Saudi Arabia extends residency, visit visas validity for expats from countries with suspended travel

Passengers in Saudi airports

Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports extended the validity of residency permits for expatriates outside the Kingdom, and expanded the validity of visit visas, exit and re-entry visas, automatically without fees, until June 2, 2021.

This is in accordance with the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, whereby the Minister of Finance issued the extension, as part of the continuing efforts taken by the government to deal with the effects and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, SPA reported.

The extension will be automatically carried out in cooperation with the National Information Centre without the need to review the headquarters of Passports departments, as follows:

- Extend the validity of residency permits and exit and re-entry visas for residents outside the Kingdom in countries from where arrivals are suspended due to COVID-19, until June 2, 2021.

- Extending the validity of visit visas for visitors outside the Kingdom from countries from where arrivals are suspended due to COVID-19, until June 2, 2021.

On Feb. 2, 2021, Saudi Arabia suspended entry to the Kingdom for non-citizens, with the exception of diplomats, Saudi citizens, medical practitioners and their families, from 20 countries, namely Argentina, the UAE, Germany, the United States, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, the UK, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Egypt, India and Japan.