DAVAO CITY — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is presently imposing a temporary travel ban to Saudi Arabia as a precautionary public health measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In a bulletin, the DFA posted that the following are covered with the temporary ban:
1. Umrah Visa holders; and;
2. Tourist Visa holders from countries judged to pose a particularly high risk of spreading the virus, including the Philippines.
But it emphasized “Filipinos who hold visas for employment, work visit, business visit, and family visit are still allowed entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
It also stated that “The issuance of entry visas to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the purpose of Umrah and/or visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina as well as the issuance of tourist visas are suspended indefinitely.”
The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah are closely monitoring the situation and are coordinating with the concerned agencies of the Saudi government., the bulletin added.
The DFA is asking Filipino national enroute to Saudi Arabia who might encounter any issues or problems regarding the travel restriction, to contact the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh at (+966-11) 482-0507 or the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah at (+966-12) 667-0925 and (+966-12) 669-6303. -ezc
