Saudi Arabia has launched a 30-day grace period for international citizens holding expired visit visas, providing them a short-term window to leave the Kingdom without experiencing extra legal penalties.
The program, declared by the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazats), intends to promote a legal and systematic last departure for guests whose visas have expired.
The guideline applies to all classifications of visit visas, including family, business, and tourist visas, regardless of their original intention. Visitors are required to complete the procedure within the 30-day window to prevent additional fines or access prohibitions.
“The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) declared that it began enforcing a new program permitting the extension of all expired visit visas, regardless of the kind or designation for last departure from Saudi Arabia.”
The source read in part that the grace duration started on 1 Muharram 1447 AH, corresponding to June 26, 2025, and the visa holders will possess 30 days to regularise their status after reimbursing all relevant charges and fines to promote their exit from the Kingdom.
To benefit from the grace period, qualified persons must first pay off any outstanding penalties or visa-associated charges. Then, they must present a last exit application via the Tawasul service on the Absher platform, supervised by the Ministry of Interior. The procedure is not automatic and demands manual request and authorization.
Jawazat has demanded all impacted visitors act very fast, stressing that hesitation could result in implementation efforts, which include penalties or limitations on re-access to the kingdom. Authorities have also cautioned that processing durations may differ, and people planning to exit are required to make an application well ahead of the final date.
The program shows the Saudi authority’s wider action to manage immigration more efficiently, mainly around peak travel seasons and significant religious durations.
It provides a simpler guideline for persons who may have unintentionally stayed longer than their visas or were not able to leave because of logistical or financial difficulties.
MORE UNDERSTANDING
In a linked expansion, Saudi Arabia in early 2025 canceled entrance to 12-month multiple access visit visas for citizens from 14 nations. This modification, enforced in February 2025, restricts travelers from these countries to single-entry visas only.
- The guideline adjustment is an aspect of the Kingdom’s actions to control unapproved participation in the Hajj pilgrimage and ensure the security of pilgrims. The nations impacted are Egypt, Algeria, India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Iraq, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Yemen, Pakistan, and Sudan.
- Saudi Arabia’s relocation rules remain strict, mainly concerning visa overstays. Based on the period and frequency of the offense, offenders experience everyday fines, prospective deportation, and long-term re-access prohibitions. These penalties increase the longer one stays in the nation unlawfully.
The 30-day grace duration provides temporary ease; however, the Saudi government highlighted that it is a one-time opportunity to leave under legal conditions. Visitors are strongly recommended to start on time and not wait until the last days of the final date.
