Written By Arabiers Digital & Reviewed by Fatima Al Khabi
September 16, 2023 | 13 min read
It is crucial to be aware of the terms and conditions of your Saudi visa and adhere to them. Overstaying a visa in Saudi Arabia can have serious consequences, and the penalties can be severe in certain countries. This advisory guide provides essential information on the penalty of overstaying in Saudi Arabia for individuals who overstayed their Saudi visas in 2023.
Any visitor who is caught overstaying a visa in Saudi Arabia will be charged a fine of 100 SAR (98 AED) per day of overstay. Saudi Arabia started issuing visit visas only after opening for tourists in September 2019. Prior to that, only expatriates and special people were allowed entry to the Kingdom.
Overstaying fines can be calculated in two ways:
The overstaying fines will be calculated during the exit at the airport's Immigration/Jawazat counter. You can settle your fine for overstaying visa in Saudi Arabia at the Immigration counter before boarding the flight.
If you want to avoid paying any penalty for overstaying your visa in Saudi Arabia, you have the following options:
It is always wise to confirm your visa expiry date and the last date of your permitted stay in Saudi Arabia from your visa consultant. Our consultants will answer all your queries without any hesitation. The chances of overstaying are very low if you know the exact date you should leave Saudi Arabia.
This will give you a buffer period in case of unexpected flight delays or cancellations that can prolong your stay in Saudi Arabia. The worst option is to travel on the day your visa expires, as any sudden delays can result in you having to pay for an overstaying visa in Saudi Arabia.
If you want to stay longer, but your visa is over, your safest option is to extend your visa by contacting Arabiers or a reputable travel firm.
You can exit Saudi Arabia and return to the UAE before your visa expires, apply for a new visa and travel back to Saudi Arabia.
You can easily ask for these details from your Arabiers visa consultant so that you are more mindful of your travel.
There is no such news regarding overstaying your Saudi Visit Visa as a major offense. However, in previous years, overstaying a Saudi residence visa resulted in hefty fines and imprisonment and, in rare cases, being blacklisted from re-entering the country. In the UK, if someone overstays their visa, they can be charged with a criminal offense under section 24 of the Immigration Act 1971. On the other hand, in the UAE, no legal provision considers it a crime to overstay a visitor's visa or a residence visa that has expired. It is always better to be safe than sorry and respect the laws of the country we are visiting. The best and safest practice is to avoid overstaying, which will save us money and from unnecessary trouble.
This is entirely dependent on the decisions made by the Saudi Immigration team that is reviewing your visa.
The penalty for overstaying visa in Saudi Arabia is 100 SAR (98 AED) per day of overstaying. This means that if you overstay 5 days from your visa expiry day you will have to pay 500 SAR.
If your visa expires in Saudi, you will face an overstay fine in Saudi Arabia unless you have already applied for a visa extension. If you haven't applied for an extension, you will have to pay the fine at exit time.
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