Whatever your reason for visiting Saudi Arabia, make sure you take out travel or expatriate health insurance for you and your family. That way, you can leave with peace of mind and avoid any unexpected financial, health or legal risks. Cover for repatriation, hospitalization, civil liability and other emergency medical expenses is essential, whatever your destination.
Political system: Absolute Monarchy
Capital: Riyadh
Surface area: 2,253,000 km²
Population: 32.9 million
Languages spoken : Arabic
Currency: Saudi Ryal
Visas in Saudi Arabia
If you are a French national and wish to visit France for business purposes, you will need to obtain an entry visa. Tourist visas do not exist.
French Embassy in Riyadh
Diplomatic Quarter PO Box 94367 Riyadh 11693
Tel: 966 488 12 55
Fax: 966 488 28 82
E-mail: diplomatie@ambafrance.org.sa
Embassy of Saudi Arabia in France
Address: 92, Rue de Courcelles – 75008 Paris
Tel: 01.56.79.40.00. Fax: 01.56.79.40.01
E-mail: fremb@mofa.gov.sa
Website: embassies.mofa.gov.sa/sites/France/FR/
Twitter: twitter.com/KSAembassyFRA
Consulate of Saudi Arabia in France
Address: 29 Rue des Graviers – 92200 Neuilly Sur Seine
Tel: 0147476263 Fax: 0147451064
E-mail: frcon@mofa.gov.sa
Saudi Cultural Office
Address: 26 Rue Murillo – 75008 Paris
Tel: 0181702020 Fax: 0181702025
Website: en.moe.gov.sa
Vaccines and Safety in Saudi Arabia
Vaccination
- Vaccines and compulsory certificates: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers coming from an endemic area. Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia without this certificate will be vaccinated on arrival and quarantined for 6 days from the day of vaccination. An up-to-date meningitis vaccination certificate is required for all travelers. The HIV certificate is required to obtain a residence permit.
- Recommended vaccines and certificates: For adults, don’t forget vaccines against tetanus, polio, hepatitis A & B, meningitis A & C, and for at-risk groups: tuberculosis and rabies. For children, don’t forget vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A & B (long-stay), meningitis A & C (long-stay for travellers aged 18 months and over) and typhoid (long-stay for travellers aged 5 years and over).
- Local diseases: In Saudi Arabia, the following diseases are common: Amoebiasis, spider, snake, fish and scorpion bites, roundworm, hepatitis A & B, leishmaniasis, sexually transmitted diseases, meningitis, malaria, polio, rabies, AIDS, tetanus, tuberculosis, typhoid.
Security
The main risk is the terrorist threat, which tends to affect Western nationals. You must be extremely vigilant, and never travel to high-risk areas, especially the border with Yemen.
More information on risk zones on the France Diplomatie website.
Health insurance in Saudi Arabia
Why take out international health insurance when traveling or living in Saudi Arabia? Quite simply because healthcare costs can quickly reach very high levels abroad. In addition, health insurance is compulsory in Saudi Arabia in order to receive treatment in a public or private establishment. Repatriation cover is also an essential criterion. In the event of a serious accident, medical repatriation to the nearest medical center or to the country of residence may be necessary. Depending on where you are at the time of the accident, and the medical prognosis, it may be necessary to charter a helicopter or medical aircraft.
Mondassur can help you choose an international health insurance policy by helping you compare the different offers on the market. Depending on your profile, we can offer you different types oftravel insurance,international student insurance andexpatriate insurance.
