Saudi ArabiaVatican City: Visa required

Saudi ArabiaVatican City

Do Saudi Arabia passport holders need a visa for Vatican City?

Visa required

Yes. Saudi Arabia passport holders need to obtain a visa in advance before travelling to Vatican City.

A visa must be obtained in advance, typically from an embassy or consulate, before travel.

Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (checked September 3, 2026).

The Vatican has no border control of its own

Vatican City is an enclave within Rome with no airport and an open border with Italy. Entry is governed entirely by Italian and Schengen rules, so you must be able to enter Italy first. The Vatican issues no travel visa of its own. The requirements below are Italy’s.

The requirement above is Italy’s, for a Saudi Arabia passport. Saudi Arabia → Italy in full.

RequirementVisa required

Maximum stayLength of stay varies

ScopeTourism, ordinary passport

Action before travelYes, arrange in advance

Data as of2026-10-21

Visa-free access to Vatican City137 of 241 nationalities tracked

Travelling the other way? Vatican City passport holders visiting Saudi Arabia: Visa required.

Other visa-free destinations for Saudi Arabia passport holders

See all Saudi Arabia destinations →

Frequently asked questions

Do Saudi Arabia passport holders need a visa for Vatican City?

Yes. Saudi Arabia passport holders need to obtain a visa in advance before travelling to Vatican City.

What currency is used in Vatican City?

Euro (EUR).

What is the emergency number in Vatican City?

112.

How many countries can enter Vatican City without a visa?

137 of the 241 nationalities this site tracks can enter Vatican City visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an eTA.

Visa rules change frequently and can depend on your specific circumstances. This site is compiled from public government sources and is provided for general information only. Always confirm requirements with the official immigration authority or a consulate of your destination before you travel.

About Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia that occupies the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. Covering a land area of approximately 2,149,690 km2 (830,000 sq mi), it is the fifth-largest country in Asia and the twelfth-largest in the world. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west, Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north, the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen to the south. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates it from Egypt and Israel. Riyadh is the capital and largest city, while other major centers include Jeddah and the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina.

CapitalRiyadh

RegionWestern Asia

Population37M

Area2,149,690 km²

CurrencySaudi riyal (1 USD ≈ 3.75 SAR)

LanguagesArabic

Calling code+966

Drives on theright

TimezoneRiyadh (UTC+3)

Nearest airportKing Khalid International Airport (RUH), 31 km

Emergency number112 / 911 / 999

UNESCO sites8

Income levelHigh income

GDP per capita$34,537 (2025)

Tourist arrivals20.3M (2019)

Climate in Riyadh

Warmest July, coolest January, driest May, sunniest August. Best time to visit: March, October.

Monthly climate normals for Riyadh, 2020
Month	High	Low	Rainfall	Sunshine
January	19.5°C	7.5°C	16mm	299h
February	24.3°C	11°C	2mm	279h
March	27.9°C	15.1°C	1mm	324h
April	33°C	20.8°C	10mm	312h
May	38.3°C	24.9°C	0mm	348h
June	41.9°C	28.3°C	0mm	360h
July	43.6°C	31.1°C	0mm	359h
August	41.9°C	28.9°C	0mm	364h
September	39.7°C	26°C	0mm	326h
October	32.6°C	19°C	0mm	341h
November	28.2°C	16°C	5mm	301h
December	21.6°C	10.3°C	4mm	301h

Avg. high/low, °C (left axis) Rainfall, mm (bar maxes out at 250mm/month)

Daily normals for 2020. Hover a month for exact figures.

Travel guide

Saudi Arabia is the quintessential Arab kingdom. Vast deserts, scorching heat, immense oil wealth, camel races, glitzy shopping malls, traditional souq markets, you can find every Arabian cliche you can think of and then some here. A deeply conservative country that was entirely closed off to (non-pilgrimage) tourism for decades, the government did a drastic policy U-turn in 2019 and has been trying to open up the country to the world and shed the country's straight-laced image, with mixed success.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

'Uruq Bani Ma'arid
Al-Ahsa Oasis
Al-Balad, Jeddah
At-Turaif District
Bir Hima Rock Petroglyphs and Inscriptions
Hegra
Qaryat al-Faw
Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia

Full source list on About.

About Vatican City

Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State, often shortened as the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state in Southern Europe. Ruled by the pope, it is an enclave within the city of Rome, Italy, and serves as the administrative centre of the Catholic Church. Vatican City is governed by the See of Rome, commonly known as the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity under international law, which maintains its temporal power, governance, diplomacy, and spiritual independence. Vatican is also used as a metonym for the Holy See, which is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City, comprising the pope and the Roman Curia. The independent state of Vatican City came into existence in 1929 via the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy, which spoke of it as a creation, not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756–1870), which had previously encompassed much of Central Italy.

RegionSouthern Europe

Area0 km²

CurrencyEuro (1 USD ≈ 0.89 EUR)

LanguagesItalian, Latin

Calling code+3906698, +379

Drives on theright

Emergency number112

UNESCO sites2

Climate in Vatican City

Warmest August, coolest January, driest July, sunniest July. Best time to visit: May, July, August.

Monthly climate normals for Vatican City, 2020
Month	High	Low	Rainfall	Sunshine
January	13.3°C	3.7°C	29mm	251h
February	15.6°C	5.7°C	17mm	261h
March	16.2°C	6.4°C	80mm	283h
April	19.9°C	9°C	82mm	313h
May	25.3°C	13.8°C	32mm	372h
June	26.9°C	16.2°C	122mm	398h
July	32.6°C	20°C	8mm	432h
August	33°C	21.4°C	52mm	386h
September	27.7°C	16.9°C	136mm	314h
October	20°C	11.2°C	189mm	278h
November	17.7°C	9.2°C	68mm	238h
December	13.2°C	5.3°C	230mm	193h

Avg. high/low, °C (left axis) Rainfall, mm (bar maxes out at 250mm/month)

Daily normals for 2020. Hover a month for exact figures.

Travel guide

Vatican City is the world's smallest country both by area and by population, and is the centre of Catholicism. This tiny country completely within Rome is packed with more history and artwork than most cities in the world, and indeed many countries. St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are all in Vatican City.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
Vatican City

Upcoming public holidays

November 1, 2026Tutti i Santi, Ognissanti

December 8, 2026Immacolata Concezione

December 25, 2026Natale

Full source list on About.