Saudi Arabia allows direct entry for teachers from schools and universities in countries facing travel ban

RIYAD – The Home Office said on Tuesday that faculty members and teachers at universities, colleges, schools, and vocational and technical institutes in countries facing a travel ban will be allowed direct entry into the Kingdom.

Scholarship students from these countries are also included in the categories of those allowed direct entry.

They do not need to spend 14 days in a third country during the period between leaving their country and arriving in the Kingdom.

Those who have not taken any dose of the coronavirus vaccine from Saudi Arabia will remain in institutional quarantine upon arrival in the Kingdom and are expected to be vaccinated during their quarantine period, the Saudi press agency reported citing an official source in the ministry.

Currently, 10 countries are facing a travel ban. These are India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

The ministry’s decisions include the following categories of foreigners from countries banned from travel:

1- Members of the faculty and similar in universities, colleges and institutes.

2- General education teachers.

3- Training Authority for the Technical and Vocational Training Society (TVTC) and training institutes.

4- Scholarship students.

Those who have received a dose of vaccine or have finished receiving doses of vaccine inside the Kingdom are exempt from institutional quarantine.

This also applies to those accompanying these categories of expatriates and their families, as well as to employees in the public and private sectors.

The ministry also lifted the travel suspension for Saudi citizens under the age of 18 to Bahrain, with the application of previously announced requirements for citizen travel.

“The new measures were taken in light of the great efforts made by the government of the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman to stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and on the basis of what was submitted by the relevant health authorities in the Kingdom, ”the source said.

The source also stressed the need for everyone to respect precautionary measures and prevention protocols, and not to be indulgent in the application of health requirements.

“All precautionary and preventive measures for travel are subject to continuous assessment by the Public Health Authority (Weqaya) in accordance with the latest developments in the pandemic situation,” the source added.

Previously, the Home Office had issued orders to allow direct entry of expatriates who had taken two doses of the coronavirus vaccine from Saudi Arabia to enter the Kingdom.

Authorities had previously allowed direct entry for Saudi citizens, as well as foreign diplomats, medical professionals and their families from countries facing a travel ban. All other segments had to spend 14 days in quarantine in a third country before entering the Kingdom.