Saudi Arabia Imposes Visa Restrictions on Travelers from 14 Countries
Published on: February 12, 2025
From 1 February 2025, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is introducing new visa restrictions on travelers from 14 countries applying for tourism, business, and family visit visas. The restrictions will mean that travelers from a selective list of countries will only be able to apply for single-entry visas, preventing misuse of multiple-entry visas and curbing unauthorized Hajj participation.
The restrictions will apply to travelers from 14 countries:
- Algeria
- Bangladesh
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Morocco
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Sudan
- Tunisia
- Yemen
Travelers from these countries traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj will no longer be able to apply for a multiple-entry visa. Instead, they will need to apply for a single-entry visa that allows a maximum stay of 30 days.
These restrictions will not apply to Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic, and residency visas for travel to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities have stated that the policy change is aimed at preventing travelers from overstaying on multiple-entry visas, working illegally, or performing Hajj without proper authorization. These restrictions will also tighten Saudi Arabia’s control on the number of pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, lowering the risk of overcrowding that contributed to the deaths of over 1,200 pilgrims in 2024 due to extreme heat and congestion.