All you need to know about Yemeni Visas
Current as of October 2007
Options for Obtaining/Receiving a Visa
Option 1: Student arranges the visa
For students who wish to arrange their own visa, contact the Yemeni Embassy/Consulate in the country of residence. Students will be informed by the embassy or consulate of the process for obtaining a visa. Please note that students must apply for a study visa; a letter from the YCMES stating a student affiliation is needed in order to obtain the student visa.
Option 2: The YCMES arranges the visa.
Students who would like the YCMES to arrange their visa will need to send a copy of the picture page of their passport (as well as any renewal pages) to the YCMES head office in Sana’a to process the visa. At the time of writing, costs of arranging the visa through the YCMES was $45 for US/Canadian/Australian citizens and €35 for EU citizens. Please note for students who are not citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or a Western European Country, the process may take up to two weeks with additional fees.
Students who organize their visas through the YCMES retrieve the visa at Sana’a International Airport upon arrival. After exiting the runway-bus and entering the immigration hall, students should proceed to the visa window located on the left-hand side. The YCMES-student visa is placed into the student’s passport at this window. Remember, the visa is already paid for, so students will not have to pay anything extra. After receiving the visa, students may then proceed through the normal customs and immigration line in the same hall before entering the baggage claim area.
Type of YCMES-Arranged Visa
All students studying at the YCMES will receive a student visa. This allows one entry into the country. Should a student plan to travel abroad and then return to his/her studies at YCMES, the office in Sana’a will arrange an exit/re-entry visa for travel. This is at an additional cost to the student. All EU-citizens usually receive a visa good for three months. All non-EU citizens generally receive a one month visa.
Visa Extensions for Long-Term Stays
All American and non-EU residents arrive on a one-month study visa. For any student studying between five to seven weeks, your initial visa and the two-week exit visa are sufficient for your stay. Students studying longer than seven weeks must take an HIV-blood test, scheduled by the administration, in order to extend their visas for the duration of their stay.
EU-nationals arrive on a three-month visa, and do not need extensions unless they are staying at the YCMES longer than this time period.
An HIV test is required for students who need to apply for a residency visa. This test cannot be administered prior to arrival in Yemen, as the Yemeni government does not accept any test results other than those from national health clinics. An HIV-positive result will prohibit a residency visa from being issued, and you will be asked to leave the country.
Note: There is one exception to the visa process if you do not have residency. If you are traveling outside of the country and returning on your original entry visa, you will need to purchase a new entry visa on your return arrival.
Restrictions on Yemeni Visas
Students are unable to get a visa to Yemen if carrying an Israeli passport or have an Israeli stamp/visa in their passport. Any student coming to Yemen with an Israeli stamp/visa must apply for a new passport before obtaining a Yemeni visa. A Pakistani visa may also be problematic but does not necessarily prohibit a Yemeni visa from being issued.
Please note that for students who are not citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or a Western European Country, the process may take up to two weeks with additional fees. Residents of Asian, African, Eastern European, Central American, and South American countries should check with the YCMES and their local Yemeni Embassy/Consulate for possible further restrictions when obtaining a Yemeni visa.
YCMES Policy on Student Visas
All students who are studying at the Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies and/or the Yemen Language Center are required to obtain a Yemeni student visa. The YCMES follows all visa regulations set forth by the Yemeni Immigration Office, and therefore, does not teach students on a tourist visa. The YCMES acts as a sponsoring institution for students to study and live in Yemen, and will remain so only for the duration of a student's study and stay with the YCMES. At the end of a student's study at the YCMES and/or YLC, or if a student terminates his/her studies prematurely, the student visa will be cancelled through an exit visa issued by YCMES administration. A student then will be required to depart the country and may only return on a tourist visa. As a sponsoring institution, the YCMES reserves the right to expel any student from its programs for reasons of breaking student policies and/or other reasons deemed appropriate by the YCMES. Consequently, expulsion from the YCMES will also nullify a Yemeni student visa.