Starting from February 1, 2025, travelers from 14 countries will now only be eligible for single-entry visas for tourism, business, and family visits to Saudi Arabia. This visa policy change means that nationals from these countries cannot apply for one-year multiple-entry visas for an indefinite period.
The latest change affects travelers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
Each single-entry visa will only be valid for 30 days, with a maximum stay of 30 days. There are no changes to the Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic, and residency visas.
Saudi officials revealed that the policy revision is a response to the misuse of multiple-entry visas. Some travelers who entered the country on long-term visas had overstayed illegally for work or performed Hajj without proper authorization.
Saudi Arabia allocates specific quotas to each nation to control the number of pilgrims during the Hajj period. The rise in the number of unauthorized pilgrims has led to severe overcrowding, reaching a crisis point in 2024 when more than 1,200 pilgrims lost their lives due to extreme heat and overcrowding. The policy change seeks to combat this issue by ensuring that only authorized pilgrims participate in the Hajj.
Saudi officials have described the suspension of multiple-entry visas as a temporary move, but have not provided any timeline for reviewing the decision. The government plans to evaluate the impact of the new policy before taking any further actions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised travelers to apply for single-entry visas well ahead of their planned travels and to strictly follow the newest regulations. It also added that nationals from the 14 affected countries must comply with the new rules to avoid penalties or travel disruptions.