Do Saudi citizens need a Schengen visa in 2026?

Yes. No visa waiver has been adopted for Saudi Arabia as of August 2026. The good news: since April 2024, under the EU's visa-cascade decision, Saudi nationals resident in the Kingdom are eligible for 5-year multiple-entry Schengen visas, including first-time applicants with a long-enough passport validity.

Can expats apply for a Schengen visa from Saudi Arabia?

Yes, with a valid iqama. Every mission we verified requires Saudi residence; Spain additionally requires your residency to remain valid until the date you return from the trip, and Austria requires passport and permit valid 3 months beyond departure.

How much does a Schengen visa cost from Saudi Arabia in 2026?

The consulate fee is €90 (about SAR 396 at the current published conversion; children 6 to 12 pay SAR 198). Service fees come on top and vary by operator: France's VFS fee is SAR 118 paid online at booking, the Netherlands' VFS fee is SAR 86.60, and Spain's BLS fee is SAR 85.10 including VAT. Insurance with €30,000 cover is also required.

Where are the Schengen visa centres in Saudi Arabia?

Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province (Al Khobar or Dammam depending on operator) cover most destinations. Spain's BLS has centres only in Riyadh and Jeddah, so Eastern Province residents travel for Spanish applications. Italy's consortium adds a Dhahran desk and mobile biometrics in Jouf and Qassim.

Who handles German visa appointments in Saudi Arabia?

TLScontact, exclusively, since October 2022, in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Ignore older pages naming VFS for Germany. France is the reverse case: it is handled by VFS Global, not TLScontact, despite what many aggregator sites claim.

Schengen Visa from Saudi Arabia (2026): Fees, Centres & Rules

Key facts

Saudi Arabia's Schengen applications run through four different operators depending on the destination, from centres in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province. Saudi citizens still need visas in 2026, but qualify for 5-year multiple-entry visas under the EU's 2024 cascade decision. Expatriate residents apply with a valid iqama. The €90 consulate fee converts to about SAR 396, and the operators' service fees are among the few in the region that are actually published.

Which operator handles your destination

Verified against each mission's official page on 22 August 2026:

Destination	Operator in Saudi Arabia	Cities
France	VFS Global (not TLScontact)	Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar/Dammam
Germany	TLScontact (only channel since Oct 2022)	Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar
Spain	BLS International	Riyadh, Jeddah only
Italy	AlmavivA-VFS consortium	Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, plus a Dhahran desk and mobile biometrics
Netherlands	VFS Global	Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar/Dhahran
Greece	VFS Global	Riyadh, Al Khobar; Jeddah under the consulate-general
Switzerland	VFS Global (embassy in Riyadh also by appointment)	Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam
Austria	VFS Global	Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar/Dammam
Portugal	VFS Global	Cities not specified officially

Two corrections to what most aggregator sites say: France is VFS Global here (TLScontact serves Germany, not France), and Spain has no Eastern Province centre, so Alkhobar and Dammam residents use Riyadh or Jeddah for Spanish applications.

What it costs from Saudi Arabia

The consulate fee: €90 per adult (€45 for children 6 to 12, free under 6), payable in riyals at each mission's own rate. The only operator-published conversion is Spain's: SAR 396 adult, SAR 198 child, cash or Mada debit.
Service fees, where published: France SAR 118 per file, paid online at booking and non-refundable; Netherlands SAR 86.60 including VAT; Spain SAR 85.10 including VAT (SAR 74 plus 15%), under-6s exempt; Germany around SAR 116 (approximately €29; TLScontact's pages resist verification, treat as approximate). Italy's fee sits in a gated PDF; Greece, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal do not publish theirs.

With €30,000 travel insurance included, a realistic DIY total is roughly SAR 550 to 650 per adult for most destinations.

Rules and timings that matter here

Iqama validity. Spain requires your residency to cover the whole trip until return; Austria wants passport and permit valid 3 months beyond departure. Renew first if you are close.
France requires prepayment. The SAR 118 service fee is paid online at the moment of booking, introduced officially to stop fraudulent appointment blocking during summer.
Processing is slower than the EU standard here for some missions. The Netherlands' official notice (August 2026) states an average of 25 calendar days and a maximum of 45, and applications open 6 months before travel. Austria requires lodging at least 15 calendar days before departure.
Children. From 1 July 2026 Spain requires under-6s to have their own booked appointment despite being fee-exempt.
5-year visas for Saudi nationals. Since April 2024, Saudis resident in the Kingdom qualify for 5-year multiple-entry visas under the EU cascade decision, including first-time applicants, passport validity permitting.

How to apply, step by step

Find your destination's operator and city in the table, and confirm on the official portal in our sources.
Complete the destination's application form online where offered.
Book with the right operator; pay France's service fee online at booking.
Prepare the standard pack: passport, form, photos, insurance of €30,000 or more, iqama copy for expats, bank statements, bookings, employer or sponsor letter. Use the document checklist and the Schengen documents guide.
Attend biometrics in person and pay the consulate fee in riyals.
Standard processing is 15 calendar days, extendable to 45; some missions here state 25 days average, so leave margin.

Applying from the UK instead? See the Schengen visa from the UK hub. From the UAE? See Schengen visa from the UAE.