integrate the API into their booking engines by Diwali.
For travelers who prefer a more customized or traditional visa process, or who need assistance with alternative visa categories such as business or transit, VisaHQ can help. Through its India site the agency offers step-by-step guidance, document validation and application tracking for Saudi visas and dozens of other destinations, making it a convenient back-up or complement to the new package option.
Meanwhile, corporate mobility managers see an opportunity to streamline last-minute site-visits to megaprojects such as NEOM and the Red Sea Global development—provided itineraries fit the packaged dates. Limitations remain: the visa is strictly for tourism; business meetings require the existing commercial visit visa. Travellers must enter and exit with the booked airline, and modifications trigger re-issuance fees. The Saudi embassy in New Delhi has advised Indian nationals with prior immigration violations to avoid the package route and apply via regular channels. Nonetheless, the Package Visa underscores Riyadh’s shift toward seamless digital entry and positions Saudi Arabia as a competitor to Dubai for Indian tourist spend. Airlines and Indian OTAs are already in talks to integrate the API into their booking engines by Diwali.
