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Saudi Arabia: Free visa renewal to benefit expats from India, Pakistan, 15 other countries

The period of extension will be until January 31, 2022

Published: Tue 30 Nov 2021, 7:02 PM

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Reuters file

Reuters file

Expats from 17 countries, including India and Pakistan, can benefit from Saudi Arabia's recent decision to extend the validity of residency permits, exit and reentry visas and visit visas without any fee.

Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) on Monday announced the decision under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The 17 countries are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Brazil, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini (Swaziland).

The Jawazat has automatically begun extending the validity of residency permits and exit and re-entry visas until January 31, 2022, without charging any fees.

The extension will not be applicable to expatriates who are fully vaccinated in the Kingdom before their departure abroad on exit and re-entry visa.

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The King’s directive also includes extending the validity of visit visas issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visitors who are outside the Kingdom and who are from countries facing travel ban as a result of the outbreak of coronavirus. The period of extension will be until January 31, 2022.

This extension, issued by the Minister of Finance, falls within the government's continuing efforts to deal with the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as ensure the safety of citizens and residents, and contribute to mitigating the financial and economic impacts of the pandemic.



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