Saudi Arabia extends visas of expats who are outside the country

Agencies | Riyadh

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The General Directorate of Passports in Saudi Arabia has decided to extend the validity of residence permits (Iqama) for expatriates who are stranded outside the country free of charge until July 31, 2021.

This decision covers visit visas and exit and re-entry visas.

This extension, which was issued by the Minister of Finance, comes among the continuing efforts of the Saudi government to deal with the effects and repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. It also falls within precautionary and preventive measures that guarantee the safety of citizens and residents and contribute to mitigating financial and economic impacts.

The directorate indicated that the extension will be carried out electronically in cooperation with the National Information Centre.

The decision applies to the following sections:

First: Extending the validity of residence permits and exit and re-entry visas for residents who are in the countries from which entry is suspended as a result of coronavirus until July 31.

Second: Extending the validity of visit visas for visitors who are in the countries from which entry is suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic until July 31.

Third: The extension is limited to the 20 countries from which entry is suspended as a result of the pandemic, announced on February 2.