Saudi Arabia rolls out visa relief measures for visitors

Saudi Arabia is the latest GCC country to introduce temporary visa assistance for visitors affected by recent travel disruptions amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.

 

The kingdom’s Ministry of Interior has announced that holders of all visit visas – including Umrah, transit and final exit permits – that expired after 25 February 2026, have two options to regularise their stay.

 

Up until the deadline of 18 April 2026, travellers can either request an extension via the Absher platform and pay the required fees or depart the kingdom without facing any overstay fines. Authorities have urged visitors to act before the deadline to avoid any future penalties.

 

While Saudi airspace has remained operational since 28 February, travel has been disrupted by cancellations and delays, with many visitors unable to depart due to airspace closures in neighbouring countries. Major connecting hubs, such as Dubai in the UAE and Doha in Qatar, were temporarily closed for a short period, affecting both regional and international travellers.

 

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Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimates that nearly 6 million passengers were affected after nearly three weeks of regional tensions, during which more than 52,000 of approximately 98,000 scheduled flights to and from the Middle East were cancelled. 

 

As a result, many GCC countries, including the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, have rolled out similar initiatives. Qatar recently announced one-month extensions of expired entry visas for tourists, effective from 28 February.

 

In addition to relief for foreign visitors, the UAE is allowing residents with expired residency permits to re-enter the country until 31 March 2026, according to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security. Residents will not have to apply for a new entry visa, enabling them to legalise their status without incurring any additional fees.

 

For more information, visit moi.gov.sa