$13,700 fine, 6-month jail for Umrah pilgrims overstaying their visas

Umrah pilgrims who stay in the Kingdom after the expiration of their entry visas will be fined SR50,000 each and imprisoned for six months before deportation, according to the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat).

It called on all Umrah pilgrims to adhere to their travel schedules and leave the Kingdom before the expiration of their entry visas.

The Jawazat said that those coming on Umrah visas are not allowed to travel outside Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah.

It warned citizens and residents against transporting, employing, sheltering or hiding those with expired Umrah visas.

A General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) report issued on Tuesday said that 19,079,306 pilgrims performed Umrah in 2017.

The statistical report quoting the registered data of the Ministry of Haj and Umrah said that 6,532,074 Umrah pilgrims came from outside Saudi Arabia.

The GaStat Umrah statistics bulletin for 2017 also showed that Ramadan is considered a top season during which Umrah is performed by people from inside Saudi Arabia, as 53.6% of total pilgrims performed Umrah in the holy month of fasting.