Saudi Arabia has officially lifted the three-year entry ban imposed on expatriates who failed to return before the expiration of their visas. The announcement was made through local media reports on Wednesday.
According to the Saudi newspaper Okaz, the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has issued instructions to all relevant departments to allow expatriates who did not return before the expiry of their exit and re-entry visas. The directive came into effect on Tuesday, January 16.
The entry ban, which had been in place since 2022, was initially implemented by the General Directorate of Passports to regulate expatriate departures and returns. Under the previous policy, expatriates who left the Kingdom and did not return within the specified timeframe were barred from entering Saudi Arabia for a period of three years.
Furthermore, expatriates holding re-entry visas were required to return to the country within the visa’s stipulated timeframe, or alternatively, their employers were responsible for obtaining a new visa.
Previously, the General Directorate of Passports had stated that the label “exited and did not return” would be added to the records of any expatriate two months after their visa’s expiration. This label served as an indicator of non-compliance with the visa regulations.