About a week ago, I did a self-transfer at JED airport. Upon my arrival as a J passenger, I was directed to a separate immigration line. Prior to my journey, in June, I had applied and paid for a transit visa through visa.mofa.gov.sa. This was a cheaper option compared to a tourist visa, as my self-transfer from terminal H to terminal 1 in JED would take no more than 5 hours. However, despite applying well in advance, my transit visa was never issued; its status consistently showed as "sent to embassy" whenever I checked. Taking a calculated risk, I proceeded with my trip, armed with the printed visa application letter. Regrettably upon arrival, the authorities at the airport did not recognise it and rejected it. Their initial suggestion was for me to apply for a Visa on Arrival (VOA). After internal discussions involving airport staff, security, and immigration which took about 15 minutes, a decision was reached to facilitate my transfer, along with my checked-in luggage, to the alternate terminal within airside; so without the need to enter the country or leave immigration. For me it's still uncertain whether this was prompted by my status as an arriving J passenger or if it is a standard protocol for incoming passengers that requiring self transfers as I was on separate tickets on separate airlines. As events unfolded, I found myself alone in a limousine bus, as sole passenger, and was eventually met at the other terminal by airline staff who efficiently guided me to my connecting flight.

I have another self-transfer scheduled in a few weeks, this time from Terminal N to H again in JED. However, as expected my transit visa has still not been issued yet. I've made calls to the Saudi Embassy in my home country, reached out to the contact numbers provided by 'Visit Saudi', and even tried the phone numbers listed on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Unfortunately, it appears that everyone I've spoken to is uncertain about the requirements. Some suggest that a transit visa is unnecessary, while others claim I can obtain it upon arrival. There are also those who say that applying for a transit visa is not possible and not needed; it seems they are not aware that leaving immigration is required to make a terminal switch. The situation is extremely unclear, and I haven't received any definitive assistance so far. If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.