Saudi Arabia: 30-day grace period for holders of expired visit visas to exit kingdom
Temporary initiative to facilitate final departure for overstaying visitors
Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has rolled out a new initiative allowing holders of expired visit visas to extend their stay, exclusively for the purpose of final departure from the kingdom, regardless of the visa’s type or classification.
The policy, which came into effect on 1 Muharram 1447 AH (June 26, 2025), offers a 30-day grace period for visa holders to rectify their legal status, provided they settle all applicable fines and administrative fees.
The move is part of the kingdom’s effort to regulate residency and ensure smoother departure procedures for overstayers.
Jawazat emphasised that the extension must be processed through the Ministry of Interior’s “Absher” electronic platform, specifically via the “Tawasul” service.
It urged eligible individuals to act immediately, warning that no further extensions or exemptions will be granted once the deadline passes.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s security forces arrested nearly 15,000 individuals suspected of residing or working illegally within the kingdom during a weeklong nationwide enforcement campaign.
Between May 8 and May 14, Saudi police apprehended 14,987 violators, including 9,212 residency law offenders, 3,502 border security law violators, and 1,873 labour law breakers, across several regions.
Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE
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