KSA allows Sinovac, Sinopharm vaccinated passengers but after booster shot

Saudi Arabia has announced to allow the foreign travelers to enter the Kingdom who are fully vaccinated with either Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines, provided that they have also received a booster shot of either of the four vaccines approved by the Kingdom, according to the Kingdom’s e-visa portal.

"Guests who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom," one of the guidelines for travelers on the portal says. 

The decision follows the country reopening its doors to the international visitors on August 1, condition to them being inoculated by one of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

"All visitors arriving in the country with a valid tourism visa must provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson," a guideline on the portal says. 

The decision follows the country reopening its doors to international visitors on August 1, condition to them being inoculated by one of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

"All visitors arriving in the country with a valid tourism visa must provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson," a guideline on the portal says.

Saudi Arabia had announced last week that it was reopening its borders to fully vaccinated foreign tourists after a 17-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift... the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1,” the Saudi Press Agency had reported. The report had added that travelers fully vaccinated with Saudi-approved jabs would be able to enter the Kingdom “without the need for an institutional quarantine period”, provided they also had proof of a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) Covid-19 test taken within the last 72 hours and register their details with health authorities.

However, Riyadh had not announced any lifting of restrictions on Umrah, which usually attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe each year, at the time.