Bad news for Indians as Saudi Arabia changes visa rules due to…, citizens of these countries also barred, including Pakistan

Saudi Arabia has barred multiple-entry visa for travelers from as many as 14 countries, including India and Pakistan, who will now be granted access to the country only on a single-entry visa.

Saudi Arabia Visa: In a major development, Saudi Arabia has announced sweeping changes in its visa regulations, barring multiple-entry visa for travelers from as many as 14 countries, including India and Pakistan, who will now be granted access to the country only on a single-entry visa.

According to reports, the changes in Saudi Arabia visa rules, which came into effect from February 1, 2025, have been implemented to prevent travelers from these 14 nations from unauthorizedly performing the Hajj pilgrimage by arriving in the desert kingdom on long-term visit visas.

Saudi Arabian officials say that unauthorized Hajj pilgrims have emerged as a major challenge in recent years, resulting in overcrowding which has led to tragedies, such as the deaths of over 1200 pilgrims, who died due to extreme heat and overcrowding  last year.

Multiple-entry visas barred for 14 countries

As per officials, the Saudi government has banned multiple-entry visas for travelers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. Additionally, Riyadh had also banned the one-year multiple-entry visa for tourism, business and family visits for these 14 countries for an indefinite period.

Under the revised visa rules, citizens of the above-mentioned nations can only apply for single-entry visas, which is valid for a period of 30 days, allowing the visitors to stay in the country for a maximum of 30 days. The new rules will not effect Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic, and residency visas, officials said.

Unauthorized Hajj pilgrims

Saudi officials have claimed that multiple-entry visas are often misused, especially by travelers from countries that are now barred. They said that some travelers misuse the long-term visas to overstay for work or to perform Hajj without proper authorization.

Saudi Arabia maintains a strict over the Hajj pilgrimage, with each country being allocated a specific quota to prevent overcrowding during the pilgrimage. However, despite strict norms, overcrowding has emerged as a major issue in recent years as tourist use long-term visas to circumvent these rules.

Last year, more than 1200 pilgrims died due to extreme heat and overcrowding, raising questions about the issue of unregistered Hajj pilgrims, and prompting Saudi authorities to address the critical issue, which is considered to have significantly contributed to the tragedy.

While officials have termed the suspension of multiple-entry visas as a “temporary” measure, no specific timeline has been given about if or when the matter will be reviewed. Authorities said they will measure the impact of the new visa rules before any further action is taken on the issue.