Saudi Arabia: SR1,000 fine for overstaying exit visa

Cairo: Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports has warned that overstaying an exit visa carries a fine of SR1,000.

“In case of the visa expiry without the beneficiary’s departure, a fine of SR1,000 must be paid in order to cancel the visa and issue a new one,” the directorate said on its Twitter. “The expatriate’s identity card must be still valid in order to conduct the procedure,” it added.

The directorate’s note was in response to a query from an employer who said he got an exit visa for a worker, but the latter did not leave although his residency permit also expired.

Last month, Saudi Arabia unveiled major labour reforms, allowing job mobility and regulating the exit and re-entry visa issuance for expatriate workers without employers’ approval.

Millions of migrant workers in the kingdom stand to benefit from the reforms, which will come into effect on March 14, 2021.