3-year ban on exit re-entry visa violators

An Expatriate departs on exit re-entry visa and does not return to the Kingdom within the visa’s validity, he will be prohibited to enter the country for 3 years. Visa might be processed, but the immigration officers would not allow him to enter.

“Expats who leave Saudi Arabia on re-entry visas and fail to return before their expiry will be banned from re-entering the Kingdom for 3 years, the Passport Department has clarified. Col. Mohammed Al-Saad, director of public relations, said this while responding to queries from employers willing to employ those expats who left the Kingdom on re-entry visas but did not return before their expiry. – Arab News. The ban period will begin with the invalidity of exit re-entry visa.     

The measure was taken to stabilize the labour market. “It’s part of the residency law and is meant to prevent workers from switching jobs using these visas,”