RIYADH: Visitors to Saudi Arabia who have been fully vaccinated can enter the Kingdom without the need for an institutional quarantine period, provided that a vaccination certificate is presented, the country’s tourism ministry announced Thursday.

Tourists from various countries will be allowed entry as long as they meet the criteria starting from August 1, the ministry said.

A statement issued on Thursday said those who were fully immunized are those who have received two doses of the approved vaccines in the Kingdom, namely Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna.

Visitors to the Kingdom are also required to register their data related to their vaccination doses on the new dedicated electronic portal, while their data is also recorded through the “Tawakkalna” application, and must be shown to enter public places.

As for those wishing to obtain tourist visas, they can apply through the “Spirit of Saudi” website, visitsaudi.com.

“We welcome tourists again, and we are very happy to receive the Kingdom's guests again after a pause due to the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic,” Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib said.

“We focused our efforts during the downtime on close cooperation with our partners in all sectors to ensure a safe return through which visitors to the Kingdom enjoy exploring its tourist treasures, important destinations and landmarks, enjoy unique tourist experiences, and learn about the culture of generosity and hospitality that characterizes the Saudi society,” he added.

Saudi Arabia first opened its doors to foreign tourists in September 2019. In the first six months, it had issued about 400,000 visas before the suspension of travel and the closure of ports and borders following the COVID-19 pandemic.