Saudi Arabia tightens visa rules for Pakistanis

Authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made changes to travel rules for visitors coming from over a dozen countries including Pakistan ahead of the upcoming Hajj season.

As authorities are gearing up for major change to its visa policy, Pakistanis going to Arab nations also bore the brunt due to issues in one-year multiple-entry visas. Under the latest rules, travellers can only apply for single-entry visas, which will be valid for a month.

Pakistanis, and residents of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen will not be able to get multiple-entry visa for the upcoming months.

The new rules were introduced to block those coming to visit KSA to perform Hajj without paper work. It stemmed from past experiences when passengers secured multiple-entry visas to dodge pilgrimage quota.

Charges for Pakistanis single-entry tourist visa costs around Rs55,000 in 2025.

Ahead of Hajj season, Saudi government officially opened registration for Hajj 2025 for domestic pilgrims. Applicants must complete health information, add accompanying pilgrims, and request any necessary exemptions from the Mahram requirement.

This change is aimed at preventing people from performing Hajj illegally, as some individuals were using long-term visit visas to bypass the official pilgrimage quota. The new policy took effect from February 1, 2025.

To visit Saudi Arabia, visitors from 14 countries will need to apply for a single-entry visa, which is valid for 30 days with a maximum stay of 30 days per visit.

They also need to submit applications and biometrics at the Etimad visa centres across Pakistan.