Guyanese passport holders can now travel to Saudi Arabia using an electronic visa or visa on arrival without first having to hold a valid United States, United Kingdom or Schengen visa, President Irfaan Ali announced last night. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the change makes Guyana the only country in South America whose passport holders can access Saudi Arabia under the simplified arrangement without having one of those third-country visas.

The ministry said the development follows intensified bilateral discussions between Guyana and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with both countries seeking to expand cooperation in trade, economic partnerships, investment and tourism while strengthening people-to-people ties.

Previously, Guyanese passport holders seeking a Saudi e-visa or visa on arrival were required to have a valid US, UK or Schengen visa in their passport.

The ministry said Guyanese travellers will now be able to apply for the Saudi e-visa or obtain a visa on arrival using their Guyanese passport and paying the required visa fee. The new arrangement is expected to make travel easier for Guyanese visiting Saudi Arabia for Umrah, tourism, family visits or other purposes, while also eliminating the need to use an agent or visit a Saudi embassy to obtain the visa.

The government described the development as significant for Guyana-Saudi relations, saying it is expected to further promote and consolidate bilateral ties.

The announcement comes shortly after Ali met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

The September 22 meeting at Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations focused on advancing investment cooperation and strengthening relations between the two countries. 

Further, the government and the Saudi Fund for Development signed two loan agreements in 2023 totalling US$150 million. One US$100 million facility was intended to finance roads, water, electricity and other infrastructure associated with approximately 2,500 housing units across three regions, while another US$50 million was allocated for a new four-lane bridge at Wismar, Linden. 

The first phase of the Saudi-financed housing programme was subsequently launched at Leonora East on the West Coast Demerara, while the Wismar bridge was reported to be nearing completion in December 2025. 

Saudi Arabia has also shown interest in expanding cooperation with Guyana beyond development financing. Al-Jubeir visited Guyana earlier this year for an energy conference, where he expressed Saudi Arabia’s interest in investment, knowledge-sharing and responsible energy development. 

The Guyanese government has also committed land for the establishment of a Saudi embassy in Guyana. The government said the new visa arrangement is both a practical travel benefit for Guyanese and a further indication of the strengthening relationship between Georgetown and Riyadh.

The government also said it remains focused on upgrading features of Guyana’s Machine Readable Passports to ensure they remain consistent with international standards and requirements.