Saudi Arabia: 3-Year Ban On Expatriate Holding Exit And Re-Entry Visa And Not Returned

According to the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) of Saudi Arabia, any expatriate who leaves the Kingdom with an exit and re-entry visa and does not return within the specified time frame would be barred from entering the Kingdom for three years.

The General Directorate of Passports also stated that if the expatriate does not return within the time frame given in the visa, the employer must grant a new visa.

The term “exited and did not return” will be automatically recorded for every expatriate who has been granted an exit and re-entry visa two months beyond the visa’s expiry date.

Saudi Arabia Exit/Re-Entry Visa

A Saudi exit/re-entry visa is required for beneficiaries who have family members or domestic workers outside of Saudi Arabia, as well as employees who intend to leave Saudi Arabia and return within a certain time frame.

The term “exited and did not return” will be automatically recorded for every expatriate who has been granted an exit and re-entry visa two months beyond the visa’s expiry date.

The Jawazat also stated that it is no longer required to visit the Passport Department, as it was previously needed, to register the expatriate who departed and did not return.

The period of entry prohibition is determined using the Hijri calendar and begins on the day the visa expires.

The Jawazat emphasized that the decision to bar arrivals from entering the Kingdom does not apply to dependents or those accompanying them.

In response to the departure of the expatriate’s dependents and escorts, such as sons or daughters, and their non-return, as well as their continued appearance on the Absher platform for guardians, the Jawazat stated that they will be cancelled and dropped from the list of dependents on the platform immediately after the visa expires through the “Tawasul” service via the Absher platform.