Saudi Arabia: No entry for expat residents until end of COVID-19 pandemic crisis
The General Directorate of Saudi Passports (Jawazat) announced on Tuesday that expatriate residents abroad will not be allowed to return to the Kingdom until after the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
An inquiry asking whether a resident with an exit and return visa can return before his entry visa ends, to that the passport authority on its Twitter account, said: “No entry for expat residents until the end of the pandemic.”
“Welcome dear. you will not be allowed to return till the end of the coronavirus pandemic crisis, and the decision on return will be announced officially, and under a valid entry visa,” the directorate tweeted.
Responding to a number of tweets by residents who are currently outside the kingdom, the directorate noted that the expats would not be allowed to return until the end of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that the return date: “Will be announced officially, and under a valid entry visa.”
“In case a resident is outside the kingdom, the mechanism for extending the exit and return visa will be announced through official channels after the end of the coronavirus pandemic crisis,” the authority reported.
On Sunday, Riyadh ended a nationwide curfew and lifted restrictions on businesses after a three-month lockdown to curb the novel virus. Since the outbreak of the virus in March, the kingdom has recorded 154,223 infection cases and a total of 1,230 deaths — the highest in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.
The authority went on to explain that new decisions or instructions will be announced through official channels.
