Riyadh, April 8, 2025 — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has just declared that they are suspending the giving out of several visas, including to 14 countries, including Pakistan, in anticipation of the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, for a limited period. The main aim of this decision is to restrict the coming of unauthorized people who do not have the authorization to perform the rituals of the Hajj.

Saudia Arab Ban Visa On These Countries

The suspension can instantly disable the eligibility of diverse visa divisions including Umrah, business, as well as family visit visas. And the prohibited countries are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Jordan, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia, as well as Yemen. The ban is supposed to stand until the middle of June 2025, which is the same time when the Hajj period ends.

This move by Saudi authorities represents the first such action of theirs after the worries about people employing multiple kinds of visas to bypass the official Hajj quota have surfaced. Cases were recorded of pilgrims who bypassed the normal registering procedures and entered the Kingdom with tourist or business visas and joined the Hajj without being properly registered, which resulted in overcrowding difficulties.

Besides the suspension of the visa, the Saudi Arabian Government has issued a digital Hajj and Umrah guidance in 16 different languages to enable pilgrims to get to know the safe and legal procedure of the pilgrimage. The official government has confirmed that they will not hesitate to blacklist people who are caught staying illegally or overstay with a five-year ban from entering the Kingdom.

The citizens of the countries where the ban is effective are encouraged to keep themselves informed about the visa policies that are currently in force and to adjust their travel plans accordingly. The Saudi government underlines the need for the pilgrims to stick strictly to the official in/out procedures and regulations that are set up to provide for a smooth and spiritual Hajj experience for all pilgrims.