Overstaying in Saudi Arabia Penalty

If you are a visitor in Saudi Arabia and you overstay your visa you will pay a fine of 98 AED (100SAR) per every day overstayed.  The visits visas in Saudi Arabia were introduced in September 2019 after the country opened its borders for tourists. Before then, only expatriates and special people were allowed in the country.

There are two ways to calculate the overstaying fines for Saudi visitors. These are:

• Your visa has expired and you need to either extend the visa or exit the country but you have not done either. For instance, when you have a 90 days’ visa that allows you to be in the country for 90 days but you are still in the country on the 95th day, you will be considered to have overstayed for 5 days. You will therefore have to pay a fine of 500 SAR for the five days since the overstay fine is SAR 100 per day.
• The second case is when your visa duration is not over yet but the validity period is over. For instance, if you have the Saudi e-Visa, the visa is valid for one year but allows you to stay in the country for 90 days.  If you enter Saudi and the one-year validity ends before you even complete the 90 days stay period, you will have to exit the country. If you continue staying there when the validity of the e-visa has elapsed, you will be considered to be overstaying even if you have stayed in Saudi for less than 90 days. You will be penalized for every day you overstay past the date the year ended even if the 90 days are not completed.

If you have overstayed your visa the fines to pay will be calculated when you will be exiting the country at the immigration/Jawazat counter. You will have to pay all the fines before you get cleared to board your flight.

There are ways to avoid paying for overstaying fines and penalties in Saudi Arabia including:

1. Exit the country on time

Once you get your visa always confirm from your visa consultant the expiry date of the visa and the day you are expected to exit the country. Arabiers offers visa consultancy and we will answer all your questions about Saudi visas without hesitating. Once you are aware of the expected exit date or expiry date it will be very difficult to find yourself overstaying and incurring extra charges.

2. Travel a minimum of 2 days before your visa expiry date

If you want to avoid overstaying in Saudi Arabia it is advisable to leave the country at least two days before the expiry date. This gives you an ample time to exit the country within your visa days even in case your flight is delayed or cancelled. There may be sudden delays at the airport and so leaving in time helps you to avoid penalties when your visa expires while at the airport.

3. Apply for an extension before your visa expires

If you intend to stay in Saudi Arabia for more days and your visa is almost expiring, you can apply for extension before the actual expiry date. To extend your visa you can contact our team at Arabiers or a reputable travel firm and you will get the necessary help.

4. Exit the country and enter with a new visa

You can also choose to exit and get back to the country with a new visa. Leave Saudi Arabia before your visa expires and then apply for a fresh visa to enter the country. This will give you more time in Saudi Arabia without overstaying.

5. Have a clear understanding of the Saudi visa type you applied for

If you are not sure or well informed regarding the type of visa you have, you can get in touch with our customer service team at Arabiers. Our team will give you the needed information regarding the type of visa and this will enable you to be mindful when travelling and avoid fines and penalties for overstaying.

Overstaying your Saudi Visit visa has not been pronounced a major offense in Saudi Arabia. In the past however, there were severe consequences for overstaying visas such as imprisonment and hefty fines. At times a traveler would get blacklisted from getting to Saudi after they overstay their visa.

In some countries such as the UK, overstaying a visa is regarded a crime and one can be charged with a criminal offense under section 24 of the Immigration Act 2021. In the UAE however, overstaying a visit visa or a residence visa is not considered to be a crime.

It is advisable to always be on the safer side and avoid unnecessary inconveniences that come with overstaying a visa in whichever country that you are visiting. Avoid overstaying and if you need to stay longer than the visa validity, take the necessary actions such as extension of visa or exit and apply fresh for a visa. It will save you money and also troubles with the immigration.

There are various circumstances that may lead to overstaying your visa and therefore upon consideration the decision to either allow you back to Saudi or deny you the chance will depend with the immigration findings.  It is the immigration that will review your visa and so if they see it fit to allow you back to the country, then you visa will be approved.