KSA travel tip

• VISA
• MONEY
• GUIDE BOOK
• HEALTH
  
• WHAT YOU MUST KNOW AND INTERESTING STUFF

VISA

Saudi visa is a REAL pain in the ass; don't underrate it!!! First of all forget getting a turist visa since it doesn't exist! As you can see the photo of the immigration form I got on the plane the type of visa available are: - Business/ work= the visa I got, below the list - Umrah= small pilgrimage only for Muslim you can do when you want - Haj) the real pilgrimage only for Muslim - Private= if you have relatives in KSA, good luck! - Transit= you need a proof of a ticket

To me it took 2 months and I got rejected twice for silly bugs in the documentation.
Consider that both the two times I got the visa it was a hassle, also when sponsored by the Minister of Foreign Affairs

The document you have to provide to apply for a Business visa

Original and copy of the passport.
2. Passport should be valid for at least six months.
3. Copy of the Italian Residence Permit (for non-EU citizens).
4. 2 recent photos with white background.
5. Passport must not contain any restriction and authorizes its holder to return to the issuing country.
6. Passport must contain at least two blank facing pages.
7. Applicants with a valid visa must wait for its expiration before applying for a new visa. Exceptions are made only for
work visa applicants.
8. Invitation Letter requested by the Saudi company and attested by the Chamber of Commerce, or a copy of the Visit
Permit issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For some categories of applicants (e.g. lawyers, journalists,
doctors, cook, women) and multi entries visa (valid more than 90 days), the authorization must be issued by Saudi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
9. Copy of the Qualification Certificate: o Copy of Bachelor Degree Certificate, issued or duly legalized by the
competent authorities in Italy, and certified by Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for lawyers, architects, engineers,
doctors, consultants and project managers.
10. Copy of Diploma or the Experience Certificate for vocational and technical professions, issued or duly legalized by
the competent authorities in Italy, for technicians, mechanics, installers and skilled workers. Otherwise the last
payslip and an experience letter on company's letterhead is required.
11. Letter of Visa Request issued by the Applicant's company on letterhead and addressed to the Chief of the Saudi
Consulate in Rome (please download the template from the "Download forms" section). Companies that apply for
multiple employees will need to issue individual letters.
12. Copy of the Trade License of the company (Visura Camerale or certificate of IVA/VAT registration number for
freelancers) issued in Italy or duly attested by the Saudi Embassy in the host country.

MONEY

GUIDE BOOK

I used Lonely Planet Bahrain, Kuwait, Quatar e Arabia Saudita 4th edit, Feb 2011 translated in Italian from the english original version Oman, UAE & Arabian Peninsula (3rd edition, Sept 2010)

HEALTH

From the health standpoint it's a relative safe place being the standard quite high and the climate dry for most of the year.

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW AND INTERESTING STUFFS

- Female dress code = you MUST wear an abeja (long black dress, but you don't need to cover the face as in the burqua). Religious police will check all the button till the last

- Male dress code= for men is far easier since the only thing not accepted are the shorts

- You are not allowed in Mecca or Medina if you are not Muslim. There are checkpoints they will check your passport where it's supposed to be written you nationality

- When you go to restaurant is you are with a women you must find the one with the section for families

- When taking a public mean of transport by law you cannot sit near a woman

- When visiting a mall you cannot enter in the hours dedicated to the families unless you are with a woman

- Azan, Adhan, Salah, Salat= the four 30min prayer during the day
- Abeja= the black dress worn by the female (it's not a burka since eyes are not covered)
- Guntra = the headdress fashioned from a red scarf
- Umrah= the pilgrimage that can be done in any moment of the year
- Haijad= the real pilgrimage that must be done in a precise moment of the year