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

Saudi Arabia Visa: In a principal style, Saudi Arabia has announced sweeping changes in its visa regulations, barring extra than one-entry visa for travelers from as many as 14 countries, collectively with India and Pakistan, who will now be granted net entry to to the nation best on a single-entry visa.

Based on experiences, the changes in Saudi Arabia visa principles, which came into enact from February 1, 2025, had been implemented to forestall travelers from these 14 countries from unauthorizedly performing the Hajj pilgrimage by arriving within the desolate tract kingdom on long-timeframe seek the advice of with visas.

Saudi Arabian officials relate that unauthorized Hajj pilgrims have emerged as a principal wretchedness in latest years, ensuing in overcrowding which has ended in tragedies, such because the deaths of over 1200 pilgrims, who died on account of extreme warmth and overcrowding  closing one year.

A couple of-entry visas barred for 14 countries

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

Below the revised visa principles, electorate of the above-talked about countries can best apply for single-entry visas, which is proper for a interval of 30 days, permitting the company to preserve within the nation for a maximum of 30 days. The brand new principles will now not enact Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic, and residency visas, officials stated.

Unauthorized Hajj pilgrims

Saudi officials have claimed that extra than one-entry visas are frequently misused, especially by travelers from countries that are genuinely barred. They stated that some travelers misuse the long-timeframe visas to overstay for work or to procure Hajj without correct authorization.

Saudi Arabia maintains a strict over the Hajj pilgrimage, with every nation being allotted a selected quota to forestall overcrowding all around the pilgrimage. However, despite strict norms, overcrowding has emerged as a serious problem in latest years as vacationer use long-timeframe visas to bypass these principles.

Final one year, greater than 1200 pilgrims died on account of extreme warmth and overcrowding, raising questions about the voice of unregistered Hajj pilgrims, and prompting Saudi authorities to deal with the intense voice, which is even handed to have very a lot contributed to the tragedy.

Whereas officials have termed the suspension of extra than one-entry visas as a “temporary” measure, no remark timeline has been given about if or when the subject will be reviewed. Authorities stated they will measure the affect of the brand new visa principles sooner than to any extent additional motion is taken on the voice.